SB Nation - Lafayette Leopards

The Can Ball Report NC-Double Eh Player of the Week(s)

rbala — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:00:21 -0000

Being away for a week in very warm climes is a gift and a curse. Gift in that you are in very warm climes where you are catered to hand and foot (well not really but I’ll leave that story for another time). Curse in that you miss an entire week of hoop action since internet costs about $20 an hour to use on the resort - US dollars that is! But regardless, the Can Ball Report is back and since we missed last week’s installment, this week we give you a double hit of the NC-Double-Eh Player of the Week.

Jared Mintz (Toronto, ON) – Soph., Lafayette

Second year forward Jared Mintz made it really easy for us this week(s) to pick our standout Canadian baller. He had four outstanding games in a two week span, including an impressive showing against Georgetown, Jared has earned the Can Ball Report’s Player of the Week for both Nov 22 and Nov 29.

Having been a starter in the second half of last season for the Leopards, this year should be a break out type year for Mintz. If the last two weeks are an indication of the year he will have, then this may be the first of many honors for him.

In the previous week, Mintz helped his team to two victories. The first came on Nov 18 against St Francis (PA) where he had posted career high in scoring hanging 24 on a perfect 9-9 from the floor and a near perfect 6-7 from the line. He also added six rebounds and a steal as well in his efficient 28 minutes of action.

Three nights later, Mintz would put up 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a block in Lafayette’s 69-52 win over N.J.I.T. He would go 8-10 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw in the game also.

For the week of Nov 22, Jared averaged 21.5 pts, 5.5 rbs and 1.5 asts. He shot 89% from the floor (17-19) and 82% from the charity stripe (9-11).

In Lafayette’s two games this past week, Mintz continued his great playing. In the Leopards win over Hartford on Nov 24, he put up 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting. He added 10 rebounds for his fourth career double-double to go with a steal and a block. He also shot 6 of 8 from the free throw line.

In his last game of the week Saturday, Mintz held his own against an always tough Georgetown team. Going up against sure shot future NBA draft pick Greg Monroe, Mintz posted a team high 16 points on 5 of 7 from the field including making his only three attempt. He also added four boards along with an assist and steal in the loss.

For the week of Nov 29, Mintz averaged 17 points, 7 rebounds and a steal. He shot 78.5% from the floor (11 of 14) and the free throw (11 of 14).

For the season, Mintz is the team’s leading scorer at 18.2 a clip and second leading rebounder at 6.7. He's shooting 69.1% from the field and 86.5% from the free throw line.

Honorable Mentions:

Week of Nov 22 – Rob Sacre, Gonzaga – 16 pts, 6 rbs, a block, 12 of 19 from the field, 8 of 9 from the line in two games.

Week of Nov 29 – Papa Oppong, Eastern Kentucky – 12.5 pts, 3 rbs, 2.3 asts, 1.3 stls, 15 of 28 from the field, 8 of 17 from the three in three games.

Stat Line of the Week (s)

Andrew Nicholson (Mississuaga, ON) – Soph., St Bonaventure

After beginning the Basketball Travellers Classic with a 15 point, 12 rebounds in the Bonnies thumping of Southeast Missouri State, Nicholson followed that up the next game with a career night. In his team’s easy win over Norfolk State, Andrew posted 29 points and 14 rebounds, both personal bests. He shot 11 of 13 from the floor and 7 of 10 from the line while adding two blocks in his 33 minutes of action. Look out for more of this from Nicholson as the season goes on.

Don't forget the games for today and tomorrow as well. As always the games that are highlighted are should see games ...

Nov 30

Columbia @ Sacred Heart

Stetson @ USC Upstate

Colgate @ (9) Syracuse

Tennessee State @ Belmont

St. Peter’s @ Lafayette

Cal State Bakersfield @ Cal State Northridge

Dec 1

Providence @ Northeastern

Vermont @ Dartmouth

Chicago State @ Central Michigan

Delaware @ Delaware State

Paul Quinn @ McNeese State

UTEP @ New Mexico State

Santa Clara @ UC Santa BArbara

No Thanksgiving Hangover as Hoyas Dominate Lafayette 98-64

CasualHoya — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:04:43 -0000

Jason Clark's 19 points led 6 Hoyas in double figures as the Hoyas rolled the Leopards of Lafayette 98-64 at Verizon. Hollis Thompson shoots a perfect 6-6 from the field (4-4 from 3) to finish with a career-high 16 points.

