The Full-Court Press

Press MAAC Index, Week 6: A lot of unanswered questions

2010-02-09T14:37:00.002-05:00

For the second straight week, the focus in the Index is on where teams stand heading down the stretch and what they have to do to earn a favorable seed in the MAAC tournament.

Siena has taken some of the drama away by cruising to a 14-0 start and wrapping up the top seed in the tournament almost a week before Valentine's Day. Similarly, you can bet the house that Marist will finish 10th and Manhattan will finish no higher than eighth.

Aside from that, there's a whole lot left to be decided.

1. Siena: Records: 21-4 overall, 14-0 in the MAAC; RPI: 32; Position: Stayed the same

It's possible Siena will lose a MAAC game at some point, but I sure wouldn't bet on it. It's clear now that Fairfield gives the Saints more problems than anyone else in the league, but even last night's 69-67 nail-biter wasn't quite as close as the score indicates. Although it was a one-possession game in the final minute, the Stags added a meaningless Derek Needham 3 on their last possession to pull with two.

Judging by what we've seen over the past two months, that may best the rest of the MAAC can do.

2. Fairfield: Records: 16-8, 9-5; RPI: 114; Position: Up two spots

How do you move up two spots after a 1-1 week? By taking a good Saint Peter's team to the woodshed, taking a great Siena team down to the final minute, and doing it all without two injured starters -- a sign that as long as Needham and Anthony Johnson are on the floor, Ed Cooley will find a way to make this team a contender.

3. Iona: Records: 18-7, 10-4; RPI: 85; Position: Down one spot

Unless the Gaels completely go into the tank in the last two weeks, this season will go down as a smashing success. Iona was picked ninth in the preseason coaches' poll and will almost certainly finish in the top four, with the top two remaining a distinct possibility. But the Gaels' blowout loss at Siena indicated they're not quite ready for primetime, and their shaky performance the following game against Marist showed they're not quite as good as they looked during their eight-game winning streak.

4. Saint Peter's: Records: 14-10, 9-5; RPI: 146; Position: Down one spot

Thankfully for the Peacocks, they found a way to get past Canisius and avoid back-to-back losses. They clearly still belong in the same grouping with Fairfield and Iona, but they need good showings in their next two games -- at Loyola and at home against Rider.

5. Rider: Records: 14-12, 7-7; RPI: 143; Position: Stayed the same

Another week, another set of ups and downs. It's becoming more and more difficult to know which Rider team will show up: The one that won impressively at Fairfield and took it to Niagara in the second half last night, or the one that lost at home to Loyola. The schedule is manageable but not easy, meaning anything from 3-1 to 0-4 is possible in the Broncs' final four games.

6. Niagara: Records: 13-13, 6-8; RPI: 174; Position: Stayed the same

Before the season began, I thought the loss of Benson Egemonye made Niagara slightly less dangerous than Rider. Little did I know that while that appears to be true, it would mean the Eagles are a bottom-half team that could end up in the play-in round. Like Rider, the talent is undeniable. The question is, can Niagara play with enough discipline to stay afloat down the stretch?

7. Canisius: Records: 11-14, 6-8; RPI: 198: Position: Stayed the same

The Golden Griffs really could have used Sunday's game at Saint Peter's, in which they forced overtime only to lose partially because of an unintentionally made free throw by Frank Turner. The Griffs are almost certain to split their next two league games -- against Marist and Siena -- meaning their final two -- at Loyola and at Rider -- will decide where they fall in the final standings.

8. Loyola: Records: 12-12, 5-9; RPI:185; Position: Stayed the same

That the Hounds aren't a mortal lock for the play-in round after all they've endured -- losing Brett Harvey and Jamal Barney, their two top scorers and two best players, for a combined 10 games -- is a testament to the job Jimmy Patsos has done. If they manage to get hot and finish in the top six, it will be one of the most impressive turnarounds in the league.

9. Manhattan: Records: 8-10, 3-11; RPI: 245; Position: Stayed the same

The Jaspers' home loss to Loyola made it a near certainty that they'll finish ninth, making Barry Rohrssen's job status the biggest question down the stretch.

