Fordham’s Resurgence Continues

Rams’ Resurgence Continues Rise

by Ray Floriani

BRONX, N.Y. – The program and basketball fortunes here are on the rise. Since his arrival several years ago, Dereck Whittenburg has painstakingly built the Rams into a team to be reckoned with. The days are gone when Atlantic 10 opponents can circle the date and pencil in a “W” when Fordham is on the schedule. Fordham has built a nice homecourt advantage while gradually getting more competitive away from Rose Hill. Last spring the Rams advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament.

Better talent, tougher defense and a stronger commitment have all taken place under Whittenburg’s watch. In his mind, a few things are still missing. One of those was found with a thrilling 56-55 overtime victory over Saint Joseph’s at Rose Hill.

Whittenburg admires the work of St. Joe’s and coach Phil Martelli. The Fordham mentor went as far as labeling St. Joe’s the signature program of the A-10 during the most recent years.

“They are everything we are hoping and trying to be at Fordham,” Whittenburg said of the Hawks. Naturally, a victory over St. Joe’s, something the Rams hadn’t accomplished since 1999, would go a long way in Whittenburg’s estimation that his program has taken another big step. Mission accomplished.

The final seconds alone gave the fans significant drama. St. Joe’s had a one-point lead with seconds remaining. Marcus Stout got free off a perimeter ball screen and penetrated the lane. Stout got to the basket for a layup and the Hawks called time out with four seconds remaining. St. Joe’s inbounded, throwing a three-quarter-court pass. The pass was tipped, and Hawk big man Ahmad Nivins almost came up with the loose ball and a short clear path to the basket. Instead the ball bounced around and Fordham recovered as the horn went off and bedlam ensued.

The game started out close then Fordham went on a late first-half spurt. The eight point edge enjoyed by the home team reached 10 with just over 19 minutes remaining. St. Joe’s, with just one A-10 loss, regrouped and battled even in the stretch before forcing overtime on a Nivins layup with just over a minute remaining.

“It was just a great defensive game,” Martelli said. “Both teams played terrific defense.” It was ironic though, the winning was made possible because St. Joe’s missed a defensive assignment on that screen that freed Stout.

“Our guys showed character,” Whittenburg said. “In the crucial stages we showed a lot of poise.”

Over the course of the game the lead changed ten times. On each occasion, Fordham dug a little deeper and responded.

Martelli’s Hawks entered the game averaging 80 points per game in Atlantic Ten play but were held a good 25 under their average. “That’s what seventeen turnovers will do,” Martelli said. “In a fifty point game having that many turnovers is just going to kill you.”

The St. Joe’s coach would still like significant improvement out of his backcourt. Without outwardly criticizing his guards, Martelli noted, “We have to call a play every time down the floor. You just can’t do that.”

Nivins, a solid inside performer, led St. Joe’s with 22 points. The Hawks trailed 29-21 at the break and amazingly had just two players score, Nivins with 12 and Pat Calathes with nine.

A recruiting skill Whittenburg has is to not just get better players but project what they can do on this level. A case in point is Stout. The 6’4″ junior played point guard in high school but Whittenburg saw him as a two. Stout scored his 1,000th point in the St. Joe’s game and can obviously score, but also throws a pin-point pass, especially in transition.

The crowd was 2,532 and it seemed as almost all of them stormed the floor after the buzzer for a wild celebration. When it finally cleared at center court, in the middle of it all was Whittenburg hugging a few of the ‘crazies’ from the student section. “This is a different Fordham,” Whittenburg said later. “Not the one that lost 12 in a row (to St. Joe’s).”

St. Joe’s, after a 3-0 start, dropped to 3-2 in A-10 play, while the Rams improved to a similar record. Expect it to be that kind of year in conference play.

Stout wanted the ball at the end with his team down one and the game on the line. “I always want the ball at the end of a game in that situation,” he said, “I’m confident.”

He was also humble and didn’t realize he scored his 1,000th point in the contest. “I was just happy we got a big win.”

Stout scored 13 and Bryant Dunston had 16, while the Rams’ leading scorer was freshman guard Brenton Butler, who came off the bench for 18 points. Butler was especially dangerous from outside, knocking down 4 of 6 beyond the arc.

Rutgers Home Games

Rutgers Men and Women Come Home

by Ray Floriani

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – On consecutive evenings this past week the Rutgers women and men, respectively, hosted Big East opposition. Both contests coming in this early portion of conference play gave us some interesting insight to store away as the weeks progress.

On Tuesday, the Rutgers women hosted South Florida. The visitors entered the Rutgers Athletic Center with a 2-0 Big East record. At the half Rutgers owned a 27-16 lead. That’s about as close as it got as the Scarlet Knights convincingly defeated the Bulls 62-36. “Pardon my expression,” South Florida coach Jose Hernandez said, “but that was just an old fashioned ass-kicking.”

The Scarlet Knights did it on defense. The Bulls had more turnovers (15) than field goals (13). They shot 21 percent from the field and their leading scorer Jessica Dickson who came in with a gaudy 21 points per game norm left with 13 points, but suffered through a 3-of-15 shooting night. “It was a lot of me rushing things and not letting the game come to me,” Dickson said. And it was a great deal of good old-fashioned defense, especially on the part of Rutgers’ Essence Carson.

Points of emphasis

• Don’t read too deep into Rutgers’ pre-New Year record. The Scarlet Knights closed out 2006 with a 5-5 record, a very ordinary start that had coach C. Vivian Stringer extremely concerned. “They played a very tough non-conference schedule,” Hernandez said. Included in that slate were contests with nationally ranked Duke, Georgia and conference foe DePaul, all of which saw Rutgers come out on the losing side. The new year started with a road win at St. John’s, then a big home court victory over an improved Pitt team just before the South Florida contest.
• Kia Vaughn is becoming a presence. The 6’4″ sophomore went through the customary freshman orientation last winter. Currently Vaughn is the Rutgers leading scorer (14.0 ppg) and rebounder (9.8 rpg). She’s a wide bodied, tough and skilled low post presence. Vaughn had a game high 18 points 10 boards against the Bulls who just didn’t have an answer for her.
• The RAC is still intimidating. The crowd was listed at 2,641, but the Scarlet Knights’ home arena can be tough on opponents. South Florida never got on track, and Pitt, the previous opponent, also lost focus. While it is true the players, like Duke’s who pinned a 40-point whipping on the Scarlet Knights here in December, win games and not buildings. Still, Rutgers seems to operate at a better comfort level here as opponents often struggle to find theirs.

Men Fall to Syracuse

On Wednesday, Syracuse visited the RAC fresh off a nice road win at Marquette. The Orange made it two straight with a 68-58 win over Rutgers behind Eric Devendorf’s game-high 19 points.

Syracuse had a slim three-point halftime lead. They never lost the edge in the second half but were challenged continuously by a Scarlet Knight club coming off a nice win at Cincinnati. Senior center Darryl Watkins, who played a key defensive role in the win at Marquette, added a nine-point, 10-rebound effort for the Orange.

Points of emphasis

• The effort is there. Rutgers works hard on both ends of the floor, but the simple truth is this team struggles from the field. The perimeter shooting is extremely poor, exhibited by the Scarlet Knights shooting 30 percent from the floor and an arctic 5 of 24 from three. “To beat a zone like Syracuse’s, you have to make outside shots,” Rutgers coach Fred Hill said. “We got good looks but didn’t knock them down.”
• Senior guard Marquis Webb is a defensive specialist. J.R. Inman can occasionally step out and hit a perimeter shot. Two guard Courtney Nelson (a team-leading 14 points) is a good shooter. Nelson struggled early in the season but is slowly finding his touch. Rutgers though, needs consistent shooters on a nightly basis.
• A road win in the Big East is nice. Two straight in this conference is special. Syracuse’s win here tonight wasn’t the most artistic as Syracuse mentor Jim Boeheim admittedly sees room for improvement, especially regarding decisions in the latter part of the game. Syracuse saw a seventeen-point lead with just under five minutes to play, whittled to 6 with 1:10 remaining.
  “We just have to make better decisions in the stretch,” Boeheim said. The area of shot selection is especially notable, as Syracuse hoisted a few questionable perimeter shots when they could have milked the clock a little longer. Still, a Big East road win is never easy.
• Andy Rautins adds a dimension. A starter the last few games, the sophomore guard represents another perimeter threat for the Orange. “He’s a good shooter,” Boeheim said of Rautins. “He opens things up because now defenses have to come out and play him and (Demetrius) Nichols which opens things up inside for Terrence (Roberts) and (Darryl) Watkins.”

Final Notes

• The Syracuse-Rutgers game started 9 P.M., which meant interviews were going on about a half hour prior to midnight. Maybe it was the late hour, but Boeheim was posed with a curious question: “Are you concerned Rutgers took 24 three point shots?” To which the Syracuse coach deadpanned, “not at all when they shoot that percentage (21 percent).”
• Syracuse had their entire frontcourt in foul trouble, but no one fouled out. “They got in trouble, but as veteran players were smart enough to avoid the fifth,” Boeheim said of Terrence Roberts, Darryl Watkins and Demetrius Nichols.
• Fred Hill was concerned about one thing in particular: transition defense. Rutgers was outscored 14-0 in transition. “That something we have done well,” Hill said. “We went to North Carolina and they didn’t get a transition basket the first half. We just didn’t do a good enough job tonight.”
• The late hour didn’t hamper Boeheim’s humor. Around midnight he was chatting with yours truly and Darryl Watkins’ dad about the Big East in general when a young woman asked him to autograph two small wooden squares from a basketball court. They Syracuse coach politely and graciously did and when she walked away he jokingly said, “that will be on eBay in the morning.”
• A number of basketball personalities were at the Syracuse contest. Staff members from Linden, St. Benedict’s, Bloomfield Tech and St. Anthony’s high school were in attendance. Former Seton Hall coach and Syracuse player Louis Orr was there, as were noted AAU coaches Jimmy Salmon and Sandy Pyonin.

Seton Hall Tops Rutgers

Pirates Win In-State Rivalry Opener

by Ray Floriani

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – A good start in conference play is crucial. For Rutgers and Seton Hall, the meeting at Continental Airlines Arena transcended that. Both schools have new coaches, presently establishing a foundation and personal signature on their respective programs. The conference coaches will tell you it is vital to defend your home floor while hoping to gain a split on foreign soil. Finally, for both schools, regardless of game location, this meant a great opportunity to capture a very winnable game in Big East play. Seton Hall was able to do just that in securing a 77-72 victory at Continental Airlines Arena.

Interestingly, both coaches came away with a positive feeling about the contest. Naturally Rutgers mentor Fred Hill wants to win basketball games, but the Rutgers mentor was very encouraged about what he saw.

“We talked in the early season about playing tough games like Kansas State and North Carolina on the road,” Hill said. “We did the things we had to do to get ready. We got out of character early tonight but we battled back.”

Rutgers was looking at an eighteen-point deficit late in the first half. The Hall was draining threes, getting out on the break and running on all cylinders. Then the Scarlet Knights went on a 17-0 tear to get back in it. The Scarlet Knights showed resiliency, as did their opposition.

Rutgers took a one-point lead late in the game before Seton Hall responded in the stretch. Many times a team surrendering a big lead and falling behind late will fold. Not on this night with Seton Hall.

“We had the mental toughness to win that game,” Pirate coach Bobby Gonzalez said. “Our kids were iron-willed.”

After losing that huge lead at home, the Pirates simply made plays, like a crucial Paul Gause steal and Eugene Harvey offensive rebound on a free throw with seconds remaining, to seal the win.

“I’m proud of our kids,” Gonzalez said. “We scrap and find a way to win. Every game we play is like that.” And will continue to be as conference play progresses.

J.R. Inman led Rutgers with 18 points and Hill is pleased with his 6’8″ sophomore, feeling that he is becoming a complete player. Brian Laing and Eugene Harvey of Seton Hall shared game-high scoring honors with 21 points.

Another tell-tale sign for the Hall was a scoring drought. It happened late in the first half when Rutgers went on their tear to get back in the contest. The droughts, which have occurred a number of times this season, have a snowballing effect. Seton Hall is at its best when they press, force turnovers and get an up-tempo game unleashed. The problem is that it is virtually impossible to set up an effective press if you are not scoring. So the scoring lapses hurt on the offensive and defensive ends as well.

George Candia, a former assistant to Bob Hurley at St. Anthony’s and currently a Charlotte Bobcat scout, was very impressed with Harvey.