Nikita Mescheriakov fouled out and finished with 3 points.

Casual Entertaining Game Thread of Upside here.

Box score here.

We'll have more later including our Casual Awards tomorrow.

Until then, keep it casual.

Casually.

Sleeping With The Enemy: Lafayette Leopards Roar Into Verizon

CasualHoya — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:00:27 -0000

I'm going on the assumption that you don't know much about the Lafayette Leopards, so here is our usual feature that brings you what you need to know about Georgetown's next opponent. Special thanks to Michael LoRe of The Express-Times for bringing the noise with his answers to our penetrating questions. He is without a doubt without peer when it comes to covering Lafayette Leopards athletics. Michael, this Bud's for you.

via www.lafayetteexperience.com

CH: What can Georgetown expect on Saturday out of this year's Lafayette squad?

Simple, the Hoyas can expect about 52 points put up against them.

CH: Lafayette head coach, Fran O'Hanlon, is an alumnus of Villanova. Does Lafayette not require full-time employees to graduate from fully-accredited universities?

Well, Fran's going on his 15th season with the Leopards, so I'm sure qualifications were different way back then.

CH: The Lafayette Leopards sounds like a WBNA team. Please comment.

That's a good point, but c'mon.. wouldn't you rather be a Leopard than something like a Banana Slug or Blue Hen? Jeez, I can't believe I just dissed my alma mater (Delaware, not UC Santa Cruz).

CH: What are Lafayette's strengths and weaknesses? Who are the top performers this season?

Lafeyette's strength is on the inside in junior forward Jared Mintz. Not only is he Canadian, but he leads the Patriot League (as of Tuesday) in points per game with 18.8. He's really improved his game over the past few years and coach Fran O'Hanlon said Mintz is more fit physically, which has helped to his strong start this year.

The Leopards, who are the highest-scoring team in the league, aren't afraid to shoot the 3-ball either. If defenders are double-teaming Mintz inside, guards Michael Gruner, Jeff Kari and company will make it rain from downtown. Lafayette was 10-for-21 on 3s in Tuesday's 86-82 win over Hartford, including 9 of 16 in the first half.

In terms of weaknesses, the team is very young. Though they graduated just one senior last year, this season, the roster has two seniors in Kari and Gruner. Four juniors, seven sophomores and and two freshmen round out the roster.

More fun after 'The Jump'...

CH: Both Lafayette and Georgetown play football in the Patriot League. Over the past five seasons, Lafayette has beaten Georgetown five times, by a combined score of 137-37. What are your thoughts of the Georgetown Football program?

I wouldn't have known Georgetown had a football team if I didn't cover Lehigh and Lafayette. The Hoyas should either abolish the program and stick with basketball or drop to like Division III and maybe get more than two wins a year. And if I'm not mistaken, they don't have a football media guide and/or weekly game notes. I guess they're saving paper for the bball season.

CH: Army and Navy; Ohio State and Michigan. Both are historic football rivalries that garner significant media attention but the longest running rivalry in college football is actually Lafayette and Lehigh. Do you feel slighted by the lack of attention?

Well, ESPN College GameDay picks the game (at least this year) and Lee Corso actually called the upset. It is unfortunate the rivalry doesn't garner as much media attention as some of the other ones, but it is definitely the talk of the town in the Lehigh Valley, I can tell you that much.

CH: The highly esteemed Casual Hoya blogger 'itsallthatmatters' has passed nothing but liquid over 30 times in the past 12 hours. What is the most amount of times you have excreted non-solid matter in a 24-hour period?