10. Marist: Records: 1-23, 1-13; RPI: 336; Position: Stayed the same

You can't help but feel bad for Chuck Martin. The losses have piled up to such a degree that the Foxes no they're going to lose before they step on the court -- a daunting challenge for any coach, and an especially tough one for one staring at back-to-back last place finishes.

Video: Tommy Dempsey after Rider's win

2010-02-09T02:40:00.000-05:00

Video: Ryan Thompson after Rider's win

2010-02-08T23:12:00.001-05:00

Rider 70, Niagara 62

2010-02-08T21:24:00.002-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE – Once again, Rider was down by double digits, its back against the wall in a game it needed to win.

The Broncs, coming off a damaging home loss to Loyola, trailed by 14 at the half against Niagara, like Rider a talented but erratic team.

Yet for the second time in two games against the Eagles this season, Rider responded. Ryan Thompson, playing his third dominant game in the past two weeks, carried Rider to a 70-62 win that pointed the Broncs’ season back in the right direction.

“A gutsy performance by our guys in the second half,” coach Tommy Dempsey said. “… It would have been very easy at halftime to pack it in and get beat again at home, but we were really resilient.”

Thompson scored 31 points – tying the career high he set just two games earlier in a win at Fairfield. His emphatic dunk capped an 18-1 Rider run that turned an 11-point deficit into a six-point lead, and his clutch shooting helped hold off the Purple Eagles.

Truman High’s Tyrone Lewis scored 17 points and Demetrius Williamson added 13 for Niagara. Justin Robinson (14) and Novar Gadson (12) joined Thompson in double figures for the Broncs.

Rider (14-12 overall, 7-7 MAAC) is alone in fifth place in the MAAC – an important factor since the top six teams receive first-round byes in next month’s conference tournament.

The Broncs completed a season sweep of the Eagles (13-13, 6-8) who have virtually no margin for error down the stretch. Niagara is tied with cross-town rival Canisius for sixth in the league, meaning the play-in round is a distinct possibility.

With its next three games against teams with winnings records in the league, Rider is by no means out of the woods. Yet the Broncs have won three of their last four after a 3-6 MAAC start, and are still capable of playing their best basketball down the stretch.

Trailing by 14 at the half, the Broncs rallied. Robinson’s floater capped a tied the game at 51 with 8:19 left -- the first tie since 5-5. Jhamar Youngblood’s jumper on Rider’s next possession gave the Broncs a 53-51 lead with 7:20 left, and Thompson’s dunk with 5:51 left capped a 15-0 run and gave Rider a 55-51 lead.

Live from the Zoo: Niagara at Rider

2010-02-08T18:29:00.000-05:00

Niagara at Rider

Games of the Week

2010-02-08T17:00:00.002-05:00

All year, there's a temptation to talk MAAC tournament seeding far before anything will be set in stone. Now, though, it's possible to talk specifics.

Siena can clinch then No. 1 seed, for instance, with a win tonight over Fairfield, while several other games will have major seeding implications.

Here are my top five games of the week, all of which will help determine how the teams stack up at the end of the month:

5. Saint Peter's at Loyola, Friday, 7 p.m.

With back-to-back wins at Rider and Manhattan, the 5-9 Hounds suddenly aren't a lock for the play-in round. With a healthy Brett Harvey being joined in the backcourt by Jamal Barney, it's conceivable Loyola could get hot down the stretch, jump a few teams, and finish in the top six. But if they're going to do that, beating the Peacocks at home is a must.

4. Siena at Canisius, Sunday, 2 p.m.

This game is intriguing primarily because of the bad blood that came out of the teams' first meeting, when the Golden Griffs' Robert Goldsberry took out the Saints' Alex Franklin and tempers flared.

Of equal importance, though, is that it's at least conceivable Canisius could get hot, feed off the home crowd and make this interesting. With Siena closing in on an undefeated regular season, any game that COULD be close deserves added attention.

3. Fairfield at Siena, tonight, 7 p.m. MAAC TV

The Stags, as they will be for the rest of the year, will be playing without Yorel Hawkins. But that didn't stop them from taking it to Saint Peter's in an impressive -- and much-needed -- win last Friday.