“He gets in the lane at will,” Candia said. “If he ever develops an outside shot, the sky is the limit for him.” Candia still makes his home in Jersey City, NJ and speaks with Hurley on a regular basis.

Rutgers sophomore swingman Jaron Griffin added 15 points 6 rebounds and was instrumental in helping the Scarlet Knights battle back late in the first half. At 6’7″ Griffin showed a nice perimeter touch and hit 2 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Notes

• Scoreboard watching: Across the Hudson, underdog St. John’s upset DePaul, snapping their modest win streak. As coaches Hill and Gonzalez noted, wins are not easy in this conference.
• Rutgers coach Fred Hill did not make much of the rivalry angle. His concentration was on having the kids play hard and steal a road win. Gonzalez, on the other hand, was aware of the situation. “Rivalry games are big,” Gonzalez said. “When I was at Manhattan we beat Fordham five straight times, so we are well aware of the importance of rivalries.”
• Rutgers’ backcourt did a solid job overall. Anthony Farmer had a 17-point, four-assist outing, while Marquis Webb, who had a career high 28 against South Carolina State in the previous contest, added 12 points.

Defense At MSG Doubleheader

Defense Rules Garden Doubleheader

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK – Like defense? If you are a connoisseur of stops, deflections and making the offense earn every precious point, this was your night. The Aeropostale Classic at Madison Square Garden featured a defensive clinic in the nightcap as Duke edged Gonzaga.

Virginia Tech 80, Seton Hall 61
Duke 61, Gonzaga 54

The opener actually gave a display of some fairly sound defense. The final score was one-sided but the first half gave no clue that things would work out that way. Seton Hall struggled on the offensive end in the first twenty minutes, yet were only down seven at intermission. Over the course of the final half, Tech got out early and built a lead that reached 28 points. Offensively, Virginia Tech clicked, but credit for this impressive showing goes to the defensive end.

“We made a concerted effort to keep people in front of us, not get split (stop penetration) and contest shots,” Tech coach Seth Greenberg said.

Actually this has been a Tech priority the last few outings: play better defense with those points in mind. It just happened to be something that was stressed at halftime. Jamon Gordon (22 points) and Zabian Dowdell (12 points) did the damage in the Tech backcourt. Gordon was especially effective as he added 8 rebounds from the guard spot.

Seton Hall struggled offensively all night. Jamar Nutter shot 1 of 10 from the field; Brian Laing was 2 of 9. Paul Gause contributed 8 points but had 6 turnovers. Eugene Harvey led the Hall with 18 points but was 5 of 13 from the floor as a number of his penetrations were not finished.

“If we don’t score it’s difficult to get in our press,” Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez said. The Pirates shot 28% from the floor and committed 21 turnovers. “Their size and athleticism really bothered us,” Gonzalez added.

The keys to Duke’s victory in the nightcap…

Defense. A staple in this program, the defense was particularly effective against Raivio and Eric Heyfelt. Krzyzewski made sure his club never lost sight of Raivio’s whereabouts. Heyfelt was played tough inside and had to work for every point in the paint.

Offensive execution. It got better as the game wore on. When Duke took the lead in the second half, they ran their patterns with more fluidity and confidence. Their ball movement on the perimeter was a thing of beauty.

Paulus. “He played the best game of his career tonight,” Kryzyzewski said. The sophomore lead guard hit the big shots (Duke’s scoring leader with 20), ran the club and sacrificed his body – literally. On one play in the second half, he tried to stop a guard exchange on the perimeter and went diving into press table. After a few minutes of respite and recovery, he was back in the game and helped Duke seal the verdict in the stretch.

Tempo. “The pace of the game was not to our liking,” noted Gonzaga coach Mark Few. The Bulldogs like to run and create opportunities in transition and Duke did a great job of keeping the contest at half court.

Duke was down 19-10 in the latter part of the first half. Then that defense paid off as the offense warmed up and the Blue Devils closed the half with a 21-20 deficit.

“That was big,” Few said. “If we made a couple close-in shots that were there, then we’re up about seven at the half and it could have been a different game.”

One of the reasons Duke struggled offensively in the first half had to do with the three-point line. Coach Mike Kryzyzewski made it clear he was taking nothing away from Gonzaga, which played great defense, but did note a lot of the Blue Devil shots were a bit far away.

“We run our offense with the three point line as a guide,” Krzyzewski said. “In the first half our kids were using the NBA three instead of the college three (both lines are on the Garden floor) as the guide. We do have a lot of young kids but that forced us into running our offense and taking shots a little farther than normal.”

Josh McRoberts of Duke also came up big. He did a good job inside with an 11-point, 11-rebound effort. The sophomore center also added 5 assists, one of which was on a backdoor pass to Paulus with the shot clock winding down and the Blue Devils nursing a slim lead down the stretch.

On the way to the interview room, official Tom Lopes was seen. I remarked that the game had “March-like intensity.” “That’s just what we said at halftime,” Lopes remarked. On this night players, fans, coaches, media and officials were all in agreement. It was like an NCAA tournament later-round game.

“You have two of the best programs out there in recent years,” Krzyzewski said. “There are talented kids, good kids and they all buy into playing hard and playing good defense.”

David McClure, a 6-6 sophomore forward, had a very effective six-rebound, four-blocked shot game coming off the bench for Duke. Raivio (4 pts) and Heytvelt (10 pts) were below par scoring but 6-2 sophomore Jeremy Pargo picked up the slack with a game high 21 points.

The crowd was a 19,528 sellout. Actually the first game between Virginia Tech and Seton Hall was sparsely attended. The 9 p.m. game tipped off to a packed house.

Gonzaga brought a significantly large traveling party. A young couple between games at a stand were both wearing Raivio jerseys with uniform no. 5. “We’re not family but we are big fans of Derek Raivio,” the lady explained. “Actually my favorite is (freshman) Matt Bouldin but his jersey isn’t out yet.”

They went on to say they are Eastern Washington grads and big ‘Zaga fans. They, like many in the party were in New York for a few days to see the tree at Rockerfeller Center and take in the holiday festivities. “This is a tough game,” the lady went on, “because Duke is our second-favorite team. But tonight it’s ‘Go Zags’.”

There are Spokane, Washington natives rooting for Duke. Amazing. Do the Tar Heels get that adoration 3,000 miles away?

On The Baseline

• Duke was the only school to bring cheerleaders. For a good portion of the squad it was their first trip to the ‘world’s most famous arena’.
  “This (MSG) place is so much bigger than Cameron,” senior Ebony Thompson of Chicago noted. “The place is packed and there are so many Duke fans.”
  Molly Rhodes, a classmate from St. Louis, added,” just seeing the place packed with Duke fans is just great.”
  The ladies went on to say getting access to the Knick lounge for a pre-game Duke alumni and friends reception was a significant added thrill.
• Duke was the only school with a band and it was a good one. During one timeout they played a B-52 classic ‘Rock Lobster’. That guaranteed them mention on Hoopville. Case closed.
• To all, best wishes for a great holiday season and new year.

Aeropostale Holiday Classic Recap

Pride Successfully Returns to Holiday Festival

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK – Hofstra made its return to the Aeropostale Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden a triumphant one. Several years ago under Jay Wright, the Pride captured two straight festival titles. Only a close loss in the 2000 finals to Penn State kept Hofstra from a ‘three-peat’.

“I was a part of that run as an assistant,” Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora said. “Now it’s special to come in and win it as head coach.”

Hofstra captured the championship with a 63-51 win over St. John’s, a solid but by no means an easy one for Hofstra. The Pride took an early lead they never relinquished, continuously having to weather Red Storm runs. Each time, they held their ground and never surrendered the lead. In the stretch, with an eight-point lead, Hofstra hit their free throws, took care of the ball and closed out the victory.

“This is just huge for us,” Pecora said. “Not just to play here but to win this tournament in the Garden is just great for our programs. I told our guys they are making another part of Hofstra history.”

The talk among the fans and media was the 6:30 game on the night of the semis with Hofstra and St. Joe’s would be the championship. The other bracket had St. John’s and Boston University. With no disrespect to the Terriers of the America East Conference, it appeared the brackets gave St. John’s an ‘easier’ route to the championship game.

The Red Storm advanced to the finals, but it was anything but easy. Norm Roberts’ club survived a 45-44 overtime scare against a team that entered with a 3-6 record and three freshmen in the starting lineup. This also happened to be Boston University’s first-ever appearance in Madison Square Garden. While sitting courtside as the BU assistants scouted the first game, all admitted their kids were excited but hoped there would be no ‘Garden jitters’. There weren’t.

If anything, St. John’s appeared to be the ones on edge. They went through a first half where they had more turnovers (9) than field goals (6). BU led at the break 19-17 and the contest remained close. Lamont Hamilton had a chance to win it in regulation. With the score tied at 42 and two seconds left, the Red Storm senior rimmed two foul shots. In the extra session, Hamilton put St. John’s ahead on a free throw with just over a minute left. On the final possession, the Storm had to sweat it out as a short hook close in the lane by BU at the buzzer rimmed and fell off and St. John’s held on. “Survive and advance”, as the late Jim Valvano would say.

The opener also gave us a last-second drama. Loren Stokes of Hofstra buried a top of the key jumper with seconds left to give the Pride a 65-63 victory, A senior guard, Stokes shared game-high scoring honors (15 points) with teammate Carlos Rivera. On the night, Stokes shot a sub-par 5 of 14 but was a gamer at crunch time.

“(Loren) was getting the ball on the last play whatever St. Joe’s was in, zone or man,” said Hofstra coach Tom Pecora.

“I’m one of the captains,” Stokes added, “I take a little more responsibility (with the game on the line).”

The most upsetting thing to St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli wasn’t Stokes’ last shot or that he got active down the stretch. Martelli was a bit frustrated and concerned over his team’s relinquishing a double-digit second half lead.

“Our team is on a very thin line,” Martelli said. “When you go 4 of 7 from the line the last two minutes and give a guy who had six points all year, eight for the game. We just didn’t take care of the ball.”

To Martelli, Stokes, Rivera and Antoine Agudio were known commodities in the Hofstra three-guard attack. He didn’t count on Chris Gadley, a 6-9 sophomore, to come off the bench and score eight while grabbing a big six offensive rebounds. Gadley also had a good showing against St. John’s in the finals. He scored eight points, pulled down seven boards and was an inside body to try neutralizing St. John’s Lamont Hamilton down low. Hamilton did score a team-high 22 points but Gadley made him work.

“Hamilton’s tough,” Pecora said. “We doubled down on him and took our chances with the guys on the perimeter.”

Gadley’s play the two nights was another point of optimism for Pecora. ‘We went in knowing how good our perimeter is,” he said,” now we know the baseline is good, too.”

Part of Gadley’s slow start this year, Pecora noted, was health. He suffered a concussion in a scrimmage and took a knee to the head early in the season. Now he’s just about full strength health and conditioning-wise, and showed it in the festival.

Stokes was asked if the recent success against St. John’s now makes Hofstra the best team in the New York metropolitan area. “We don’t think about that,” Stokes said, “we just play hard no matter the opponent.” To which Pecora jokingly added, “good answer Loren.”

In Martelli’s opinion, Stokes has a shot at playing in the NBA next season. “I think he (Stokes) just has to work on his outside shot a bit, which is kind of strange to say because he just beat us with a jump shot, ” Martelli said after the semis. “He also has to work on defense a bit. He’s very athletic and long. He gets to the basket better than Quincy Douby, who is in the NBA now. The only thing he doesn’t have is Douby’s range.”

Stokes saved the day in the semis, but Antoine Agudio scored a game-high 24 points for Hofstra in the finals and earned the Lou Carnesecca MVP award. “That’s the great thing about our guards,” Pecora said. “They are so unselfish and do not care who gets the points or shots. They are just a pleasure to coach because they are talented and unselfish.”

Ironically, this was the third straight season Hofstra and St. Joe’s faced each other. They met in the two previous NITs; St. Joe’s won in 2005 with Hofstra getting the W last March.

“I tell you, it’s better playing St. Joe’s in the Garden than at their fieldhouse,” Pecora quipped.

St. Joe’s edged Boston University 58-53 in the consolation game. For Martelli’s Hawks, it’s all part of the learning process, one that can be at times taxing on Martelli in his 11th year at the helm on Hawk Hill.

