SB Nation - Fairfield Stags

Maryland Easily Tops Fairfield After Slow Start, 71-42

Ben Broman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:02:09 -0000

It was an ugly game with an uglier start, but Maryland overcame a very early 5 point deficit to easily defeat the Fairfield Stags, 71-42.

After a first half that saw only 30 points and an 8 eight point lead for Maryland along with a combined 22 turnovers, the Terps turned it on in the second half, led by a double-digit effort from Sean Mosley. Normal team leader Greivis Vasquez started slow, and Mosley filled the absence admirably, putting up 13 points with 4 steals and seven rebounds.

Other standout performers included Eric Hayes, who was ultra-impressive with his aggressiveness and offensive game compared to last year, and Landon Milbourne, who nearly ended up with a double-double.

The freshmen bigs, Jordan Williams and James Padgett, combined for 12 points and 11 rebounds, a lesser performance than against Charleston Southern, but still adequate. Vasquez finished with 7 points and 6 assists.

If you were one of the ones who couldn't see this game for various reasons, I would've said you were lucky after the first half. It was quite literally one of the ugliest halves of basketball I've ever witnessed (though not as bad as Georgetown was against Temple). Maryland was vexed by Fairfield's press, a plethora of unforced errors, and forced play from the usually steady Vasquez. The second half saw more relaxed but also tightened play, and Maryland looked like the well-oiled machine most of us expected to see.

What we should take out of this game is that there's a lot to fix up - a third PG, more consistency from the team's stars, more production from the freshmen big men, and fewer unforced mistakes - but, despite all those issues, Maryland's good enough to win comfortably against lesser, but decent, competition. The first time a team goes up against a press is always difficult, but they got it out of the way early. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the performance.

In the way of personal performances, Vasquez needs to get himself together, because the past two games have been pretty bad by his standards. Hayes and Mosley showed that they can be very servicable second and third options, but Maryland won't go far without Vasquez at his best.

Still, all things considered, I'll take a comfortable win.

Looking Ahead to Maryland-Fairfield

Ben Broman — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:50:46 -0000

It's time to think of something happier than football. Like basketball.

Maryland plays the Fairfield Stags - really, Stags - on Tuesday, and they'll provide a different, if not more difficult, type of challenge for the Terps.

Fairfield was pretty decent last year, going 17-15 in a strong mid-major conference - the MAAC, which houses Siena - despite a host of injuries and the dismissal of their star PG - and, indeed, lone star player - Jonathan Han. They returned everyone but Han and a senior guard who averaged 9 points a game, and also see the return of F/C Anthony Johnson, who missed the second half of last year due to one of the scariest injures you can sustain - blood clots in his lungs. He's back now, and is expected to be the team leader

It's a bit tough to get a handle on this team. On one hand, they lost their first exhibition game to Bridgeport and have no real stars. One the other hand, they have a well-rounded team with a good frontcourt, and won their first real game, against Central Connecticut, pretty handily.

Actually, if they were entirely healthy, I'd be pretty afraid of them. Every position other than PG is set with talented and experienced players, and they have a couple of talented freshmen coming in. In fact, this front court will be a nice test for Maryland's young big men, with the aforementioned Anthony Johnson, redshirt freshman Shimeek Johnson, and two talented, sizable backups in Mike Evanovich and Ryan Olander.

The backcourt, on the flipside, isn't as strong, and is a weakness for Fairfield right now. They're still searching for a point guard, with Lyndon Jordan, who took over for Han last year, and Derek Needham, a true freshman, fighting for playing time. Needham was more impressive in the win over Central Connecticut, but he's less experienced. Both will play, and both may start, but which is running the point will be the major point of contention. They're also expecting contributions from another true freshman, Colin Nickerson, at SG.

As if the backcourt's inexperience and lack of proven players wasn't enough, the Stags have too many injuries to major contributors to really be competitive. Shimeek Johnson will probably be starting at PF, but he would normally take a back seat to Yorel Hawkins or Greg Nero, two players who combined to average 20 points a game last year. Both are out with injuries, and have missed all of Fairfield's games (including the exhibitions). Both would usually start, with Nero at the 4 and Hawkins at the 3.