Fairfield has played well enough all year that it's not a lock for Siena, but you can expect the Times Union Center to be rockin' with a regular-season title within reach.

2. Siena at Niagara, Friday, 8 p.m., MAAC TV

Even given the Purple Eagles' struggles, this is a losable game for Siena if the Eagles get hot from 3. The Gallagher Center should be hoppin, and it's a big game for Niagara given the Eagles' undesirable position in the MAAC standings.

1. Niagara at Rider, tonight, 7 p.m.

This game has always loomed large on the calendar for both teams, but for reasons wholly different from the ones that matter tonight.

Instead of the teams jockeying for second place in the league and a potential NIT bid, they're battling to avoid the play-in round, with the teams part of a three-way tie with Canisius for fifth place.

The winner will have some breathing room, while the loser will have no margin for error down the stretch.

What's wrong with Rider? ... Dempsey's take

2010-02-06T04:08:00.006-05:00

I didn't get around to posting these quotes yesterday. Given that Rider lost, maybe now is just as good a time as any to put them up.

Tommy Dempsey has had various takes on his team's play throughout the year. He's been dejected at times. He's been defiant, vowing to prove his and his team's critics wrong.

I met with him in his office Thursday to talk about the Loyola game, and as far as I'm concerned, he made his best effort yet to simply tell it how it is. Since our conversation came when Rider was on a three-game winning streak, most of this is in the context of looking back at what HAD gone wrong before the Broncs began what looked like a turnaround.

After Friday's loss, he made it a point to say he didn't feel the same way about the game that had just taken place as he had felt two weeks ago. But nevertheless, he had some interesting things to say about how the season drifted off course. Here are some highlights:

I don't think we were playing hard enough. I attribute a lot of it to that. I think they thought they were playing harder than they were. I was screaming and yelling at every halftime and before every game that you need to play harder, you need to play harder.

There was a sense of 'it's not that coach, we're playing hard.' I think that there was that sense there, and I think that's changed a little bit. I think they've actually played harder, and I think they know that now. I think if they were to look back on it now, they would think 'you know what, we're playing harder now than we were two weeks ago. Yet two weeks ago they thought they were playing hard. Everyone's giving a little bit more of themselves, and I think when you play hard, you get that rhythm, you get some easy baskets, you create some offense with your defense.

... I said to the team at halftime (of the Fairfield game), I got in front of the team and said 'I used to coach a team that played like that.' And I think there was a sense from them too that 'yeah, that felt different. We were playing harder, we were sharing the ball more. Then it started to be that sense of, you hear them talking amongst each other, saying 'yeah, let's share the ball, yeah let's keep playing hard.' I've been preaching to them those things but it hasn't naturally been ticking with this group as well.

I think the light went on in the second half against Manhattan. It was a heated halftime discussion. Not that we haven't had those before, but I pretty much told the team, you're about to get booed off your home court and I didn't necessarily say it in those words. ... I thought that hit them hard, because I didn't think our effort was anywhere near where it needed to be in that game. To let a guy (Rico Pickett) get 28 points and talk to your crowd and talk to your bench, I really challenged some guys' manhood at halftime. I was embarrassed that he had 28. I was embarrassed at the way he acted. I was embarrassed that we couldn't get our crowd into the game because they seemed to be looking at a team that was lethargic.

I told them how disappointed the building was in the way that they were playing and that if they booed us off the court, I wouldn't blame them. It was an animated discussion. That was pretty much the theme of it.

... That first half against Manhattan I considered to be our worst half of the year amongst a lot of bad halves, because they were getting run-out dunks. We weren't getting back on transition defense a couple times. They were dunking the ball. You had the ninth-place team in the league dunking the ball, yapping at your crowd, yapping at your bench, and I was like 'wait a minute, is this where we are?' That's pretty much where I took a lot of frustration into the locker room, thinking 'I can't watch my team play like this for one more minute. Fortunately, from that point on, I haven't had to.'