“Sometimes we take steps than take another step and hit a wall,” Martelli said. “This team can physically and mentally take you to the edge every day, but I really think if we improve the second half of the year, as we normally do, everything will work out fine.”

Ahmad Nivins, a 6’9″ sophomore, was probably the Hawks’ most consistent player the two nights. Nivins was in double figures both nights and had a fine 16 point 11 board effort against BU.

Despite going 0-2 Dennis Wolff took a lot out of the experience for his young BU club.

“We played hard both days,” Wolff said. “We learned we must be more efficient versus bigger, more physical teams. It’s hard for us to come back against those type teams.”

Wolff was especially pleased his club, easily handled 55-39 in a late November loss at St. Joe’s, came out and competed the full forty minutes in the consolation. Omari Peterkin, a 6’7″ senior, was a nice inside presence while freshman guard Tyler Morris had a game-high 17 points against St. Joe’s and impressed with his hustle and savvy both nights.

On The Baseline

• “The Hawk will Never Die” – but he does know profanity. Disagreeing with an official’s call the St. Joe’s Hawk came out with an S-word-laced comment. But he still kept flapping the wings. Regardless of the slip, the Hawk is this writer’s favorite mascot.
• All schools except BU brought cheerleaders. St. Joe’s and St. Joe’s had bands. For Diana Diehl a senior cheerleader on St. Joe’s the Garden has special significance. “It is the place I first cheered in college when we beat Gonzaga (three years ago),” the Edison, NJ native said. “It’s always great to be here and see all our fans cheering us on.”
• Hofstra wasn’t the only championship team on the floor. The Hofstra dance team, coached by alum Kelly Olsen, is defending UDA champions. “We work out six hours a day five days a week, two three-hour sessions when we are off from classes,” sophomore Rachel Barker said. “During the semester we practice about three hours a day five days a week.”
• To add to the Hofstra ‘Pride’ the cheer team is defending UCA champions in their division. So the Aeropostale Holiday Festival showcased a few champions from Hofstra University.

FDU, St. Bonaventure Honor Swanson

Fairleigh Dickinson, St. Bonaventure Honor Swanson

by Ray Floriani

TEANECK, N.J. – The afternoon called for an officiating assignment at Jersey City (NJ) St. Anthony’s. Following that, a Monday evening women’s game was on tap. Action was relatively light and it gave the opportunity to see the Fairleigh Dickinson women host an out-of-conference opponent. On the 30-minute drive (rush hour traffic cooperated) from Jersey City to Teaneck, little did I realize the significance this evening would have.

St. Bonaventure defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 49-42 in a women’s game at Rothman Center on Tuesday. This was anything but your typical December meeting between schools from different conferences. This was an evening to give tribute to a young lady whose presence and influence impacted many.

Joy Swanson was an assistant at FDU who tragically succumbed in October to cancer. Swanson played for and graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1995. She later went on to join the staff at Army before coming to the Northeast Conference school. Even after being diagnosed with the disease, Swanson valiantly stayed as active as possible with her coaching duties. This game is the beginning of a home-and-home, with FDU venturing to Olean, NY next season. On this night, though, it was a tribute to the memory of Swanson.

The game itself appeared to be all FDU. The Lady Knights led 20-16 at the half, as the Lady Bonnies were having trouble with Jordan Sykes, who led FDU on the night with 12 points. In addition, Mercedes Walker came off the bench to do some damage inside for the Lady Knights. A Sykes layup with just over 8 minutes to go increased the FDU lead to 40-26 before the home team stopped scoring and St. Bonaventure got on track. The Lady Bonnies went on a 17-0 tear to take a lead they wouldn’t surrender.

“I think our kids got started a bit slow tonight because of the emotion of the evening,” St. Bonaventure coach Jim Crowley said. “Once we started to make shots we trapped on defense and got going.”

Once they had the lead, St. Bonaventure protected it, largely on four free throws by Audrey Latendresse (a game high 18 points) in the last twenty seconds.

Following the game was a brief yet very meaningful ceremony to honor the memory of Swanson. Her husband Scott and young son Thor were at center court and presented a check for over $6,000 that was raised for her family on this very evening. A memorial fund for cancer research in her name is being discussed. During the ceremony, Scott, with his son, went down the two team benches and personally thanked each player and coach from the two schools. “The Swanson family will always be welcomed and have a home on the campuses of St. Bonaventure University and Fairleigh Dickinson University.” With these words and applause throughout the Rothman Center, the ceremony ended.

“She (Joy) was a great inspiration to me,” said Crowley, who was on the staff as an assistant with Swanson before she moved on to West Point. “She taught me to love Bonaventure. She had a passion for the school. She shared her stories, talked about her teammates and really embraced our kids.”

Crowley, in his seventh season as head coach (11th overall at Bonaventure), admits he remains at the Atlantic Ten school primarily because of that love for it instilled by Swanson.

The current Bonaventure squad never played for Swanson. Still, they were moved by the emotion and connect with her legacy through Crowley. Coach Sandy Gordon and her FDU players were naturally greatly affected by losing a fine coach, a true inspiration and close friend.

Among those in attendance were FDU men’s coach Tom Green and Army Hall of Famer and basketball standout Kevin Houston. While Swanson coached at West Point, Houston befriended the family and made the trip to FDU to honor her memory.

Harvey Leads Seton Hall

Harvey Leads Hall Past Penn State

by Ray Floriani

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Exit the Seton Hall campus and make a right turn you are on South Orange Avenue. Following the road will take you into the Vailsburg section of Newark. As you proceed through the neighborhood, the avenue will soon branch off to Springfield Avenue, where you run into St. Benedict’s. The trip from the Hall to Benedict’s is just over a mile. The seemingly trivial distance was significant as an initial stop on Bobby Gonzalez’s recruiting trail.

When Gonzalez got the job at Seton hall last Spring, his first priority was to go after Eugene Harvey. The Hall was losing Donald Copeland and had an immediate opening for a point guard. Harvey was on a number of school’s lists and thought to be headed to Rutgers or maybe Illinois. “We took a gamble and he (Harvey) took a gamble,” Gonzalez said. The chance the new coach took was entrusting the lead guard position to a freshman. Harvey, on his behalf, was casting his lot with a program that had a complete change in coaching staff.

St. Benedict’s is coached by former Pirate Danny Hurley. “That didn’t give us an advantage,” Gonzalez said. “Danny was gracious, but we were treated as an equal in the recruiting process.” Weighing on the opportunity to step in a Big East program as a starter and play for a coach who utilized New York point guards well during his Manhattan College days, the Brooklyn, NY native surprised many recruiting observers by choosing Seton Hall.

All this came to mind as Harvey was in the process of putting a team-high 27 points on the board, leading Seton Hall to a come-from-behind win over Penn State. The 69-59 win at Continental Airlines Arena raised the Hall’s record to 6-1. Penn State fell to 6-3.

In the second half run, Gonzalez inserted Harvey, who logged the full forty minutes, in the high post of his zone offense. He simply played with the poise of an upperclassman. If he had the opportunity, Harvey could hit the perimeter shot. He also penetrated with virtual ease. If the defense came out to cut off penetration, Harvey would find a wide-open cutter heading to the basket.

Midway through the second half, Seton Hall trailed Penn State by ten. The Pirates couldn’t buy a basket, the Big Ten visitors controlled tempo and the Continental Airlines Arena crowd was doing their best church mouse impression. Finally, the home crowd got something to cheer about. The Hall and the fans awoke from the slumber. Seton Hall stepped up the defensive pressure and began converting on the offensive end. The deficit whittled away. In the stretch, Seton Hall gained a lead it never lost en route to victory.

Paul Gause hit three crucial three-pointers during the late run. But on a day where the usual mainstays Brian Laing (10 pts on 4-of-17 shooting), Jamar Nutter (2 points) and Stan Gaines (1 point) struggled offensively, this victory was largely made possible by the outstanding play of Harvey.

“There are things I look for in a point guard and we had them at Manhattan,” Gonzalez added. “We like kids that can play up-tempo, get in the lane and are tough defenders. Eugene had all those areas checked.” Not to mention his pedigree. Gonzalez loves New York guards and Harvey is a Brooklyn native.

“At times,” Gonzalez gushed, “He (Harvey) looked like a young Isaiah Thomas.”

Another factor that turned things around was Gonzalez’s switch from man to 2-3 zone just about the time Seton Hall made its run. “We had to,” he said. “(Penn State swingman Geary) Claxton was killing us. If we stayed man he would have fouled us out and we would have lost by 15.” Claxton finished with a game-high 29 points, with 17 coming in the first half.

The Pirates play with an infectious enthusiasm and bounce in their step. Opponents are clearly taking notice of Gonzalez’s club, who are catching his enthusiastic attitude. “Seton Hall is a ‘feel good’ team,” praised Nittany Lion coach Ed DeChellis. “They feed off their defensive pressure, that’s how they want to play.”

DeChellis also had praise for Gause, the sophomore guard whose nine points came on three big treys down the stretch. “He (Gause) is the type of player you watch on tape and fall in love with. He defends, hits shots and anticipates very well. He really made a difference today.”

Hall has a Friday exhibition with William Paterson at Walsh Gymnasium. Following that will be a significant test, with Virginia Tech in the first game of a Garden doubleheader on December 21.

Gonzalez couldn’t reflect how things could have been different regarding Harvey’s decision. “If Lance Thomas doesn’t go to Duke…I don’t know,” Gonzalez mused. Thomas, who starred at Benedict’s also, was a possibility for Rutgers. The word had it that if he went to Rutgers, he might entice Harvey to join him in New Brunswick. All that changed when Thomas cast his lot with Duke. Ironically, Duke will play Gonzaga in the nightcap of that December 21 doubleheader in New York.

Jimmy V Classic

Jimmy V Classic a Learning Experience For All

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK – Teams competing in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden found out something about themselves. That is bound to happen when you face top-flight competition this early.

In the opener of the doubleheader, Oklahoma State edged Syracuse 72-68. The win kept the Cowboys undefeated at 10-0, but of greater significance is the realization that the Cowboys successfully can finish out close games. A year ago OSU was an uncharacteristic 17-16. The off-court issues didn’t help, but the fact remained that 8 losses came in the final possession.

“Already we have four close wins,” beamed coach Sean Sutton. “Everyone came back focused and winning the close games comes with growth, maturity and confidence.”

Oklahoma State pounded the boards and ran well, especially in the second half. A number of the transition opportunities were fueled by Syracuse turnovers. Cowboys were hurt by turnovers a year ago. They still are prone to throw the ball away but, in general, have better cohesion and sense of purpose this young season.

The contributions of junior guard JamesOn Curry, who scored 20 points and hit a crucial trey in the waning moments, were also vital. Up front, 6-7 senior Mario Boggan (21 points 8 boards) did appreciable damage in the lane.

Syracuse received a further reminder that corrections are needed. “We have to rebound better and stop making turnovers (23 on the night),” coach Jim Boeheim said. “We have to execute and get better offensively.”

Demetrius Nichols led all scorers with 26 points. Highly-touted freshman Paul Harris added 11, but of greater significance was the fact he energized Syracuse down the stretch. Harris is a muscular swingman who can penetrate, defend and rebound. He is weathering an adjustment period.

“He (Harris) needs to work on his outside shot,” Boeheim said. “He is also trying to find his way in our offense. He will be really good but right now is a work in progress.”

Boeheim was pleased his team came back from a late double-digit deficit and put themselves in a position to pull it out. It was the second straight game Syracuse staged a comeback. In most recent contest before the Jimmy V Classic, Syracuse came back from 20 down and nearly pulled it out before dropping a close one to Wichita State. On this night, Syracuse showed that same resiliency. On the flip side, Boeheim realizes that taking care of the ball (less turnovers, better decisions) will prevent having to make significant comebacks.

In the nightcap, Arizona stopped Louisville 72-65. The big story of that contest, probably the night, was the play of a freshman, and it wasn’t Edgar Sosa or Derrick Caracter of Louisville. The attention-grabber was Arizona yearling Chase Budinger. A 6-7 forward, Budinger scored 17 points while adding 3 steals and blocking 3 shots. His game has versatility and intelligence imprinted on it. Needless to say he was the object of many of the NBA talent evaluators. Budinger can bury the perimeter shot, mix it up in the paint and he is a passer extraordinaire. Rest assured there are some NBA clubs who would love to have his services now.