Throw into those absences the lack of usual SG Warren Edney, who averaged 9 PPG last year and dropped 24 on Memphis. With those three key absences, the Stags will be forced to use Nickerson, Needham, Jordan, and Shimeek Johnson more than they originally expected to. Imagine missing Landon Milbourne, Cliff Tucker, and Sean Mosley - that's what Fairfield's dealing with. Oh, and Greivis Vasquez got kicked off the team last year.

Of course, Fairfield's supporting cast is relatively stronger than Maryland's, as Anthony Johnson will be able to provide a real challenge for Jordan Williams and James Padgett. Johnson, who was from Bishop Maginn, knows James Padgett well (Maginn and Lincoln have met before in the NY playoffs many a time), but won't provide a huge challenge. Guys like Evanovich, though, could cause trouble if he has a good day - he's a good outside shooter despite his height, and averaged a double-double in the final week of last year.

The frontcourt is good enough to trouble Maryland's young'uns, but the rest of the team isn't. If they had all their team ready, this would be a good early challenge for the Terps. As it is, the backcourt is too weak, inexperienced, and thin too really stick with Maryland. I'm not expecting another 40 point win, but it shouldn't be tough game.

BtB 2009-10 Metro Atlantic Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:00:30 -0000

With four starters back from a team that won an NCAA game for the second straight season, the Siena Saints are again the prohibitive favorites in the Metro Atlantic. But the conference's two other postseason qualifiers, NIT entrant Niagara and CollegeInsider qualifier Rider, are primed to challenge the Saints again in 2009-10.

The race should stay interesting as most of the league's stars are back. Eleven of the 15 players who made the 2008-09 all-MAAC teams are back, with the Purple Eagles and Saints each losing players on the list. While Siena will miss Kenny Hasbrouck and Niagara has a big hole in the middle now that Benson Egemonye is gone, both still have plenty of pieces in place to be competitive nationally. Rider brings back its lone selection, Ryan Thompson, a player who could very well join his brother Jason in the NBA next season.

So while Siena has a great chance to build its national reputation, their conference rivals are ready, and well-positioned, to make some noise of their own. More on the Saints and the nine teams trying to chase them down after the jump.

Here's a recap of last season's MAAC standings.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Standings

(updated 3.22.2009 at 7:49 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Siena Saints	16	2	27	8
Niagara Purple Eagles	14	4	26	9
Rider Broncs	12	6	19	13
Fairfield Stags	9	9	17	15
Manhattan Jaspers	9	9	16	14
St. Peter's Peacocks	8	10	11	19
Iona Gaels	7	11	12	19
Loyola, Md. Greyhounds	7	11	12	20
Canisius Golden Griffins	4	14	11	20
Marist Red Foxes	4	14	10	23

Now here are my picks for the 2009-10 season, presented in reverse order.

Marist (last NCAA: 1987) Former John Calipari assistant Chuck Martin will have an even more difficult time leading the Red Foxes this season, as three starters are gone off a 10-win team, including the team's top two scorers, F Ryan Schneider (15.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and G David Devezin (10.3 ppg). If the returnees, led by 6-2 G Dejuan Goodwin (6.7 ppg), 5-10 R.J. Hall (6.9 ppg, 1.7 apg), and 6-9 Korey Bauer (4.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg) are more comfortable with the dribble-drive offense, the Foxes should improve, but that may not show up in the standings. The Red Foxes play their first six away from Poughkeepsie, starting with a game at Rutgers on November 14.

Iona (last NCAA: 2006) The Gaels will fill the MAAC's host slot at the Old Spice Classic at Disney World, where they open with 2009 NCAA participant Florida State, facing either Alabama or Baylor on day 2. It could be a rough four days for them, as they may not have the firepower to compete. Leading scorer Gary Springer graduated, and he was the only Gael to average in double figures last year (11.8 ppg, 7 rpg). Kevin Willard will need his returnees, led by Scott Machado (9.3 ppg), last year's conference Newcomer of the Year, and his backcourt-mate Milan Prodanovic (6.9 ppg), to get their offense to the level of Iona's often impressive defense.