Firstly, it sounds like 'itsallthatmatters' is about 68 years old with an enlarged prostate -- I'd go see a doctor or stop drinking so damn much. I hope the bathroom is close to your desk. I can't really answer the question because I don't count.

CH: This has been so much fun, how about some BONUS QUESTIONS!:
Besides Larry Holmes, what else are people proud of in Easton, Pennsylvania?

Nothing. No, I kid. I'm not from the area (I have a lovely 40 minute commute to work), but it seems people in Easton are really into the high school and Red Rovers football and wrestling. They're also proud of hating Phillipsburg, N.J. -- their rivals.

CH: If Washington, DC is a 10 on the college city scale, would Easton rank in the negative?

I don't really have time to hang out in Easton, normally just heading out to work. So I can't tell you.

CH: What exactly happened last weekend against Lehigh?

Beats me. The Lafayette players must have been partying too hard Friday night or something -- too many dumb penalties and turnovers. I think rushing the ball six times up the gut with Tyrell Coon instead of kicking a field goal did the Leopards in.

via publish.netitor.com

Casually.

The Can Ball Report's NC-Double Eh Player of the Week

rbala — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:15:10 -0000

In an effort to expose more of the Canadian talent that has been exported to the NCAA ranks, The Can Ball Report will be giving out a weekly award highlighting who we feel is the the player that gave the best overall performance over their games. We've also included today's scheduled games also so without further adieu, our first POTW honoree ...

NCAA Player of the Week

Olu Ashoalu (Toronto) – RS-Soph., Louisiana Tech

Ashoalu will be expected to contribute to a newly resurgent Louisiana State Bulldog squad this season. In his team’s lone game this week to start the season which resulted in a win, Olu put up career highs in what should be his first of many starts. In 33 minutes of action, he posted career highs in both points and rebounds for his second career double-double dropping 18 and 12 in the win against Texas-Pan American on Nov. 14. He also added 3 assists and 3 steals to round out his stat line. Olu shot 6-8 from the floor and mirrored that at the free throw line earning him the first Can Ball Report’s NCAA Player of the Week honor.

Honorable Mention: Jared Mintz, Lafayette – 20 pts, 10 rbs, 2 asts, 2 stls, a block, 23 mins

Stat Line of Week

Andy Rautins (Jamesville, NY) – RS-SR, Syracuse

On Nov. 11, Rautins had a great game against Robert Morris in the 2K Sports Classic. Following a game that saw him make no field goals in 21 minutes, Andy shot the lights out to post 22 points in 21 minutes of action on 7 of 10 shooting. Did I mention that all ten shots came from behind the three! He also added a rebound, three assists and four steals to the mix as well to earn him the stat line of the week nod.

Honorable Mention: Kai Williams, South Dakota State – 17 pts, 6-7 FG, 4-5 3PT FG, 3 rbs, 1 ast, 2 stls, 18 mins on Nov. 14

NCAA Schedule for Today

Nov. 16

Stephan F. Austin @ Minnesota

Virginia Military @ Richmond

Wilmington, DE @ Delaware State

Eastern Washington @ Washington State

Menlo College @ Santa Clara

Ferris State @ Central Michigan

Mayville State @ South Dakota State

Milwaukee @ Western Kentucky

Central Connecticut State @ Savannah State

Tennessee Tech @ Central Arkansas

Elon @ Charlotte

Cal-Northridge @ TCU

BtB 2009-10 Patriot League Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:14:36 -0000

Two oddly-timed coaching changes were the big offseason stories in the Patriot League since American bowed out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round. First, Ralph Willard left his alma mater, Holy Cross, to be Rick Pitino's associate head coach at Louisville. Sean Kearney, a former assistant under Mike Brey at Notre Dame takes over in Worcester. Willard had guided the Crusaders to four NCAAs in his ten seasons at the helm, and had a great shot to make a fifth trip this season.

Meanwhile, Army made a very late change. Former Cornell assistant Zach Spiker replaced Jim Crews on October 1. Crews was about to start his eighth season at West Point and had just received a contract extension; however, athletic director Kevin Anderson felt that he had to make a change. Spiker takes over a program that could very well have its first winning season in 25. The Black Knights have never made the NCAAs. Even Bob Knight and Mike Krzyzewski were unable to guide the Cadets to the Big Dance.