He made his mark with the local fans in this building. Rick Pitino has enjoyed success in the ‘World’s Most Famous Arena’. Remember his New York Knick days? Most recently the Louisville coach has struggled here. Last year the Cards lost to St. John’s in regular season and were knocked out of the Big East Tournament in the opening round, then dropped an NIT semifinal to eventual champion South Carolina.

With the injuries and struggles of last year behind, Pitino has a few solid first-year players of his own to count on. Sosa, a product of New York prep power Rice High School, is a very athletic guard with the ability to slash to the hoop. Caracter is in much better physical condition, as weight problems and conditioning were a factor during his high school days. Now slimmer, the 6-9 Caracter is more effective and runs the floor better. He still has to concentrate on defense as the Wildcats fouled him out midway through the second half. There is also 6-9 Earl Clark, a New Jersey product with point guard skills that is utilized in a forward capacity by Pitino.

Pitino is very happy with a slimmer Caracter’s progress. He does note their will be “bouts of foul trouble because,” he never has played defense before.” One wonders how much Kevin Boyle of St. Patrick’s (one of Caracters’ prep stops) agrees with that statement.

While Pitino is generally pleased with his club’s outlook and prospects, Wildcat coach Lute Olson was happy with his defense. The string music of the first half turned into heavy metal the final twenty minutes. Arizona shot 18 percent in the last half, but the Wildcats were bailed out by some outstanding defensive work. That’s an encouraging sign coming this early against a quality opponent.

Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins said before the game that the club generally settles into a groove and comes together during the holiday break. “You get the time off (from school), exams are over, classes are done and you can just concentrate on games and practices. Each year we really seem to jell during that time.” Just in time for the start of Big East play following the new year.

Syracuse will definitely need that time. Call it ‘quality ‘ or ‘drawing board time’, Boeheim admits the team is still not in an offensive rhythm. As the coach noted, the loss of Gerry McNamara has been huge. ‘G Mac’ often bailed Syracuse out when offensive options ran out and someone had to step up. Presently, Syracuse hasn’t found any individual(s) who might assume such a role.

One fan in attendance was Renaldo Balkman of the New York Knicks. “I’m rooting for Louisville even though we (as a South Carolina player) beat them in the NIT,” Balkman said. When asked how he enjoys playing in New York he quickly replied, “I love it. This is a great place to play. Our fans are good. One minute they cheer you, the next they wind up booing you but you know they are always behind you.”

On The Baseline

• A fan came dressed for the first game in orange tux complete with top hat and tails. A crazed Syracuse fan? No, it was a Cowboy fanatic. “Hey, I came over 1,0000 miles to follow the Cowboys,” the formally clad fan explained. “When you come to New York you have to go all out.” He certainly did.
• Out of the four schools Arizona, the one that traveled the farthest, was the only one to bring cheerleaders. “We have great bakers and boosters who sent us here,” said Arizona cheer coach Phoebe Chalk.
• One of the cheerleaders, Angie Peiffer, a junior, noted she is from Ohio. She proudly gave allegiance to the Buckeyes in football but noted her true devotions stay with Arizona.
• His New Jersey Nets having been dispatched by the Dallas Mavericks across the river, Richard Jefferson got to the Garden to see his former Arizona club in the second half. Jefferson posed for pictures with the Arizona cheerleaders and accepted applause and greetings from AU faithful seated near the team bench.

Big Apple Classic

Big Apple Classic Has Promising Start

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK – It is an event planned to be an annual happening. There were growing pains, as expected, but the inaugural Big Apple Classic provided a showcase for four schools not frequently seen on SportsCenter. It featured a doubleheader with teams from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In the opener Bowie State (MD) and Virginia Union (Charles Oakley’s school) faced each other in a CIAA matchup.

The entire event is set up to mirror the NBA’s All Star Weekend. The games were on Saturday afternoon, but starting the Thursday up to game day, there were receptions, events and parties sponsored by the organizers and advertisers.

Coming into this event, Bowie coach Luke D’Alessio had mixed emotions. He was thrilled to have his program appear and be showcased at MSG, yet deeply concerned about facing a squad like Virginia Union so early in the season. His fears proved prophetic.

Union sped to a 48-25 halftime lead and it didn’t get any better. How did D’Alessiuo’s afternoon go? With 1.2 seconds to go Virginia Union was inbounding the ball on the baseline. They set up a play that found sharp shooting guard totally unguarded. Steve Miller proceeded to bury an uncontested three. Nothing but net.

The D-II power thoroughly dominated in virtually every facet of the game. Sophomore forward Greg Thondique dominated with 19 points 10 rebounds. In the backcourt, Miller added 16 points (4 of 5 from three). Va. Union held Bowie to 27 percent shooting while forcing 26 turnovers.

Bowie guard Gil Goodrich epitomized the afternoon for his school. A senior guard averaging 27 points per game, Goodrich scored two points on 1 of 14 (0 for 7 from three) shooting.

Said a happy but gracious Va. Union coach Dave Robbins, “We probably played over our heads. Bowie is much better than they showed today.”

D’Alessio felt different. “We didn’t match their (Va. Union) intensity,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s the Garden or a rec center with no fans, you have to match Virginia Union’s intensity all night.” He did promise, “Things will be different when we meet again. I’m certain.”

In the nightcap it was the MEAC meeting of Howard and Hampton. On their first three possessions Howard scored each time, setting a tone for a 95-84 victory. Eugene Myatt led all scorers with 22 points but the 6-6 sophomore forward did his most dame scoring 18 after intermission for Howard.

It was a huge win for Howard and not only because it was in the Garden. Of greater significance was the defeat of a MEAC rival in Hampton, the defending conference champion whom observers peg a contender to repeat in March.

The MEAC is an interesting conference to be included here. You have teams like a Howard and Hampton (the media guide cover reads “The Frantic 40″) who love to get out and run. The league, though, is not all run n’ gun. In fact, Delaware State, one of the group’s more successful schools in recent years, gave Duke fits in the NCAA tournament a few years ago with their deliberate Princeton-esque style. The Big Apple affords exposure to fans who normally wouldn’t get an opportunity to see a MEAC school prior to ESPN’s Championship Week.

The crowd for the afternoon doubleheader was 6,600 in the first year of the event. With it getting off the ground, there is room to grow and attract more fans. Teams from conferences as the CIAA and MEAC deserve an opportunity and place to feature their programs.

On The Baseline

• All four schools brought bands and cheerleaders. No surprise, as getting to New York and MSG is truly special. Virginia Union cheerleaders even jumped in with the team for pictures during the post-game trophy presentation.
• About 30 minutes after the first game, two Bowie State cheerleaders were practicing routines in a space near a concession stand. Bowie’s team needed the practice, but maybe their cheer squad felt the same.

NIT Season Tip-Off Recap

Butler Makes Most of Long-Awaited Return to the Garden

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK – It was well worth the wait.

The last time Butler appeared in Madison Square Garden was March of 1959 in the NIT. That was the ‘old Garden’ 16 blocks uptown. Butler had yet to appear at the current MSG on 33rd street that opened in 1968. A solid mid-major with a credible tradition, the Indiana school went almost half a century without playing in “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

Butler certainly made up for lost time and re-acquainted itself with local fans. The Bulldogs upset Tennessee and Gonzaga to capture the NIT Season Tip-Off.

On Wednesday in the NIT Season Tip-Off semifinal, Butler showed the New York fans solid fundamental basketball in a 56-44 upset of Tennessee. The Bulldogs entered the contest with two goals: limit turnovers to 15 and hit the boards. They almost accomplished both – the turnover count was 16, but they forced their SEC opposition into 23 miscues of their own. Butler struggled a bit with the Volunteers’ beef up front, as Tennessee enjoyed a 15-7 edge on the offensive boards. But the key factors that helped Butler over the forty minutes were defense and an adherence to their game plan.

Tennessee saw a ten-point lead with five minutes to go in the half slip away. A 10 % (no typo) shooting second half didn’t help. “We had looks,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. “We didn’t hit anything but credit Butler. They played some aggressive defense out there.”

In the second semifinal North Carolina got out to a 10-0 advantage over the first four minutes. The second-ranked Tar Heels looked like they would cruise into the finals. Gonzaga never hit the panic button and gradually got back in it, taking the lead by halftime. In the second half, they opened a 16-point lead. Carolina tightened the defense and made a serious run, but again, Mark Few’s Bulldogs didn’t rattle, kept the lead and closed out an 82-74 upset.

That set the stage for Friday.

While Black Friday shoppers were going through away their budgets, a number of fans were filing in the Garden for a 4:30 p.m. start. Clad in Carolina blue and Volunteer orange, they were in eager anticipation of an expected matchup. Only thing being, the matchup was planned on being the final, not consolation.

North Carolina took third with a 101-87 win. Tar Heels had just too much size for Tennessee. Down 21 at the half, Tennessee did not quit and actually made a second half run and threatened to get the deficit under double digits about midway through the final half. North Carolina coach Roy Williams was pleased with the win, but not at all with his team’s decisions and execution in the final half.

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, not thrilled to exit New York with a two-game losing streak, was content that his team fought back. “We got in at halftime down 21 (points),” Pearl said. “And there wasn’t a guy who couldn’t wait to get back out on the floor.”

Tennesee is a team that will surprise in some contests, disappoint their fans in others. The Vols press and rely a great deal on perimeter shooting. Even their big man, freshman Wayne Chism, is a 6-9 widebody who enjoys roaming outside more rather than battling down on the blocks.

The final, a battle of Bulldogs, saw Butler get out to an early lead and gradually build it. The early margin was crucial in the balance of the contest. Butler is simply not a team you want to trail. They take good care of the ball, play with poise and are deadly from the free throw line, especially in crunch time. Butler was 14 of 16 from the line against Tennessee and made 23 of 26 in the Gonzaga contest. Butler also had great success dribble penetrating. If the penetration was stopped, the ball would be sent out to the perimeter for a (usually open) shot.

Interestingly picked sixth in their Horizon League pre-season poll, Butler is a classic inspiration for programs operating below Fortune 500 status. They epitomize what you can do when a solid, unspectacular group gets together, buys into a good system and executes. My NBA favorites, the Knicks, should be required to watch and study Butler’s game tapes (from any of the NIT contests) to get a read on fundamental unselfish basketball.

Following the semifinal win, Todd Lickliter took a few moments to reflect on the trip to the Garden. “It’s a big thing for our fans,” the Butler coach said. He went on to say that a legendary figure in Indiana basketball once told him, “the two best places to play are Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler’s home) and Madison Square Garden. The newer places like Conseco Fieldhouse are beautiful,” Lockliter continued. “But when you walk into a place like Madison Square Garden you feel it is special. You feel the history and that’s something you can’t find in those new arenas.”

Players of Note

• Derek Raivio, Gonzaga senior guard. Scored 21 against North Carolina and was deadly from the perimeter, especially in transition.
• Josh Heytvelt, Gonzaga sophomore forward. The 6-11 Heytvelt had an excellent 19 points and eight rebounds against Carolina. He got into early foul trouble but still scored 16 against Butler. Heytvelt is effective on the perimeter or down low.
• Brandan Wright, North Carolina freshman forward. Thin and wiry, Wright was very effective on both nights, scoring and rebounding. He blocked three key shots as the Tar Heels made a run against Gonzaga in the semis.
• Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina sophomore center. Very ordinary against Gonzaga, Hansbrough was too much for Tennessee to handle,. He dominated in the paint with 27 points.
• JaJuan Smith, Tennessee junior guard. Shot the ball well both nights. Performance (18 points) against Carolina was cut short by an ejection with 12 minutes to play.
• A.J. Graves, Butler junior forward. It’s only appropriate that Butler’s best performer, the tournament Most Outstanding Player, is not even on the radar of many NBA scouts. Graves is simply a very good college player. A deadly shooter, Graves was the heart and soul of the Bulldog attack and notched a game-high 26 in the final.
• Julian Betko, Butler senior forward. A sound hard-nosed performer, Betko notched a career-high 15 points against Tennessee. Virtually all of them came at a crucial point when Butler made a game-changing run.
• Dane Bradshaw, Tennessee senior forward. A 6-4 at the four spot is a hint why the Vols will live and die on the perimeter. Bradshaw just plays hard, with a lot of heart and is an inspirational leader for his club.