Manhattan (last NCAA: 2004) Barry Rohrssen has three starters back from a team that did well to finish at .500 in the league last season. The two losses are significant; however, as Chris Smith (13.4 ppg) transferred and forward Devon Austin (10.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) graduated. That means the Jaspers will be even more guard-oriented this season. 6-4 Darryl Crawford, the team's leading scorer (14.4 ppg), leads the returnees, while 6-4 JC transfer Rico Pickett will see immediate minutes in an effort to recover the production of Smith and Austin. The highlight of the Jaspers' non-conference schedule this season is a trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt.

Canisius (last NCAA: 1996) The Golden Griffins could be ready to fly up the standings, as all five starters are back from last year's 11 win outfit. Senior PG Frank Turner (15.6 ppg, 4 apg) has several options when running the offense, including 6-4 junior SG Julius Coles (12.1 ppg), 6-7 junior Greg Logins (11.3, 7 ppg, 7 rpg) and 6-9, 320 lb. C Chris Gadley (7.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg off the bench). The highlight of a relatively local schedule is a trip to a holiday tournament at Southern Miss, which also features New Orleans and North Florida.

Loyola (MD) (last NCAA: 1994) Jimmy Patsos has all five starters back, so the Greyhounds should improve on the 12 wins they claimed a season ago. Loyola's strength will be a backcourt featuring the conference's leading scorer and nation's top free throw shooter, Jamal Barney (18.1 ppg), Brett Harvey (12.4 ppg), and Brian Rudolph (8 ppg), but the frontcourt should be much better this time around thanks to the addition of 6-10 Maryland transfer Shane Walker. Patsos' schedule is heavily local, with a game at West Virginia a main highlight.

St. Peter's (last NCAA: 1995) The Peacocks should improve on their 8 league wins this season, but this year could just be a stepping stone to next year, when John Dunne's three returning junior starters are ready for their swan song. St. Peter's backcourt is formidable, as PG Nick Leon (2.3 apg) and off guard Wesley Jenkins (4.3 rpg) both averaged more than 15 points per contest last year. 6-7 F Ryan Bacon is a force inside, as he averaged almost 12 points and nearly 8 boards a game in '08-09. For the Peacocks to make real strides in this league, Dunne will need more out of his bench, particularly 6-6 swingman Jordan Costner (3.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and 6-8 F Jack Hill (1.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg). St. Peter's opens at Seton Hall and will face Monmouth in a 6 a.m. game during ESPN's November 17 hoops marathon.

Fairfield (last NCAA: 1997) Ed Cooley welcomes four starters back, led by 6-7 senior F Greg Nero (12.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg), but point guard is a major issue for the Stags. Herbie Allen (9.6 ppg, 2.8 apg) graduated and last season's original starter, Jonathan Han (12.5 ppg, 5.3 apg), left the program after Cooley suspended him. Expect the Stags to be more frontcourt-oriented thanks to the presence of Nero, 6-5 junior Warren Edney (9.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg), 6-6 junior Yorel Hawkins (8.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg), and 6-9 senior Mike Evanovich (7.5 ppg, 3 rpg). The Stags will spend most of the Thanskgiving season in the DC area, where they'll face Maryland, American, and Howard.

Rider (last NCAA: 1994) Besides Thompson (18 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.2 apg), Tommy Dempsey has three other players back who averaged in double figures last year: 6-7 F Mike Ringgold (11.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg), 6-7 swingman Novar Gadson (10.8 ppg, 6 rpg), and 6-2 G Justin Robinson (10.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Rider's major loss is 6-3 G Harris Mansell, who averaged almost 12 points a contest last year, but his brother Patrick (2.7 ppg) could potentially replace him. The Broncs should continue to score in bunches, but they'll need to tighten things up on the defensive end to reach the next level. Rider will participate in the low/mid-major bracket of the Cancun Challenge, where they'll face Florida A&M, followed by either Oral Roberts or Sam Houston State. They'll visit Kentucky and Virginia earlier in the event. They'll also visit Mississippi State, hoping to pull an upset in Starkville, like San Diego did last season.