Two-time defending champion American lost a lot of talent after last season, so the Patriot League should see a new winner in 2010. I'll go through each team's chances after the jump.

Let's first take a look at last season's Patriot League standings.

Patriot League Standings

(updated 3.19.2009 at 10:19 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
American U. Eagles	13	1	24	8
Holy Cross Crusaders	11	3	18	14
Navy Midshipmen	8	6	19	11
Army Black Knights	6	8	11	19
Lehigh Mountain Hawks	5	9	15	14
Colgate Red Raiders	5	9	10	20
Lafayette Leopards	4	10	8	22
Bucknell Bison	4	10	7	23

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

Lafayette (last NCAA: 2000) The Leopards featured seven freshmen last season, so the hope is the year of experience will serve the team well. Last season, Lafeyette's defense was dreadful, ranking 293rd in Division I, and the offense wasn't much better. Only two Leopards averaged in double figures, and leading scorer Andrew Brown (13.6 ppg) graduated. The other double figure scorer, G Jeff Kari (10.7 ppg, 2.7 apg) returns, as do three players who were close, sophomore F Ryan Willen (9.4 ppg), junior F Jared Mintz (9.2 ppg), and senior guard Michael Gruner (8.2 ppg). The sophomore class and the Leopards' quiet frontcourt will need to step up for Fran O'Hanlon's squad to escape the basement.

American (last NCAA: 2009) The Eagles acquitted themselves well in two straight NCAA appearances, but will have a hard time getting back to those heights after losing all five starters off last year's league champions. American picks up 6-10 F Vlad Moldoveanu in mid-December. He makes the short trip to DC from George Mason. Moldoveanu and 6-8 soph Stephen Lumpkins (3.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg) will anchor the Eagles' frontcourt, while swimgman Nick Hendra (6.3 ppg) will have to develop into a scorer. Head coach Jeff Jones has a five-man freshman class coming to campus that may need to step up immediately to keep AU from falling too far in the standings. 6-1 frosh Daniel Munoz is expected to replace 11.7 point and 4.4 assist per game performer Derrick Mercer at the point, an unenviable position for a newcomer.

Navy (last NCAA: 1998) The Middies finished in third place last season, but they'll be hard pressed to repeat that accomplishment after losing leading scorer Kaleo Kina (18.0 ppg) and forward Adam Teague (10.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg) to graduation and active service. The good news is that second leading scorer Chris Harris, a 6-2 guard who averaged more than 15 points per contest is back. So is defensive stalwart Romeo Garcia, who missed most of last season with hamstring problems. Garcia will help bolster the defense, and if Navy can replace Kina and Teague's scoring, they can replicate their average from last season (71 ppg) and finish quite a bit higher in the standings.

Bucknell (last NCAA: 2006) The Bison weren't very good in Dave Paulsen's first season, winning only once on the road and seven times overall. They should do far better this season, as they return four starters including 6-8 big man Patrick Behan (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and guards Bryan Cohen (11.8 ppg) and Darryl Shazier (7.8 ppg, 4.6 apg). They also get 2007-07 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year Stephen Tyree back from an ACL tear. Tyree's return and a second year in Paulsen's system should lead to a marked improvement in the Bison's fortunes this season.

Colgate (last NCAA: 1996) Like Bucknell, the Raiders also get a a key player back off a season lost to injury. 6-3 swingman Kyle Roemer, a threat for all-conference honors received a sixth year of eligibility. Roemer will return to a team that is among the most balanced in the conference, as three players, guard Mike Venezia (10.8 ppg) and forwards Yaw Gwayu (10.2 ppg) and Ben Jonson (10.4 ppg) averaged in double figures last season. Seeing as Roemer averaged over 16 points in his last season, Colgate shouldn't have much trouble scoring; however, they have had trouble with possession. The Raiders will have to follow the example of point guard Anthony Hill and take better care of the ball. They'll also have to find a way to replace Alex Woodhouse's rebounds and blocks (6.3 rpg, 1.8 bpg) to be successful.