On The Baseline

• Butler brought their band, cheerleaders and some enthusiastic fans savoring the moment. Butler band was unique and creative. If a Tennessee player traveled they chanted ‘fundamentals’. They also played one or two Doors songs during the various timeouts, which endeared them to yours truly.
• Butler cheerleaders endured a 15-hour bus trip to get to New York. “It was worth it, wouldn’t miss this for anything,” said junior Katie Vanes. And Katie said that at the half of Tennessee game when Butler was still trailing.
• Talking with the North Carolina cheerleaders in search of an item for this section, one young lady spotted the Knick logo on my folder. “My cousin plays for the Knicks,” she said. I asked who he is. “Channing Frye,” she replied. Turns out the UNC cheerleader was senior Whitney Frye. When I told her Channing’s performances at Arizona and his hard-working attitude with the Knicks always impressed me, she smiled and said light heartedly, “that’s because he’s a Frye.”
• After the final buzzer and the on court celebration, Butler players personally went over to say thank you to the cheerleaders and members of the band – a great scene and touch of championship class.

2K Sports Notes

Final Four Teams Make Gains in 2K Sports Classic

by Ray Floriani

NEW YORK – Last season Florida captured the 2K Sports Classic and eventually won the national championship. Maryland edged Michigan State in a thrilling final to capture the 2006 2K Sports Classic on Friday at Madison Square Garden. There is no guarantee Gary Williams’ club will be cutting the nets down in Atlanta, but there are similarities

Make no mistake: Maryland is good and could play deep into post season. The most significant thing Williams learned about his team deals with chemistry. Like Billy Donovan found out a year ago with Florida, having cohesiveness and cooperation on the floor goes a long way.

Williams is enjoying coaching this team. The chemistry is good, they share the ball and defend. The last point is a Williams’ trademark and something his more recent Maryland teams did not do on a consistent basis. Both nights here Maryland’s defense forced turnovers and got the transition game going. In the halfcourt set, that defense took away a number of options and in the St. John’s game, never really let the Red Storm get into any offensive flow.

The outstanding player of the tournament was D.J. Strawberry. The Maryland senior guard had a team-high 17 against Michigan State in the final. The prior evening he had 19 (in 22 minutes) against St. John’s. Strawberry shot very well (13 of 19) from the floor for the two nights and excelled in transition.

Maryland was especially tough on offense with a “three point guard” rotation. “For part of the game we had (D.J.) Strawberry who played point for us last year,” Williams said. “We also had (Greivis) Vasquez and (Eric) Hayes out there which gave us, in effect, three point guards.” And a wealth of good ball movement and ball-handling.

The Terrapins lack a significant inside game, though 6-9 senior Ekene Ibekewe, who plays a good deal outside, can mix it up underneath.

Michigan State is young but just getting better every night out. To finish runner-up in this field, especially facing the level of competition they saw in New York, bodes well for Tom Izzo’s club. The Spartans edged Texas in a thrilling semifinal before dropping another thriller to Maryland. The big men are gradually progressing, with the most consistent over the two days being 6-8 freshman Raymar Morgan. The Spartan point guard, Drew Neitzel scored the game-winner on a penetrating layup with 2.4 seconds left in the semifinal. He had another excellent night in the final. Neitzel concentrated on passing the first half, then started to open up offensively the second half as his club needed points. He finished with a game-high 21 points and over the course of the two games was one of the better players out there. The junior is a solid point guard who runs the team very well. Both nights he was asked to pick up the scoring slack, which he will do on a regular basis. The significant thing is his ability to get his shot and score without abandoning his duties of equitably distributing the ball.

After the wipeout against Maryland in the semis, St. John’s coach Norm Roberts promised his team would be ready, put the blowout behind and compete in the consolation. St. John’s showed a lot of what they are made of and held true to Roberts’ promise. The 77-76 result goes in the loss column, but the ability to bounce back in 24 hours after a thorough defeat says volumes about the character and determination of Norm Roberts’ team.

Texas is another young club certain to build on this experience. Three out of four, including a split at Madison Square Garden, left coach Rick Barnes satisfied. Kevin Durant the outstanding freshman forward showed more of an inclination to battle in the paint against St. John’s. Durant led all scorers with 29 points. The 6-9 forward buried five treys but did grab 10 rebounds, six of them on the offensive board.

In the opener against Michigan State, Durant scored 21 points but was 1-of-8 from beyond the arc and rushed his perimeter shots all night. As highly-touted as he is, we have to remember that Durant has about two weeks of collegiate competition as experience.

“I didn’t think I would do this well as a freshman,” Durant said following the consolation. “My teammates get me the ball, trust me and we all get along well.” Durant was named to the all-tournament team. Barnes has seen a steady improvement and increase in Durant’s poise even since the start of practice.

“Ask anyone on the team and they will tell you Durant is the hardest player to guard,” Barnes said. “He’s long and very deceptive. I’m surprised he missed some of the layups he did here.”

Barnes also hinted the best is yet to come. “You have not seen how good he (Durant) can be,” he said after the consolation. And without mentioning, Barnes is hoping Durant hangs around Austin for two years before showing his talent in an NBA uniform.

The first semifinal, Maryland against St. John’s, was basically over before halftime. Over the course of those agonizing last 20 minutes, Ricky Torres came off the bench and gave probably the best effort of anyone in a Red Storm uniform that night. Against Texas, Torres had another solid effort. The sophomore from nearby prep power St. Raymond’s finished with nine points. Down the stretch he sank two crucial treys and turned in another hustling performance.

Junior Avery Patterson continued his solid outside shooting for St. John’s. Patterson struggled against Maryland (as did everyone in a St. John’s uniform) but came back for a team-high 22 points (including 6 of 11 from three) against Texas.

On The Baseline

• As St. John’s was getting decimated during the semifinal, a Maryland cheerleader seated on the baseline (yes, actually) turned and asked “is St. John’s Division I?” The young lady wasn’t sarcastically kidding. After I told her yes, she then inquired, “what conference are they in?”
  Amazing. Back during those glory days even the most casual fan knew St. John’s as a premier member of the Big East.
• “Fear the Turtle”: The Maryland slogan is intriguing. What better source to learn more about the slogan than the Maryland cheerleaders, notably senior Valerie Towa and sophomore Becky Rosey. “We have to make the mascot ferocious,” Valerie said. “Make opponents fear it.” Becky added, while staying on the subject of ACC animal mascots, “our turtle is more fearsome than the Clemson Tiger.”

Maggie Dixon Classic

Paying Tribute to Maggie Dixon

by Ray Floriani

WEST POINT, N.Y. – It was a day emotions ran the gamut. The inaugural Maggie Dixon Classic evoked sadness of how the former Army coach left us at such a young age. There was also the fond memories of how she touched and inspired the lives of so many people. Future plans for the classic are in the works. The classic will be an annual event with Madison Square Garden as a possible venue. Make no mistake, the inaugural event belonged on this richly historic campus near the banks of the majestic Hudson.

In the opening contest the Pitt men soundly defeated Western Michigan. In the nightcap, the Ohio State women won just as easily over Army. Both games were a little one-sided but as the campaign progresses, all four of these teams could very well find themselves a part of March Madness next Spring. On their behalf, Pitt and Ohio State are arguably among the top five in the respective men’s and women’s ranks. Western Michigan is a solid mid-major that could win their Mid-American Conference while the Army women hope to defend their Patriot League crown.

In between the men’s and women’s contests was a brief but memorable ceremony. Shortly before the ceremony, Megan Vrabel, a co-captain on last season’s Army squad (“one of the toughest rebounders I ever coached,” per Army mentor Dave Magarity) admitted the day was very special, “but it’s really going to be very emotional.” It was. Not just for Vrabel, who broke down while reading a tribute to Maggie Dixon during the ceremony, but for everyone on this Sunday afternoon in Christl Arena. Maggie’s parents Jim and Marge Dixon made the trip from California. Her sister Julie was there and, of course, brother Jamie.

During the ceremony a banner proclaiming Maggie Dixon Patriot Coach of the Year was unveiled to hang from the rafters. All members of the Dixon family were given championship rings. In addition, one of those rings is also slated to remain apart of the West Point Athletic Hall of Fame. Another very touching scene occurred when Jamie and the rest of the Dixon family went over and hugged each member of the Army women’s team gathered on the baseline during the ceremony.

Again, the ceremony combined sadness with a touch of good memories. Sadness in how Maggie Dixon passed away at age of 28 last April. Joy in her accomplishments. Not just the coach of the year honors and Patriot League Title, but the impact she had on so many people in such a short time. And the impact that lives on in her memory.

Pitt looked like they were in mid-season form. The Panthers utilized their size inside while showing outstanding ball movement in dominating the Broncos 86-67. The Panthers, led by Mike Cook with 17 points, had four players in double figures.

In the nightcap, Ohio State, one of the top five women’s teams in the country, easily handled Army 77-41. It was just too much size for Army to handle. Senior center Jessica Davenport did the most damage for the Buckeyes with 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

Notes

• The doubleheader featured two of the premier post players in America. Aaron Gray of Pitt scored 10 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked two shots in a 24 minute outing.
  “It was tough going against a 7-2 future lottery pick,” said Joe Reitz, Western Michigan’s senior center. The 6-7 Reitz battled gamely (8 points, 5 rebounds) but found his taller opponent difficult to contend with. Gray did a nice job holding ground and not going for the smaller Reitz’s ball fakes. “We will not see size like that in the MAC,” Reitz added.
  Jessica Davenport is simply one of the best women’s players in America. She is outstanding in the low post, but the Ohio State senior does not lean her 6-5 body on opponents to be effective. Davenport is quick on her feet, a good jumper and utilizes solid footwork down low. She was an inside problem all afternoon against the smaller Cadets. When Davenport did go to the bench for a rest, another 6-4 player, freshman Andrea Walker stepped in for the Buckeyes.
• Despite the lopsided loss, Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins took a lot out of the game that can help his team. “It’s important to put kids in situations like this,” Hawkins said. “This experience gets us ready for MAC games and Cleveland (the conference post season tournament location). Our kids battled all day and didn’t give up.”
  That was a strong point to build on as Reitz noted, “we won the second half.” After heading into the break trailing 47-22, the Broncos did outscore their Big East opponents 45-39 over the last twenty minutes.
• If you have an appreciation for history, the West Point campus is your nirvana. The day before the classic, Hawkins and his Western Michigan team took a tour of the campus. “After the tour we gathered as a group and talked,” the coach said. “We went on a tour of Europe in the Spring and visited places like the Vatican in Rome. We saw hundreds of years history in Europe. Here we experienced the past two hundred or so years of history of our nation right here at West Point.”
  Ohio State coach Jim Foster also brought his team on a tour of the West Point campus a day prior to the classic.
• After the first game, Pitt coach Jamie Dixon recalled when Maggie was pursuing the Army position. He wasn’t totally sure if the job was right for her at the time. “After she called me I couldn’t talk her out of it if I wanted,” he said. “She told me she loved those girls and wanted to coach them. I’m so glad she got to coach for those six months.”
• Following the game with Ohio State, the Army coach Dave Magarity also spoke about Maggie Dixon’s contributions. “We talked about it a lot as a team especially in pre-season,” Magarity said. “We are in the process of moving on, but remembering Maggie will always give us great memories.” Magarity served as assistant on last year’s team then accepted the job after Maggie Dixon’s death. “Working with her energized me,” Magarity said. “I was set to stay in administration after years of coaching. Maggie basically brought me back to what I really love to do.”
• Ohio State coach Jim Foster also added, “you see the people here today and you realize the impact Maggie (Dixon) had here. She was a very significant person. I’m also impressed with the way coach Dave Magarity and his team handled everything today with such poise.”
• Even in defeat, Army’s Cara Enright had a solid outing, leading Army with 20 points. A 5-10 junior guard, Enright was Patriot League Rookie of the Year her freshman year and Player of the Year last season. Enright is truly a special player and a joy to watch. She can post up and also utilize her teammates’ screens well to free herself on the perimeter. She has a nice touch but remains a pass-first, unselfish player who never forces the issue.
• Among those in attendance were Kevin Houston, a former basketball standout from the men’s team who recently was inducted into the Army Hall of Fame. Also on hand was Lynn Chiavaro. A former head coach at Army for most of the Nineties, Chiavaro played a crucial role, on the search committee, in the eventual hiring of Maggie Dixon at West Point.

Season Opening Notes

Early Season Notes

by Ray Floriani

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – A few warm-ups as the season is finally here, from the gridiron to the world of officiating.