Niagara (last NCAA: 2007) Joe Michalich has a hole to fill down low with Egemonye's graduation (12.7 ppg, 7.1 ppg), but the return of four high-performing starters--including three seniors--means the Purple Eagles will be right in the thick of things again this season. The backcourt, featuring 5-11 Tyrone Lewis (16.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg), 6-2 Rob Garrison (10.9 ppg), and 6-1 junior Anthony Nelson (8.1 ppg), will continue to be a strength, while 6-5 swingman Bilal Benn (13.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg) does considerable amounts of everything. Look for 6-6 senior Demetrius Williamson, who averaged 7.7 points and 3 boards a game, and 6-8 freshman Scooter Gillette to attempt to fill Egemonye's shoes and production. The Purple Eagles face a challenging schedule including a trip to Auburn as part of the Glenn Wilkes Classic. They'll face Akron, UCF, and Howard in that same event in Daytona Beach. They also travel to Illinois State for a BracketBuster rematch and host Drexel in a game that starts at 8 a.m. on November 17.

Siena (last NCAA: 2009) Hasbrouck (14.6 ppg, 3.6 ppg) is the only significant loss for Fran McCaffrey, so the Saints will again be a threat to make it to the Tournament and win a game (or even two). The frontcourt is still athletic and full of talented offensive players with 6-6 Edwin Ubiles (15 ppg, 7.9 rpg), 6-9 Ryan Rossiter (10 ppg, 7.9 rpg), and 6-5 Alex Franklin (13.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg) leading the way. Ronald Moore, a pass-first PG (8.7 ppg, 6.4 apg), runs an efficient offensive unit, while 6-3 senior Clarence Jackson (8.3 ppg) and 6-2 sophomore Kyle Downey (3.5 ppg) will get the opportunity to produce in Hasbrouck's place. The Saints also welcome veteran and JC transfer Just-in' Love Smith to their roster this season. The schedule won't quite be the gauntlet of last season's, but there are plenty of intriguing contests. Siena will feature in the November 17 marathon, facing Northeastern. They also travel to Northern Iowa for a BracketBuster rematch and to Atlanta to face former coach Paul Hewitt's Georgia Tech squad. The Saints will also participate in the Philly Hoop Group Classic, where they'll visit Temple, host Delaware, and face St. John's and Brown at the Palestra.

The Saints are my pick to be kings of the MAAC again, so they'll appear in my Final Preseason Bracket on November 9. If the Saints can put together a great regular season, but slip up in the MAAC Tournament, there may be a chance for the Metro Atlantic to be a multi-bid league.

Now, to close this preview, here is my preseason All-MAAC team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-MAAC Team

Player of the Year: Ryan Thompson, 6-6 G, Sr. (Rider)

Remainder of the Team
Jamal Barney, 6-3 G, Jr. (Loyola)
Bilal Benn, 6-5 G/F, Sr. (Niagara)
Alex Franklin, 6-5 F, Sr. (Siena)
Edwin Ubiles, 6-6 G/F, Sr. (Siena)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the MAAC this season?

Canisius

1 votes

Fairfield

2 votes

Iona

0 votes

Loyola (MD)

1 votes

Manhattan

0 votes

Marist

1 votes

Niagara

0 votes

Rider

1 votes

St. Peter's

0 votes

Siena

3 votes

9 votes | Poll has closed

Championship Monday Review/Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 17:17:51 -0000

The last Sunday of the regular season for the BCS leagues was a busy one, and thrilling conference tournament action as well. Let's get right to the recap. As always, box scores are from Basketball State.

Only one team punched their ticket on Sunday. Northern Iowa is the second straight surprise Missouri Valley champion. The Panthers defeated Illinois State, 60-57 in overtime. Ali Farokhmanesh got the better of Valley POY Osiris Eldridge in the extra stanza, as Eldridge missed time with cramping. I feel bad for the people of Richmond, who couldn't see this game. Their CBS affiliate carried Raycom's telecast of Virginia Tech at Florida State instead.