Army (last NCAA: None) The big question for the Cadets is whether the team can adjust to Spiker's system. Jim Crews believed in distributing playing time, as 12 players saw regular action last year. This paid off as Army won six league games for the second year in a row, not bad for a team that averaged two league wins a year during the five seasons before. Despite this equity, 6-4 G/F Cleveland Richard is the arguably the Black Knights' most important player, as he averaged 12 points a game while grabbing 3 boards a contest and at least a steal per game. Marcus Nelson was the conference Defensive Player of the Year and the 5-11 guard is sure to give the opposition headaches. Army's weakness is in the frontcourt, where no pure forward averaged more than 2.9 points per contest.

Lehigh (last NCAA: 2004) The Mountain Hawks have arguably the most star power in the conference, as they feature 6-7 F Zahir Carrington, the defending Pat League rebounding champ (8.6 rpg) who can also score (14 ppg) and guard Marquis Hall (13.9 ppg, 4.1 apg). However, Carrington is foul prone, which limits his effectiveness. This could be problematic this season as C Phil Anderson graduated. Hall also attracts a lot of defensive attention because of his flexibility. Point guard Prentice Small (5.5 ppg, 3.2 apg) can take some of the pressure off Hall, as can the 2007-08 conference Newcomer of the Year, Rob Keefer (8.8 ppg). If the Mountain Hawks can find a way to take some of the spotlight away from their stars, they could soar.

Holy Cross (last NCAA: 2007) Sean Kearney has an excellent chance to make the NCAA Tournament in his first year at the helm. Last year's Patriot League Newcomer ot the Year, SG R.J. Evans (13.4 ppg) is back, anchoring a backcourt that also features 3-point specialist Andrew Beinert (8.5 ppg, shooting 45.4% from beyond the arc) and Mike Cavataio, a transfer from St. John's. 6-9 C Andrew Keister (8.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and 6-8 C/F Eric Meister (6.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is the best forward tandem with last names that are off by a single letter in the country. Seriously, they are one of the best forward groups in the league, though they will have to produce a little more with the graduation of Colin Cunningham, who was a versatile performer for the Crusaders last season, scoring over 8 a game while grabbing nearly 5 boards and dishing out 3.5 assists per game. If Kearney keeps the Crusaders focused on defense and rebounding (the Cross was 13th in Division I in rebounding margin last season), he'll find his team in the field of 65.

So, the Crusaders are my preseason pick for the Patriot League crown. You'll see them in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket on November 9. Now, to wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Patriot League team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Patriot League Team

Player of the Year: R.J. Evans, 6-3 G, So. (Holy Cross)

Remainder of the Team
Zahir Harrington, 6-7 F/C, Sr. (Lehigh)
Marquis Hall, 5-11 G, Sr. (Lehigh)
Cleveland Richard, 6-4 G/F, Sr. (Army)
Kyle Roemer, 6-3 G/F, Sr. (Colgate)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Patriot League this season?

American

1 votes

Army

0 votes

Bucknell

3 votes

Colgate

2 votes

Holy Cross

19 votes

Lafayette

0 votes

Lehigh

2 votes

Navy

3 votes

30 votes | Poll has closed

Basketball Preview: Colorado Buffaloes at Stanford Cardinal

irish1611 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:00:07 -0000

	VS.
Colorado Buffaloes		Stanford Cardinal

Who: Colorado Buffaloes at Stanford Cardinal
Where: Maples Pavilion (Stanford, CA)
When: 8:30 pm MT
Line: Stanford by 15

The young Buffs will be on the road for the first time this season after going 3 - 1 in the first four. The Buffs have been exactly what we thought they would be: young and small inside. Colorado has been out-rebounded by a lengthy margin this year, especially on the offensive side end. The Buffs have been holding the oppositions to lower shooting percentages but due to the lack of rebounding, teams have been able to get extra chances against the Buffs. With freshman Toby Veal not ready for collegiate play, according to Jeff Bzdelik, the Buffs don't have a big answer in the middle. The 6'5" guard, Cory Higgins has 6.0 rebounds a game which is tied for the lead. That is a problem especially when the Buffs start Big 12 play.