The call was made a few days ago to the Rutgers Media Relations office. Kathy answered the phone and said media relations director John Wooding “was in a meeting”. Don’t worry, I assured her, the call was not for a credential for the then-upcoming Louisville football game. “Oh, we’ve had good interest in basketball, too,” she replied.

Rightfully so, with the excitement Fred Hill is bringing to the program. But right now, a few words on football. This is a basketball site, yet Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano deserves a mention. His club is having a great year, highlighted by Thursday’s great come-from-behind win over Louisiville. Furthermore, Schiano is a friend of the basketball program.

In the Spring of 2004, the RU faithful were starting to grow weary of Schiano’s promises of a bright future. His job was not in jeopardy per se, but there was a sense of restlessness. During that March, Rutgers made a run to the NIT finals. Following the loss, who was in the hallway congratulating and consoling coach Gary Waters? Schiano, who visited with the coach for a few brief moments in the hallway outside of the locker room. Schiano himself was in spring practice preparing his own program. Still, he took the time to venture to New York and support a coaching colleague competing in a championship game. It was a wonderful gesture of class on the part of Schiano.

You hear a number of schools that have good basketball programs but ‘football rules’. Think James Naismith’s game will ever be a bigger priority on the Alabama campus than football? Rutgers believes they can be strong in both sports, and Thursday night’s win will certainly help towards that end. The name in charge of the football program would be the first to revel in its happening.

As basketball writers we must maintain objectivity. But for Greg Schiano and his Rutgers football program, I hope for only the best. They have given Garden state residents pride and more to talk about than rising property taxes.

On a sad note it is with regret we mention the passing of Art MacDonald. ‘Artie’ as he was known to players, coaches and fellow officials, was an outstanding referee who died of a heart attack in late October. Artie was in his late fifties and still active. Followers of the Atlantic 10, Big Ten or MAAC watched him a number of times each winter. He worked his way up from the high school ranks in New Jersey to one of the better officials around. Artie went as far as the Elite Eight of the NCAA and regularly went far into the NIT rounds.

When I began officiating 17 years ago, Artie invited me after a game I was covering at Rutgers, to sit in on the officials’ post-game conference. He then took the time to explain many aspects of the college game with the idea of learning the differences of the high school game from an officiating perspective. He reached a rarefied level in the game, but was always there to help out those who were starting out and progressively learning.

Artie loved to socialize. He chain smoked and I always admired how he could smoke and still run the floor well. Unfortunately that nicotine habit probably brought his early demise.

There are classic Artie stories. Probably one of the best involved Vic Moncalieri, a good North Jersey official. Apparently, near the end of his high school officiating career Artie had a game in Essex County (NJ) with a coach who couldn’t stand him. Vic stands about the same height as Artie (about 5’7″) and has the same reddish hair. Artie explained the situation and sent Vic, and never told the school’s athletic director there was a replacement. Vic walks in the gym and the coach immediately says, “Damn, got that MacDonald today.” The game progresses and the coach is soon in a full whining mode, contesting virtually every call by Vic. Finally, by the bench the coach has Vic in earshot and says, “you are nothing but an incompetent, Irish, mother (expletive).” The whistle blows and Vic administers a technical. “What did I do?” the coach asks. “Did I get the T because I said you are incompetent?” Vic says, “No.” “Was it because I cursed?” the coach asks. Again Vic says “no.” “Then why?” pleads the coach. In a classic response, Vic turns and said, “You got the T for calling me Irish. I’m Vic Moncaleir, pleased to meet you coach.” The coach looked up, spotted, and actually laughed. He ultimately hired Vic back for a game or two each year.

Just a classic sort which Artie could only laugh about when he verified it was true. Yes, Artie will be missed, but he certainly made his mark in the game over three plus decades of officiating service.

St. Anthony’s vs. Clovis West

East Meets West in July Doubleheader

by Ray Floriani

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The call came from St. Anthony’s AD Tom Augello. There would be a JV-varsity doubleheader at the CERC, St.Anthony’s home court near the school in Jersey City. A team from California had been traveling in the area and reached out to Friar coach Bob Hurley for a game. For a late July afternoon, it was an opportunity too good to pass up.

Clovis West High School, a solid program, hails from Fresno, California. Actually, St. Anthony’s and their visitors from 3,000 miles know each other well. “We have been in tournaments with them out West,” St. Anthony’s assistant coach Ben Gamble said. “We’ve faced them on occasion and I’ve always admired what they do and what they run.”

On the officiating, the assignment for this writer was the JV game. Two sixteen-minute halves were played. Over the course of the first eight minutes, Clovis had a slim lead, but soon the defensive pressure began to take its toll. The Clovis guards had a few turnovers that were converted to transition opportunities for St. Anthony’s. At the half it was 21-14 in favor of the hosts.

The second half saw the Friars of St. Anthony’s apply even more pressure. The lead soon grew into the 20-point margin and St. Anthony’s dominated the final half en route to a 57-40 triumph. The varsity game featured two twenty-minute halves with the score wiped clean at halftime. Viewing at courtside, the game afforded an opportunity to chart possessions, something I enjoy doing and have an interest in on the college level.

Over the first four minutes of the game, each team had 11 possessions, after which the score was 4-0 in favor of St. Anthony’s. Obviously the Friars were having trouble getting untracked, but as Bob Hurley often notes, if your offense struggles the defense sees you through. Six of Clovis’ 11 possessions ended with a turnover.

The final four minutes saw the pace a bit slower than the start. The score at that juncture was 40-18 St. Anthony’s. The Friars closed with a 12-8 edge over those last four minutes to take a 52-26 lead into the half. During the final four minutes each team had eight possessions, again attesting to the fact the pace was a bit more settled after the fast start. Still, eight possessions over a four minute stretch turns out to an 80-possession game which is quite uptempo in a 40-minute (college) contest. As noted the score was wiped clean at the half, which gave the teams an opportunity to “start over”. Unfortunately for Clovis, handling that pressure defense wasn’t any easier. St. Anthony’s is deep, quick and with relentless pressure, can wear down talented opponents.

Notes

• St.Anthony had several performers on the JV level stand out. One in particular really caught attention. Madut Bol, Manute’s son, is a 6-8 sophomore. He is thin, though not as thin as his dad, who played in the NBA. As a freshman, the younger Bol spent a good part of the year injured. When he did get in a sub-varsity game he struggled and never appeared comfortable. Against Clovis, Bol showed a nice soft touch around the basket. Despite his thin stature, he battled heftier opponents and was not at all pushed around inside. Bol also showed nice footwork down low. Credit the spring’s activity for his improvement.
  “I had him all Spring with me in AAU,” St. Anthony’s assistant Damel Ling said. “He got some good experience, worked hard and really improved a great deal.” The loaded St.Anthony varsity will mean Bol will be on JV. He should get good experience on that level and could be a player to watch during his upperclass years at the school.
• St.Anthony was without Miles Beatty, but did have ample guard talent available in Travon Woodall, Jiovanny Fortan, Michael Rosario and Tyshaun Taylor. The aforementioned group are all juniors.
• Speaking of the guards: While their backcourt is talented, the Friar frontcourt also has several players poised to have a solid campaign. Among them are 6-7 junior A.J. Rogers and 6-4 sophomore Andre Tucker. The latter split time between JV and varsity last year and is very effective in the paint.
• Bob Hurley was off to the side observing the varsity contest while assistants Gamble and Ling ran the club.
• Interesting to see the choice of warmup shirts for Clovis West. Among the assortment were Selland Arena (home of the Fresno State Bulldogs), UC-Irvine and Gonzaga, the latter a popular choice with several players sporting the Zags shirt.
• Gracious hosts – St. Anthony’s Bob Hurley and wife Chris provided pizza and soda for both teams on both levels, the scorer’s table personnel, and (thank you) the officials.
• Among those in attendance was veteran prep expert Tom Konchalski.

Player’s Choice

Player’s Choice News and Notes

by Ray Floriani

RAMAPO, N.J. – Midway through the first half, Lou Weijnert was in a position to which he is usually unaccustomed. His River Dell (NJ) girls team was looking at a double-digit deficit and struggling on both ends of the floor. During the regular season the roles are reversed. At the Northern Bergen County school, Weijnert runs one of the more successful girls programs in the state. On this Saturday Morning he was without a few key players, notably outstanding 6′ senior Alyssa May, and it showed.

The recurring theme during the late July edition of the Player’s Choice showcase at Ramapo College’s Bradley Center was who was missing. The same weekend, the AAU Nationals were being contested in our nation’s capital. That forced several teams to bow out of Player’s Choice and depleted some squads such as River Dell who chose to compete. At any rate Player’s Choice had a few less teams but still had a quality event. Two courts were in use both days with seven time slots for the games. Each team played two games per day. The schedule also kept the players in mind as your two games could be in the morning or afternoon session. AAU often necessitates more than two games and it is not uncommon to see them allocated over a ten-hour time interval.

“It was a good experience for the kids,” Weijnert said on Sunday morning. “We were without a few kids like Alyssa (May) but it gave the younger kids a chance to show what they can do. We are going to be young this year so this gets them ready. Also, these games do not count on my won-lost record.”

A number of Division II and III coaches were on hand. There were several D-I assistants from schools as Rhode Island, Cincinnati, Seton Hall, Fairfield, St. Peter’s, LIU, Delaware and Wagner.

Director Wayne Brunck was pleased with the turnout and talent on hand. During one break Brunck noted, “I received a call from Washington on my cell phone from a Division I coach at the AAUs. He wanted to know where a certain player was. I said she’s right here.” Brunck added with a laugh. “The coach went all the way to D.C. to see this player and we had her here.”

The teams were divided among AAU squads and high school teams. Among the teams was Pascack Valley (NJ), an outstanding program coached by one of the premier coaches in the state, Jeff Jasper. “He doesn’t look old enough to have 800 wins,” said Cincinnati assistant Dave Dagostino. Actually Jasper is at 700-plus, hitting that milestone in 2005. He’s been at Pascack Valley over three decades and is simply an outstanding teacher of the game. Practices are his classroom and games the tests his players usually pass with flying colors.

Speaking of Dagostino, he’s excited about joining the Big East Conference school as an assistant following a stint as head coach at D-II Jacksonville State (Alabama). “They (Cincinnati) were in most of their games and had a few tough losses. Last year was tough as they had to make a big step up to the Big East. It’s easier for the rest of the league to adjust to a few new schools but when you come in you have to adjust to a whole new conference membership.” Dagostino’s head coach at Cincy is Laurie Pirtle, who has been at the school for two decades. “She does a great job” Dagostino said, “and during her tenure she’s outlasted several university presidents and about four conferences.” And Bob Huggins.

Game of the tournament (from my officiating vantage point and also from several viewing scouts): Paramus Catholic over Ocean City in a close contest on Sunday. Two strong New Jersey programs whom Brunck said, “probably wouldn’t face each other unless it came to a TOC (Tournament of Champions).” Paramus Catholic of northern New Jersey is coached by Al Roth. Ocean City, under the direction of Paul Baruffi, hails from just south of Atlantic City. Paramus Catholic utilized pressure early but Ocean City handled it with poise and got a few transition baskets off it. The game was closely contested, with both teams making small runs to pull ahead by five to seven points on occasions. In the stretch Paramus Catholic made several big plays, then took care of business from the free throw line to preserve the win.

Notables

Jut a few among many:

• Nancy White 5’7″ Soph Ocean City – Showed a lot of poise especially against full-court pressure. White can put the ball on the floor and makes sound decisions.
• Danielle Barber 5’7″ Soph. Middle Township(NJ) – Another sophomore, Barber caught the eye of a number of coaches. A hustling take-charge player, Barber can score but looks to set up her teammates first.
• Paramus Catholic – No real marquee player to note but there is a wealth of young talent. Roth has a solid group of underclassmen that has good chemistry, is athletic and will be heard from. Soon.

Once again Greg Galati was on hand. Greg does it all here, coordinating officiating assignments, working a few games, showing visiting coaches where the locker rooms and their courts are located and even coaching his NJ Mavericks AAU team. Amazing.

Injuries are part of the game but Ocean City lost a key player Saturday who suffered a knee injury falling out of bed at the hotel and landing the wrong way.

Player’s Choice has at least one event slated for Fall at Kean College in New Jersey.