Four teams will make the field this evening.

Colonial (ESPN2, 7 EDT)- VCU and George Mason survived ODU and Towson, respectively, after another thrilling afternoon of action in Richmond. The Tigers really gave the Patriots a battle. The predominantly VCU crowd definitely tried to give them a boost, especially since I didn't need both hands to count the number of Towson fans present at the Coliseum.

Southern (ESPN, 7 EDT) - College of Charleston upset CBS darling Davidson, 59-52, meaning the chances of seeing Stephen Curry in this year's tournament are slim. Curry managed 20 points, but only on 5-18 shooting, including 2-11 from outside. The homestanding Chattanooga Mocs will be the Cougars' next opponent, as they knocked out conference newcomer Samford, 80-71.

Metro Atlantic (ESPN2, 9 EDT) - Homestanding Siena defeated Fairfield handily, 80-65. The Saints had a lot of balanced last night, with five players hitting double figures. Kenny Hasbrouck was surprisingly not one of them, as he only scored 9. Next up for Siena is a rubber match with 2 seed Niagara. The Purple Eagles needed a Tyrone Lewis three to tie it at the end of regulation, but they ended up getting past Rider, 93-89 in double OT.

West Coast (ESPN, 9 EDT) - Gonzaga had no problem with Santa Clara, winning by 25. In the other semi, Saint Mary's got Patty Mills back. The Aussie was a bit rusty (12 points on 25% shooting with 4 assists), though he did look far better in the second half. The Gaels defeated Portland for the second time this year, 71-61.

Two other conferences had their semifinals Sunday, but their championship games won't be until later in the week because of TV considerations.

America East - Binghamton will host Maryland-Baltimore County on Saturday morning. The sixth-seeded Retrievers knocked off the homestanding and seventh-seeded Albany Great Danes, 64-58. The top-seeded Bearcats are on track for their first ever NCAA appearance. They defeated fourth-seeded New Hampshire, 72-67.

Patriot - American hosts Holy Cross Friday afternoon. The Eagles had a hard time shaking Army, winning 61-60, while the Crusaders prevented a second straight AU-Colgate final, 61-44.

If that's not enough for you, the Summit League (7 EDT, Full Court) and Sun Belt (7:30 EDT, Full Court) semifinals are also on available. In the Summit, there was a big upset in the quarterfinals Saturday, as 7 seed South Dakota State knocked three-time defending champion Oral Roberts out. The Jackrabbits face 3 seed Oakland. Top seed North Dakota State looks to keep their hopes of a first-ever tournament bid (in their first year of eligibility) alive. The Bison face the 5 seed, Southern Utah. In the Sun Belt, the higher seeds were having their way in the quarterfinals, until sixth-seeded South Alabama upset the 3 seed, Troy. The Jaguars next face 2 seed Arkansas-Little Rock. Top seeded Western Kentucky takes on the 4 seed, 2007 tournament champion North Texas.

Outside of Auto-Bid Land

Virginia Tech lost to Florida State, 63-53. That means the Hokies are in the 8/9 game in the ACC tournament. Their opponent is Miami, which makes that first round tie a virtual bubble elimination game.

If Auburn has life in the SEC, Vanderbilt must as well. The Commodores made it to 8-8 in the stronger East division by (oddly enough) beating a Western opponent - Arkansas, 75-58.

UNC is in good shape for a #1 seed after beating Duke, 79-71. Michigan State continued to build their case for a 2, as they knocked off Purdue, 62-51. Wake has a case too after beating Clemson (who looks likely to be on the outside looking in when it comes to a protected seed), 96-88.

Ohio State got a big win over Northwestern, 52-47. Evan Turner had 17 for the Buckeyes, and it seemed like his sole purpose for the evening was to keep the Wildcats' dance drought going. I'm not ready to write Northwestern off yet, as they play Minnesota in the 8-9 game on Thursday in Indianapolis. If they win that, they get another shot at Michigan State Friday.

I'll be around this evening to talk about the four big championship games and whatever else you're thinking about here in the stretch run.