Their have been a few bright spots this year and it starts on the offensive end of the court. CU has shot 50% from the field against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Harvard and Lafayette. Buffs guard Cory Higgins leads the team in what seems like every major statistical category. Last game, Higgins had a team high and personal career high 24 points but three other players had double digits as well so there is some balance on this team. Back to Higgins, look at the improvement from his freshman year. He has definitely led this team to the record that they currently have. Higgins, the 6'5" guard from Florida, is a sophomore which is considered a veteran on this team. Look for him to continue to get better and better as the Buffs youth grows around him.

Season Averages - Cory Higgins
SEASON	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	TO	A/T	STL	BLK	PF	FG%	FT%	3P%	PPS
2007-2008	33.6	8.3	4.3	2.3	2.1	1.11	1.1	.3	2.1	.459	.680	.333	1.29
2008-2009	36.8	17.8	6.0	3.8	2.8	1.36	2.3	.0	2.0	.528	.732	.231	1.97

Another few positives to this year already in each of the four games the Buffs have played this year, they have had four players in double digits and overall, Colorado is shooting over 50% from the field on the year. For a young team, offense doesn't seem to be the problem. The fans would like to see more on the defensive end nad boards.

The Buffs will get a taste of higher level collegiate basketball tonight as the Stanford was a sweet 16 team last year. Stanford is currently on the "Colorado Tour" as they there last game was against Air Force (W - 76 - 57), Colorado Saturday night and then @ Colorado State in 15 days.

The Cardinal are 3-0 on the season with a pair of home against CSU-Northridge (103-85) and Air Force (76-57), played on Wednesday. Stanford opened the season with a 75-67 winner at Yale. The Cardinal returns seven players and three starters from last year's 28-8 Sweet 16 team. Sounds like a dangerous team right? Well, the two players who are missing are 7-foot twins, Brook and Robin Lopez, both of whom are in the NBA. That has caused first year coach, Johnny Dawkins a long time Duke assistant, to go relatively small this year. The good thing for the Cardinal is that they are led by three seniors, something the Buffs will have to wait a long time to say. Forward Lawrence Hill, who was great as a sophomore then struggled last season, will need to have a big season for the Cardinal to be successful in the PAC 10. Currently, Hill is second on the team in scoring, averaging 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds a game. The leading scorer is point guard Mitch Johnson, who is the team leader, is averaging an impressive 21.3 points a game. Scoring has not been a problem so far for the Cardinal, averaging 85 a game. This team wants to play on the perimeter. Against Air Force, Stanford hit on 12 of 25 shots from three-point range.

The Buffs are going to have their hands full defending the high flying offense of the Cardinal but the good news for the Buffs is the Lopez twins are gone and Stanford will not be overpowering inside. For the Buffs to be successful tonight, rebounding will be key.

Other Notes:

Colorado is an early 15 point underdog. I would expect that to possibly go up even though this Cardinal team should not be expected to make a lot of noise in the PAC 10 this year
Tonight's tip off is at 8:30 MT
The game will be on Fox Sports Network. The first televised game this year for the Buffs.
For more on tonight's game, check out the rivals yahoo preview of Stanford.