... I expect to play better (against Loyola). I expect to be in a better place. To me, my approach to these guys is 'don't just talk, go out there and back it up.' I don't want to go out there and have the game go live and be down by 14 points. They don't have, they haven't built my trust yet that that can't happen to us again, because it happened too frequently during that stretch. I think if we go and play really well, they have to get me believing a little bit too. Not that I don't believe in them. I know it's there, but I feel like I've poured more into this team than any other year that I've been here emotionally, and I haven't been rewarded up until, rewarded from a standpoint of them taking ownership of it.

That's what I want. I don't want it to be me constantly preaching to them. I want them to hold each other accountable to play hard. ... It's not about me screaming at (them) all the time, and that's kind of what it turned into for a while. Every day in practice, I was screaming at them to play harder, to rebound harder, to block out, and until they start to get it, to try to be more demanding of each other, it's almost like I feel that I'm banging my head against the wall at times.

Video: Jimmy Patsos after Loyola's win

2010-02-05T23:37:00.002-05:00

If there's another coach in college basketball who casually drops Rocky references into postgame press conferences, please let me know. Until that happens, I'll assume Patsos is the only one. I'll also assume that Patsos and Ed Cooley will make for the best postgame posts now that I've got this handy flip camera:

Video: Catching up with Jason Thompson

2010-02-05T22:53:00.005-05:00

First, my deep condolences to the Thompson family. Jason and Ryan recently lost their first cousin, Tiff, whose funeral they attended yesterday. Ryan had "TIFF" written on his socks and played with a heavy heart during Rider's 80-73 loss.

Jason was in town for the funeral. He'll be back with the Kings in time to play the Knicks Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, in a game that many of his family and friends will attend.

Here's his take on life in the NBA, Rider's season and the luxury of being a second-year player and not a rookie.

Loyola 80, Rider 73

2010-02-05T21:48:00.007-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Early on, this looked like the continuation of a trend -- Rider finding open shots and hitting them with the consistency the Broncs have lacked for most of the year.

Yet the Broncs, riding a three-game winning streak heading into last night's game against Loyola, went cold quickly. A game that Rider hoped would turn into a track meet settled down, and in the end result was familiar.

In an 80-73 loss before 1,550, Rider fell apart late. The Broncs shot 49 percent from the floor in the first half but 28 percent in the second. They led 15-4 early and 45-43 at the break, only to watch as the Greyhounds hit clutch shot after clutch shot down the stretch.

Loyola (11-12 overall, 4-9 MAAC) has fared poorly against the rest of the MAAC but extremely well against Rider (13-12, 6-7). The Greyhounds completed a season sweep of the Broncs and have won eight of the last 10 games in the series.

Justin Robinson scored 19 points to lead all scorers. The Broncs also got 14 from Ryan Thompson, 11 from Brandon Penn and 10 apiece from Novar Gadson and Mike Ringgold.

Thompson, though never found a rhythm. Playing with a heavy heart the day after attending his cousin's funeral, he finished 3-for-15 from the floor in 37 minutes.

Gadson, talented but often erratic, scored all 10 of his points in the first half. He finished 3-for-11 from the floor, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range.

Brett Harvey scored 15 points and J'hared Hall 14 for the Greyhounds, who got standout guard Jamal Barney back after a five-game absence attributed to personal issues. Shane Walker had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Brian Rudolph 12 points and three steals.

Live from the Zoo: Loyola at Rider

2010-02-05T18:42:00.001-05:00

Loyola at Rider

Friday pickoff

2010-02-05T04:32:00.003-05:00

With February here, I figured it was time to add another wrinkle to the blog's playbook and post my picks each day. To make things more interesting, I'll pick them against the spread and see how I do for the month.

The first installment:

RIDER (minus 4) over Loyola:

Just because Rider played a hell of a game last weekend at Fairfield doesn't mean the Broncs are going to start steamrolling people. And that home-court advantage has produced two double-digit losses and two wins by a total of seven points. But the Hounds are in a tailspin, I'm expecting the Broncs to keep scoring points and win a game that won't come down to the final possession.

Prediction: Rider 78, Loyola 72

NIAGARA (minus 8) over Canisius:

This is a tough one, because the Golden Griffs beat their crosstown rivals when they met last Friday and are, for the most part, having a better year. But if you give me a healthy Tyrone Lewis, a rockin' crowd in Lewiston and a Purple Eagles team that still hasnt' lost confidence, I'll give the eight points and go with the home team.