Basketball Live Thread - Mizzou vs. Fairfield in Puerto Rico

The Beef — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:15:06 -0000

Mizzou Basketball in Puerto Rico Drink one if you are playing the JT Tiller Drinking Game

Who: Missouri vs. FairfieldWhere: Coliseo De Puerto Rico (capacity: 18,000)
When: 10:00 a.m. CST
TV: ESPN UOnline Viewing: ESPN 360.comOnline Listening: KFNS.com (with a free and quick registration)

Team Leaders

Stat	Player	AVG
Scoring	Leo Lyons	20.3
Rebounds	DeMarre Carroll	6.7
Assists	JT Tiller/Zaire Taylor	3.7
FG%	DeMarre Carroll	60.5
FT%	Marcus Denmon	100.0
3PT%	Miguel Paul	36.4
Blocks	Zaire Taylor	1.0
Steals	JT Tiller	3.3

Team Leaders

Stat	Player	AVG
Scoring	Warren Edney	15.3
Rebounds	Anthony Johnson	6.3
Assists	Jonathan Han	6.3
FG%	Greg Nero	56.5
FT%	Anthony Johnson	100.0
3PT%	Greg Nero	60.0
Blocks	Anthony Johnson	1.3
Steals	Herbie Allen	1.3

As always, make Rock M Nation your base of operations this morning with comments, observations, complaints, raves, etc. We had a great time yesterday, so jump on it and cheer the Tigers on to their first win in "lovely" Puerto Rico. Don't have an account? Sign up for one already!

Mizzou Links, 11-21-08

The Beef — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:49:29 -0000

Sorry for the late start everyone...what can I say. The Boy and I probably get up at the same time each morning....I just come to work before I do the links :-) But let's get to it...I have a feeling there are going to be a lot of them.

Starting off...let's see what the locals had to say about our close loss yesterday

MUTigers.com has the boxscore...a good place to start. The good was the 2nd half shooting percentage (53.6%), turnovers (7), steals (16) and assists (18). The bad was the 1st half shooting percentage (31%), fouls (30), Leo Lyons grabbing ONE rebound, and 2nd half FT shooting (35%)
The Missourian says free throw problems lead to Tiger loss
The Tribune says free throw shooting dooms Tigers
The KC Star says Mizzou misses free throws, falls to Xavier
The STL P-D says free throws produce foul results for Tigers
The Worldwide Leader says Xavier learns from past mistakes

The Tigers will tip today against the Fairfield Stags, who fell to Va Tech in the game preceeding ours. We lean on the worldwide leader for the boxscore and game recap. In action on the other side of the bracket, Memphis dispatched UT-C and Seton Hall upset #20 USC, meaning we very likely will meet the Trojans in our third game.

Pat Knight....run and gun? Are you kidding me? 167 points on 113 attempted FGs? Did they play 30 minutes halves?

Let's move to football, where a surprise trophy presentation leads to lots of links in an off week

The Missourian has a nice picture of the bowl banners we hang in the practice facility if you have never seen them
Dave Matter blogs about it being "Trophey Time"
Mike DeArmond explains that Coach Pinkel wanted to get the formality of the presentation over with so the team could concentrate on the tasks at hand.
Powermizzou has a great photo spread on the presentation
STL P-D does not cover the award, but has some great tidbits on where some Tiger assistant coaches and getting interest from for head coaching jobs.
The P-D also has a really nice piece of the durability of our offensive line
MUTigers.com brings it all home with the release about Coach Pinkel being named the Missouri Athletic Club "Sports Personality of the Year". He is only the third Mizzou coach in ANY sport to win this prestigious award...and well-deserved

And finally...some general stuff

Raymond Jordan of the Mizzou Wrestling team has been named a John Wooden Cup Semi-finalist. I will be honest in that I have never heard of this award, but if it has that man's name on it...well good for you Raymond.
A reminder about the Wrestling Supporting Wrestling campaign this weekend as the #5 Tigers open up their home schedule aganist #16 Hofstra. If you plan to go (and you should)...plan to arrive a little early.
Color me impressed with the triple option at Ga Tech - 472 yards on the ground is an old-school beat down.