Quick Stat Comparison
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
COLO	3-1	75.3	64.3	3-1	0-0	W2
STAN	3-0	84.7	69.7	2-0	1-0	W3
Team Stat Leaders
	COLORADO			STANFORD
Points	C. Higgins 17.8			A. Goods 21.3
Rebounds	C. Higgins 6.0			L. Hill 7.0
Assists	C. Higgins 3.8			M. Johnson 6.0
Steals	C. Higgins 2.3			A. Goods 2.0
Blocks	J. Jackson-Wilson 1.3			L. Fields 1.0

Game Preview: Lafayette Leopards @ Colorado Buffaloes

irish1611 — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:15:31 -0000

	VS.
Colorado Buffaloes		Lafayette Leopards

Who: Colorado Buffaloes vs. Lafayette Leopards
Where: Coors Event Center (Boulder, CO)
When: 7:00 pm MT
Line: None Available

As we are fresh in the middle of Nebraska week and with the Buffs welcoming another "who" school in town tonight (would be funny if the Buffs hadn't lost to a "who" school and survived against another), forgive me if this preview is a liittle light. Straight to the point with this one.

The Buffs come off a come from behind victory against the Harvard Crimson last Saturday as CU picked up the tempo and were able to claw out a 70 - 57 victory. The score doesn't reflect how close the game was. The Buffs found success by picking up the pace and playing pressure defense, something I expect Colorado to do frequently the rest of the season. A young team plays better when they are not thinking but playing aggressive. Right now the Buffs best player has been 6'5" Sophomore G Cory Higgins who is leading the Buffs in points, rebounds and assists. Higgins has shot a solid 48% from the field on his way to averaging 16 points per game. Higgins is considered a veteran on this team of youth and should continue to be the Buffs meal tickets as Bzdelik's pups continue to develop.

The Lafayette Leopards from the Patriot League come into tonight's game at the Coors Event Center (7:00 pm MT) 2 - 2, beating Wagner and Stony Brook to start the year but losing their last two against Temple and Rider. Lafayette was up by as much as 15 in the second half against Rider before giving up the lead late in the second half. The Leopards don't boast a powerful inside presence, something that should be music to the ears of Colorado fans. But the Buffs will need to defend the perimeter as close to half of Lafayette's 215 field goal attempts are from the three point line (103). That is unbelievable. I guess when you don't have much of an inside game, that is where you go. Last year, Lafayette was able to get hot early in the season and really surprised some teams with their outside shooting ability. Colorado doesn't have the the offensive fire power to match these guys if the Leopards start going off so playing tough on the perimeter will be important for this team. The two leading scores for Lafayette, 6'2" G Jeff Kari and 5'11' G Andre Brown, both have attempted more three point field goals than two point field goals in the first four games. Kari averages 17 points per game and has shot 42.9% from behind the arc this season. The 6'2" guard led the Leopards in all four major statistical categories against Rider so he will be the guy the Buffs must keep an eye on. Brown, who most predicted would be the best player on the team before the season, averages 15.3 points per game and 28% from three point range. Last year, Brown made 40% of his 3-pointers last year and made 99 treys (third most in the league). Brown is from the state of Colorado.

With the heavy reliance on outside shooting and smaller players, the Buffs will need to dominant the boards. Temple outrebounded the Leopards by 9 and they went on to cruise. The problem is the Buffs are just as bad on the boards as the Leopards. On the offensive end, keep feeding Higgins. Cory has had the hot hand this year so look for the Buffs to try and establish him early and often. Also, Colorado needs to make the effort against a smaller team to win the offensive rebound game. If the Buffs do that and shut down the perimeter play of the Leopards, CU should roll.

Gameday Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	STK
LAF	2-2	71.3	73.3	1-2	1-0	L2
COLO	2-1	76	66	2-1	0-0	W1
Team Stat Leaders
	LAFAYETTE			COLORADO
Points	J. Kari 17.0			C. Higgins 15.7
Rebounds	R. Willen 6.3			C. Higgins 7.3
Assists	J. Kari 3.5			C. Higgins 4.7
Steals	J. Kari 2.3			C. Higgins 2.0
Blocks	M. Koltun 1.5			J. Jackson-Wilson 1.0
Projected Starting Lineups
	LAFAYETTE			COLORADO
1	Darion Benbow, F			Jermyl Jackson-Wilson, F
2	Marek Koltun, C			Austin Dufault, F
3	Andrew Brown, G			Nate Tomlinson, G
4	Ben Wheeler, G			Cory Higgins, G
5	Jeff Kari, G			Dwight Thorne II, G