Metro Classic Recap

Linden Takes Home Metro Classic Title

by Ray Floriani

TEANECK, N.J. – Last March Linden advanced to the finals of the New Jersey Tournament of Champions. The Metro Classic served notice that Linden will be hard from again this winter. The defending Group IV New Jersey champions defeated Newark East Side 59-44 in the championship at FDU’s Rothman Center last weekend to claim the Metro title.

The format under the direction of tournament director Jay Gomes changed a bit his year. Rather than have single elimination, with losing teams getting added contests in consolation games, the Metro went to a pool format. Maybe it’s “World Cup fever”. At any rate it worked fine. There were eight pools consisting of three teams each. Actually, the soccer World Cup organizers could take some advice from Gomes and his tournament associates regarding seeding. The eight groups were all seeded equitably according to strength of the teams. Simply, there was no “group of death” as found in the World Cup. But that’s another story.

Pool play was contested on Saturday of the tournament. Each team played two games in their respective pool. Last Sunday the elimination brackets were played. It was single elimination, though losing teams did have the opportunity for an extra game or two in the consolation bracket.

A rundown of the games officiated by his writer:

Bishop Ford (NY) 65, West Orange (NJ) 49
West Orange enjoyed an early lead and was competitive in the first half largely due to their three-point shooting. In the second half, the threes stopped falling while Bishop Ford got their transition game going. West Orange also had difficulty handling Ford’s press, especially in the latter part of the game when fatigue was a factor.

Passaic County Tech (NJ) 69, St.Mary’s (NY) 41
Tech came out with a great deal of energy and full court pressure. They jumped on the opposition early and St. Mary’s never really established a rhythm and was forced to play catch up the entire way. By the second half, the lead was in the twenties with PCT in complete command.

Passaic Valley (NJ) 69, McClancy (NY) 50
A consolation bracket contest on Sunday was close in the beginning. Passaic Valley had enough of an inside game to handle McClancy, and once they established an appreciable first half lead they were in total command.

Newark (NJ) East Side 60, White Plains (NY) 57
A semifinal contest that saw White Plains play a strong first half and lead by 16 at the break. East Side appeared to be finished. White Plains was clicking on all cylinders and the last few minutes of the half saw East Side players starting to disagree with each other.

East Side began the second half hitting several threes and getting a 16-point halftime deficit under double digits. The rest of the way the teams battled on even terms. White Plains made a run to pull ahead by eight with approximately five minutes remaining. Resilient East Side answered with a run of their own which gave them the lead. In the final minute, East Side hit their free throws to preserve a narrow victory.

Tournament Notes

• Saturday was the last day Division I coaches could be in attendance. There was a sparse gathering as by that final day coaches have seen whom they want, probably several times.
• The air-conditioned Rothman Center was a blessing. Driving to the games Sunday morning, a sign on Route 17 in East Rutherford (yes, that’s the same East Rutherford where Dick Vitale began his coaching career) revealed the mercury at 91 – minutes after 10:00 A.M.
• The Eight pool winners in the tournament: Don Bosco (NJ), Edison Academy (NJ), East Side, Kennedy (Paterson, NJ), Linden, Piscataway (NJ), Science (Newark, NJ) and White Plains. All pool winners went 2-0 on Saturday with no need for tie breaking procedures to be implemented.
• Science and Linden battled into overtime in the quarterfinals. The Newark school gave Linden all they could handle and led for a good portion of the contest. Linden had enough to prevail in the extra session of what probably was the best game on Sunday.
• Rutgers’ new Director of Basketball Operations and the founder of this tournament, Dennis Gregory, was in attendance.
• The field was quite respectable with a concentration of New York and New Jersey schools.
• A few players of note: Jonathan Rodriquez, 5-10 So. G (Passaic County Tech), Jamell Cromartie, 6-0 Sr G (White Plains), Rishaun Johnson, 6-6 Sr (White Plains), Alfry Nuna-Zapata, 5-10 Sr G (Newark East Side), Corey Chandler, 6-2 Sr G (Newark East Side), Kason Frierson, 6-5 C (Science), Chris Carty, 6-3 G/F (Bishop Ford), Desmond Wade, 5-9 Sr G (Linden), Jerry Jones, 6-3 Sr G/F (Linden).
• Former FDU assistant Russ Thompson was on hand both days to watch his son Russ Jr., a sophomore guard for West Orange. Russ assisted Tom Green for several years during the 1990s. Russ Sr. noted that sitting in the stands has given him a different point of view. “You see the game with a whole different perspective when you are on the bench.”
• Both Linden and East Side are members of New Jersey’s powerful Watchung Conference.
• Members of the FDU women’s basketball team handled the concession stand. Coach Sandy Gordon was just finishing a high school team camp where the FDU women’s players officiated. To a person, the FDU team members found running up and down the floor with a whistle was not that easy. “I’m tired and sore,” said FDU junior point guard Megan Kirkland. “I decided there’s no way I want to be an official.”

Closing Out the Reebok ABCD Camp

Closing Out the Reebok ABCD Camp

by Ray Floriani

TEANECK, N.J. – The final day at ABCD called for two sets of games beginning sharply at 9:30 A.M. Attendance was sparse at tip-off, but by the end of the first quarter the coaches who would attend this early session were settled in. Jim Baron of Rhode Island was one of the earliest attendees. By tipoff time Bruce Weber (Illinois), Skip Prosser (Wake Forest), Tom Crean (Marquette), Fred Hill (Rutgers), Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) and Bob Huggins (Kansas State) were also present.

With action still going on at Eastern Invitational (about 90 minutes away near Trenton), a number of coaches opted for the morning session here before getting on the road. The afternoon at Rothman Center was reserved for the Underclassman and Senior all star games. The all-star games can be entertaining, and often a bit sloppy and devoid of defense. By time the all star doubleheader rolls around, coaches have a very good handle (everyone knows O.J. Mayo, Bill Walker and the likes can play) on who they are interested in and who can satisfy the needs of their respective programs.

Interesting to note the expressions on the players’ faces after they completed their final games. Some will take a slow walk, with no facial expression as they are thinking and reflecting on the week. Specifically, what they may need to work on or how they met, or fell short, of their expectations of a few days ago.

A few will give a hint of satisfaction by their expression. Roberto Nelson, a 6-4 sophomore out of Santa Barbara (CA) was in the middle. “Overall I had a good week,” Nelson said, “but it’s hard out there. Everyone is quick and everyone has something out there.”

Miles Beatty, the 6-3 senior from St. Anthony’s (NJ) is already being recruited. As he headed for the Rothman Center exit Beatty did note, “the week was great. I got a lot out of it and I’m satisfied the way it all went.”

For Zach Rosen, who at this point is not recruited as much as Beatty, the week was significant. A senior guard, Rosen transferred from Colonia(NJ) High School to St. Benedict’s. He realizes the players around him at his new school are more talented and the players he will face will be much better than the competition at his former location. “Coming here (ABCD) was a great experience,” Rosen said as he relaxed with family after his final contest on Sunday. “Being at St. Benedict’s will be a step up, so playing here just gave me more confidence as the week went on. It was definitely a good week here for me.”

Rosen caught more attention as the week wore on. He makes sound decisions on the floor but did show the ability to hit the perimeter shot as well.

Players were not the only ones scrutinized. Approximately 25 officials were working the games as part of a tryout for the Big East Conference. Art Hyland, the Big East supervisor, ran the tryouts and was assisted by conference officials such as Tom Lopes, Bob Donato (before leaving due to a family emergency), Jim Haney, Reggie Greenwood, Pat Driscoll, Will Bush, Jim Burr and John Cahill.

Brandon Cruz of Queens is a Division II and III official who tried out. On Sunday morning Cruz was stretching before taking the floor when he noted, “the week went well for me, but right now I can feel it. My hamstrings and calves are getting a little sore.” At age 24 Cruz is in excellent shape. Still, the two games a day, especially on court one or four’s unforgiving synthetic surface can take a toll. “These are fast-paced, demanding games,” Cruz said, “but I had a great time.”

Officials are critiqued after each quarter and post game by the staff observers. “They do not let you know how you are doing for the week,” Cruz offered, “you only get critiqued as the game goes on.”

Besides the on-floor work, there are morning classroom sessions on topics as block/charge and coach/official relationships. Norm Roberts of St. John’s addressed the group on the latter. “He (Roberts) was good,” Cruz said. “He discussed relationships (on the floor) with officials and coaches and officials and players as well.”

Hyland has no set number on how many officials may be offered a spot on the conference staff. There are times an official might not get an immediate offer to join the conference, but his name will be remembered to see how he progresses in the near future. Current Big East officials Ray Perrone, John Hughes and Brian O’Connell, to name a few, have used their ABCD tryouts to gain entrance to the conference.

They say a good official should not get noticed as the game progresses. At ABCD, though, someone is always watching.

An ABCD “alum” stopped by during the week to visit. John Blackgrove, who is heading into his final season at FDU, attended ABCD roughly five years ago. The 6’2″ Blackgrove was a prolific scorer from Pascack Valley (NJ) High School. The critics said Blackgrove’s league was too suburban, too slow and the talented guards at ABCD would destroy him. They were misguided.

“What I really remember about ABCD was it was great,” Blackgrove said. “I really didn’t have to make a big adjustment; I got the ball, I shot, that was my game.” Blackgrove showed he could shoot. What he lacked in footspeed against certain opponents, he countered with tenacity and savvy. “The thing I really remember,” Blackgrove added, “was compared to high school these games were so fast-paced. That was an adjustment, getting up and down the floor so fast. But it got me ready for my senior year. I came into the season in great form.”

Blackgrove accepted a scholarship to Fordham and showed some promise under Bob Hill, but transferred a year after his exit. His career at FDU has been hindered by back problems, something he’s hoping to get over this year.

“He’s a great kid,” FDU Coach Tom Green said during a break at camp. “We are hoping those back problems are over because we really are counting on him this year for some scoring.”

A quick second opinion

• Still more intrigued over James Tyler. As previously noted here, the Murfreesboro (NC) junior is 7’2″ (remember you “can’t teach height”) but weighs in at 330. His skills and feel for the game are good. But he has to get under 300 at least to be more effective. If and when he does, look out.
• Tim Flowers, a 6’5″ senior out of Chicago, gave a good effort and worked particularly hard inside.
• Greg Echenique is another name to remember. The 6’9″ sophomore from Venezuela will be at St. Benedict’s this season. Echenique also could stand to lose a few pounds. He’s effective, but if he gets under his listed 263 pounds, he’ll be even better.
• Carlton Fay, a 6’8″ senior from Hennepin (IL) did a nice job of hustling inside. Fay has a nice touch and is basically the type of player you like and notice the more you see him.
• It’s traditionally a guard and/or win-oriented camp. An exception is Kevin Love. If Love did not get the ball in the high or low post the 6’10″ Oregon native got it off the boards. Simply, his presence was such that his teammates rarely forgot him in an offensive set.
• The games can deteriorate, especially in blowouts later in the week, to little defense, too much transition with no rhyme or reason. Regardless, over the years of watching ABCD, it is evident teams are making more of a concerted effort to run sets in halfcourt. The morning stations and practices are sinking in, which helps provide better games.

News & Notes From ABCD Camp

News & Notes From ABCD

by Ray Floriani

TEANECK, N.J. – A quick rundown of some of the action of the first two days at ABCD. The players are represented on 14 teams. Each team plays a game in the afternoon and one in the evening. The schedule allows for action on two to four courts at FDU’s Rothmam Center on a given time slot. Naturally, a great deal of talent is present for what Reebok bills as “America’s # 1 Elite Proving Ground”.

Miles Beatty and Travon Woodall represented New Jersey prep power St. Anthony’s. Beatty, a 6’3″ guard with the ability to get to the basket and hit from the perimeter spoke about his college intentions. A senior, Beatty is closely looking at the likes of Virginia, Maryland, St. John’s, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Miami. “Academics and playing time are my priorities,” Beatty said after his initial contest on Thursday. “I want to go to a place where I don’t have to wait until my junior year to get a lot of playing time. I don’t expect to come in and start but I would like to get playing time right away. Beatty is also taking a close look on how Fred Hill and Bobby Gonzalez are doing at Rutgers and Seton Hall. “It’s interesting,” Beatty said about the two New Jersey Big East programs. “I’m going to sit back awhile and watch.” Beatty also added that he could be very intrigued and cast his lot if one of the programs, Rutgers or Seton Hall, makes a significant upgrade in the very near future.