Prediction: Niagara 76, Canisius 66

Iona (plus 8) over SIENA

I'd be shocked if the Gaels won, but they're playing too well not to like them with this big a number. The Saints are still banged up, they haven't really drilled anyone in a while, and I think this one will be close until the final minutes, with the Saints hitting enough clutch shots down the stretch to pull away.

Prediction: Siena 82, Iona 75

Saint Peter's (plus 5 1/2) over FAIRFIELD

With these two teams have played over the past couple of weeks, this is a virtual coin-flip game. Gun to my head, I'll take the Stags in a nail-biter, winning by two or three points the way they usually seem to win these type of games at home. But I can't see the Stags winning with any sort of comfort.

Prediction: Fairfield 68, Saint Peter's 67

MANHATTAN (minus 15) over Marist

As hard as it is to give 15 for a 2-10 team, the combination of Marist's complete ineptitude and the fact that the Jaspers will do anything to avoid losing to the Foxes twice means this one will get out of hand.

Prediction: Manhattan 82, Marist 60

Video: Novar Gadson on Rider's offense

2010-02-05T04:23:00.001-05:00

Can Rider keep it going offensively? Here's Novar Gadson's take:

Video: Dempsey on Rider's confidence

2010-02-04T23:51:00.001-05:00

Video: Tommy Dempsey on playing at home

2010-02-04T23:21:00.003-05:00

Didn't realize the camera man here (me) had a case of the shakes until I uploaded this. But hey, it's a work in progress! Here's Dempsey talking about beginning a homestand Friday against Loyola.

Video Wednesday

2010-02-03T18:49:00.003-05:00

Sadly, no time for hoops today. The blog will have a few posts tomorrow previewing Friday's MAAC action, but for today, two videos that might be of interest to Central New Jersey sports fans:

The first is the amateur footage I got of Rutgers football coach Greg Schiano talking about Hamilton High's Frank Quartucci.

The second is of the utmost importance to blog junkie and high school swimming nut Beagle -- the preview of the Mercer County meet.

Press MAAC Index, Week 5: Clutter in the middle

2010-02-02T14:00:00.006-05:00

ALEJO RODRIGUEZ

TYRONE LEWIS

RYAN THOMPSON

Contrary to what every coach in the league will tell you, there isn't a ton of parity this year in the MAAC.

True parity comes when bottom-tier teams routinely knock off top-tier teams, and when no team is either dominant or uncompetitive. For such a scenario, look at the MAAC in 2007-08: Siena and Rider tied for the league title with 13-5 records and six teams had a shot at a share of the league title heading into the last game of the season.

This year, Siena is virtually unbeatable and Marist is the opposite, making the notion of real parity far fetched.

But that doesn't mean there isn't a great deal of parity -- and uncertainty -- in the middle of the pack.

With the way Iona has been mowing teams down of late, it's hard to dispute the Gaels' status as the second best team in the league. Yet Iona remains only one game ahead of Saint Peter's and Fairfield. With six games left to play, those teams aren't even out of reach of suddenly-hot Rider, Canisius or even Niagara, which remains capable of pulling off a string of wins down the stretch.

How spots two through seven play out is the most intriguing storyline of the week, which leads us to the rankings, where the top four teams remained the same but teams five through seven were re-shuffled.

The Index:

1. Siena: Records: 19-4 overall, 12-0 MAAC; RPI: 44; Position: Stayed the same

The Saints are inching closer to clinching their third straight regular-season title -- a feat they can accomplish by beating Iona and Fairfield at home. They've plowed through the MAAC with astounding ease, making the biggest uncertainty how they'll perform at Butler on BracketBuster Saturday.

A win over the Bullodgs, 19th in the RPI, would greatly enhance their NCAA tournament resume, while a loss would likely put an at-large berth out of reach.

2. Iona: Records: 17-6, 9-3; RPI:83; Position: Stayed the same

Kevin Willard says the Gaels aren't sexy. But when you're on your longest winning streak in 10 years, you're clobbering teams that were supposed to be better than you and you're a near lock for a top-four finish after being picked ninth, you don't need any further style points.