Woodall, a junior guard, is a rarity at ABCD. Don’t expect and Iverson-esque crossovers or whirling twists and turns to the basket. Woodall is here to work on an almost forgotten art: passing. The St. Anthony’s point guard told writers he was in camp specifically to work on his passing and running the team.

Spent a good half on Thursday just watching Kevin Love. The 6-10 star out of Lake Oswego, Oregon, is the total package. Love is a force inside, can step out to hit a jumper and throws a wicked yet accurate outlet pass. As one scout noted, “I’ve seen him (Love) a number of times and never get tired of watching him.” Agreed. Case closed.

At halftime of a game Thursday evening, a long line was forming from the base of the bleachers to about twenty rows up. It was a number of middle and high school aged youngsters seeking the autograph of Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K in gracious form patiently accommodated each with a person message.

Entering the Rothman Center on Thursday evening with his wife Chris, St. Anthony’s coach Bob Hurley was greeted by several young fans.

“Mr.Hurley may I have your autograph?” one of them asked. “Sure,” Bob replied. He signed the group’s programs and then posed for pictures with them. Another class act by a class individual.

A few player notes while surveying the courts:

• James Tyler, Murfreesboro (NC). The 7’2″ Tyler has skills and ability, but conditioning is a factor. Tyler, a junior, “tips” the scale at 330 pounds. One scout tells me he was 390 not too long ago. The more weight he loses the better he will be. At ABCD’s pace Tyler often struggled to get up and down the floor. Still, he’s got size and skills and shouldn’t be written off.
• Jeff Teague, a 6’1″ guard out of Indianapolis, caught my attention by hitting fifteen footers from the wing. Too many players today do not even attempt a fifteen footer, opting for a trey. On closer inspection, Teague showed the ability to slice through a defense and finish his penetrations to the basket.
• The half I watched Love, I really became interested in Tracy Smith. The 6’8″ senior out of Detroit (MI) plays well inside and runs the floor exceptionally well on the break. Simply, a very effective player.
• DeAndre Jordan, a 6-11 senior out of Houston, had some impressive post moves and dunks. Jordan needs to shore up and work harder on the offensive end.
• St. Benedict’s has a load of talent, but a lesser-known name, 6’2″ senior guard Zach Rosen, impressed a number of observers with his guard skills and savvy.
• Best block of the first two days: Jon Leuer was attempting a right corner jumper as a running Percy Miller cleanly rejected it into the stands. Leuer (Long Lake, MN) is 6’10″ while Miller, whose dad is well-known rapper and entertainer Master P (Beverly Hills, CA), is 5’11″.
• They face each other on the prep courts. Starting the fall of 2007 they will be teammates at Villanova. During ABCD Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes are together on the Celtics.
  “We played against each other before so it’s good we are teammates,” said Fisher, a senior at St. Patrick’s (NJ). This winter Fisher’s St. Pat’s team edged Stokes’ St. Benedict’s club in a game at Kean University. “We talk about our games against each other and I mention that game,” Fisher said smiling.
  The 6’6″ Stokes is a solid two guard. Fisher, at 6’2″ is running the point as he does for Kevin Boyle’s club during he regular season. “I’m just trying to play hard,” Fisher said, “get along and keep my teammates happy.” He certainly did with a few lane penetrations that resulted in deft passes to open mates underneath.

Camp Next Recap

Young Talent Showcased at Camp Next

by Ray Floriani

TEANECK, N.J. – Travon Woodall decided to take in Camp Next as a spectator. A year ago the St. Anthony’s junior was one of the marquee players at this event for eighth, ninth and tenth graders. This season Woodall was content to watch. The Paterson, N.J. native had accepted an invite to the ABCD camp and was on hand at Fairleigh Dickinson’s Rothman Center to support his three St. Anthony’s teammates among those at Camp Next.

The camp was held the weekend of June 24-25 and showcased approximately 130 players. A good percentage were from the east coast but there were a fair number hailing from west of the Mississippi.

One of the noted performers was Michael Rosario. A junior guard at St. Anthony’s, Rosario played respectably last year at Camp Next. During this two-day event, Rosario stepped up and was quite assertive. In many systems players are expected to pass first and shoot second. Under Bob Hurley, St. Anthony’s players are required to defend first, then pass and shoot. In this setting the 6-3 Roasario had more offensive freedom. He did defend respectably and share the ball while showing the ability to hit from the perimeter while using his size and quick first step to get in the lane.

If anything, Camp Next was efficient. On both Saturday and Sunday, there were two sets of doubleheaders. Each team would play twice daily. Three of the four FDU courts were used in the opening set of games while two courts were used in the second. Players not on the floor could be found going through the paces on an available open court. These sessions weren’t simply shootarounds. Rather, they were fundamental instructions and running through of offensive and defensive sets. Coaches of teams not playing and others as Greg Vetrone put the players through the paces. On Sunday evening there were no games. Players were back at Rothman for one more round of practices and instruction.

Among the visitors at the Sunday morning session was John Carroll. A former assistant to PJ Carlesimo at Seton Hall, Carroll later coached at Duquesne and later in the NBA. He spent time watching the games while chatting with Reebok’s Sonny Vaccaro.

It’s easy to forget that these are high school underclassmen. “I had to stop and think,” said official Wayne Davis. “These are high school kids. Doing these games is like Junior College. These games are a small notch below ABCD.”

Davis speaks from experience, having worked ABCD last summer as part of a Big East tryout. On the officiating trail, your writer worked two games each day. What my fellow official said was true. The talent, size and athleticism of the players was outstanding. The pace of the games was blazing. But it was not all run and shoot without a purpose. Sure, there were the three-on-two transition breaks that often were punctuated with flamboyant dunks. If the break wasn’t there, offenses were executed. Several passes would be made, screens set and two man pick and rolls were frequent. It was not just end to end. Teams, guided by coaches, made a solid attempt and emphasis on execution in a halfcourt setting.

Throughout the two-day event Chris Rivers was virtually everywhere. Chris is involved as an executive with Reebok’s Grassroots program. It was not uncommon to have him stop by every court to make sure things were going smoothly on the scorers table and the game was moving along well. Chris also double checked and confirmed officiating assignments. Simply, he was everywhere and had a major part in the event running so smoothly.

Gary Charles was at the main table alerting all that games were to commence. On Saturday there were four fifteen-minute running time quarters. A full set of substitutions was made every five minutes. On Sunday the time was cut to 12 minutes per period with subs at the four minute junctures. Between games there was a break of about 3-5 minutes, which was especially tough on officials trying to catch a breather and down some Gatorade.

Besides Rosario, St. Anthony’s was represented by junior guards Tyshawn Taylor and Jiovanny Fontan. Taylor came off the bench this season, so Next was a good experience as he gets more minutes this Winter. Fontan is a small (5-10) guard with good quickness. He can thrive in transition or half court settings as well.

Richard Howell a sophomore out of Lawrenceville, Georgia was an intriguing prospect. The 6-7 Howell had the ability to play low or high post. In the latter he could hit the jumper or take his man to the basket with favorable results.

Mike Shanahan, a junior out of North Huntington, Pennsylvania played tough inside and bigger than his listed 6-5 height.

Henry Sims, a 6-10 junior out of Columbia, Maryland also played very well in the low post.

The fact that big men were noticed prominently and gained attention proved Camp Next was not simply for the guards. Teams made a concerted effort to share the basketball and everyone benefited.

HBC Metro Recap

HBC Metro Classic Notes and Recap

by Ray Floriani

MADISON, N.J. – From the day Danny Hurley took over the St. Benedict’s program it was decided he would not face his dad, Bob Sr., and his legendary St. Anthony’s. Not in regular season. Forget even a scrimmage. The two are intensely competitive and it was mutually agreed not to face each other.

On Sunday at the HBC Metro Classic there was a collision course. St. Anthony’s and St. Benedict’s both advanced to the championship game. Still, the agreement had a way of staying intact. Both Danny and Bob Sr. watched from the stands as assistants ran the teams. And both were ready to head home following the semis as trusted aides ran the respective clubs. There was no game, though, due to St. Benedict’s being down to only six players after a semifinal win over White Plains on a sweltering Sunday afternoon. The result saw a final forfeit per tournament director Adam Chiappano and St. Anthony’s took home the title.

St. Anthony’s sent a distinct message in their semifinal. The Friars soundly defeated New Jersey’s reigning Tournament of Champions titlist St. Patrick’s 67-53. In March St. Pat’s, the TOC runnerup in 2005, defeated St. Anthony’s in the Parochial B North finals en route to the title. The game was definitely on the minds of a number of Friar players during that semifinal matchup.

Sixty four teams competed in the event. Two sites were utilized: Fairleigh Dickinson (Madison) and Drew University, which is just down the road from FDU. The “elite eight” included the following: Bloomfield Tech, Christian Brothers Academy, Eastside (Newark), St. Anthony’s, St. Benedict’s, St. Patrick’s, St. Raymond’s (NY), Seton Hall Prep, Bloomfield Tech and White Plains.

On the officiating circuit your writer worked five games, three Saturday and two Sunday. Easily the best game of the five was a quarterfinal between Bloomfield Tech and St. Patrick’s. The contest at FDU was even early on. St. Pat’s built a lead largely on transition. Bloomfield Tech made a run to tie midway in the second half, but St. Pat’s then answered with another decisive run of their own during the next few minutes to put the contest away.

Many of the head coaches choose to watch from the stands while the assistants run the team. Nick Mariniello of Bloomfield Tech was one. While Marinello took in the action, the team was run by assistant Shaheen Holloway. If the name sounds familiar to Big East fans it should be. Holloway was a star guard at Seton Hall in the late 1990s.

The prospect of fully air conditioned facilities was enticing, as the mercury was breaking ninety both days. The AC was fine Saturday but both FDU and Drew (except for court one) had no relief on Sunday. And that was a day the temperature rose to 95.

On Sunday St. Benedict’s was minus the services of Corey Stokes (at an NBA camp), Samardo Samuels (in Jamaica) and Zach Rosen, who suffered a hand injury in a game the night before. St. Benedict’s did get a solid performance in the semis from a name to keep in the memory bank. Arnell Alexis, a 6-6 forward, led St. Benedict’s with 15 points and 7 boards against White Plains. Alexis transferred from St. Joe’s (Metuchen) and is headed into his junior year. He also comes from outstanding stock. His dad, who was in attendance, is Wendell Alexis, who played for Syracuse from 1982-86 and was one of the better players in the Big East Conference during his tenure. Wendell, at 6-9, could play inside and hit the perimeter shot. Arnell, by his play is proving the age-old adage, “like father like son”.

St. Anthony was led by some familiar names such as Miles Beatty and Travon Woodall. Beatty in particular is more poised and primed for an outstanding senior campaign. A player who really stepped up during the two days and made a huge difference for the Friars was Chris Gaston. A 6-6 senior, Gaston had a solid sixteen-point effort and was a force inside against St. Pat’s. Gaston didn’t get a great deal of playing time and spent his time in the dog house last Winter. He appears to be a different player with a good mindset and determined to have a solid senior campaign.

In the quarterfinals St. Pat’s was especially tough in transition. Senior forward Jeff Robinson, who appears to be Memphis bound, was a major reason. The 6-6 Robinson is tough around the basket but can get out and run. He finished several transition plays with alley-oop dunks.

Among the familiar and friendly faces that attend this event, it was good to see Walt Townes, who is currently the head coach at Drew. “Ray, you’re in my house make yourself comfortable,” he told me Sunday. Townes was formerly an assistant at Rutgers, then Columbia before heading to Drew.

Working for the Hoop Group this Spring and Summer is Chris Kenny. He recently finished his career at Monmouth and is helping the Hoop Group especially at these events. That will end August 1 as he joins Dave Calloway’s coaching staff at Monmouth.

Beside Kenny, the Northeast Conference had other representation. Officials were coordinated by NEC supervisor Edgar Cartotto with assistance from conference officials Joe Battiato and Joe Held.

A good number of the schools were from New York and New Jersey. Other states as Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland had schools in the field. The longest distance for an entrant was logged by the International School of Trinidad.

Another player of note from the officiating end of this was Quintrell Thomas. A 6-7 junior from Newark’s Science High School, Thomas worked well inside and was virtually unconscious when he stepped out to take the 15-foot jumper.

Bloomfield Tech, a New Jersey TOC semifinalist this past March, lost three outstanding seniors. Coach Nick Mariniello was encouraged with his club’s performance in the Metro. On an individual basis, the work of 6-2 senior Rashon Dwight was especially encouraging.