I'd be very surprised if Iona upsets Siena on Friday, but I'm hoping for the sake of an interesting end to the sesaon that the game is competitive.

3. Saint Peter's: Records: 13-9, 8-4; RPI: 143; Position: Stayed the same

The Peacocks host Iona on Feb. 28 -- the final day of the regular season -- in a game that could have major seeding implications, especially since Saint Peter's will be going for a season sweep and playing at home.

If they can win Friday at Fairfield, they'll be very well positioned for a top two or three finish, given how the end of their schedule plays out: Their three toughest opponents -- Iona, Rider and Canisius -- all have to come to Jersey City.

4. Fairfield: Records: 15-7, 8-4; RPI: 131; Position: Stayed the same

I'm going to give the Stags the benefit of the doubt that they're a much better defensive team than they demonstrated last Saturday, when they allowed Rider to shoot better than 50 percent and Ryan Thompson to do whatever he wanted.

But a loss Friday could send them spiralling toward a long losing streak that would derail a once-promising season.

5. Rider: Records: 13-11, 6-6; RPI: 130; Position: Moved up two spots

I'm still not fully sold on the notion that the Broncs' three-game winning streak is the start of a major turnaround, but for the first time in two months, I'm ready to believe this team is capable of beating good teams down the stretch.

Are they a title contender? Not unless they keep improving. But they're no longer the kind of team that awful teams can beat and good teams can destroy.

6. Canisius: Records: 11-12, 6-6; RPI: 187; Position: Moved down one spot

As I wrote about in yesterday's Games of the Week post, this three-game road trip could be the Golden Griffs' downfall.

After getting drubbed last night by Iona, the Griffs need to win at least one of their next two -- at Saint Peter's and at Niagara -- to avoid being put in a desperate situation down the stretch. Even if they lose those two games, they're hardly a lock for the play-in round. But losing both would require them to play well in a final stretch that ends with games at Loyola and at Rider.

7. Niagara: Records: 12-12, 5-7; RPI: 170; Position: Moved down one spot

Like their crosstown rivals, the Eagles have little margin for error over the next week.

Niagara will be favored Friday at home, but after that, the Eagles play at Rider before hosting Siena. With Tyrone Lewis in the lineup, I like their chances in the next two games, and it certainly helps that a guaranteed win over Marist awaits after the Siena game.

But in order to avoid the play-in round, they need to play a lot better in the final third of the season than they've played for the first two thirds.

8. Loyola: Records: 10-12, 3-9; RPI: 204; Position: Moved up one spot

The thought of moving a team up a spot after back-to-back home losses makes me sick, but I simply had to penalize Manhattan for getting anhilated Sunday by Saint Peter's, and for the fact that the Jaspers have now lost seven straight and 10 of 11.

9. Manhattan: Records: 7-15, 2-10; RPI: 226; Position: Moved down one spot

It remains true that the Jaspers' abysmal record is misleading given how close most of their recent losses have been. But you have to at least occasionally win to earn any measure of respect, and the aforementioned loss to Saint Peter's -- as well as the Peacocks are playing -- pushed me over the edge.

10. Marist: Records: 1-21, 1-11; RPI: 335; Position: Stayed the same

A Marist win now looks much less likely than a Siena loss.

Tuesday's stories

2010-02-02T03:24:00.003-05:00

Ryan Thompson is finally the MAAC Player of the Week.

Siena got its dream matchup with Butler.

Iona just keeps rollin' along.

Two women from Rider have their eyes on the Oscars.

Are you ready for some LOST?

Games of the Week

2010-02-01T17:49:00.004-05:00

CANISIUS COACH TOM PARROTTA

This week's Games of the Weeks post is centered around Canisius, which begins a grueling three-game road trip tonight at Iona.

The Golden Griffs have clearly improved, but aren't close to out of the woods when it comes to MAAC tournament seeding.

The most reachable goal Canisius has for the regular season is avoiding the play-in round, and the Griffs are part of what's shaping up to be a three-team race for two spots. Canisius enters tonight's game alone in fifth place, a half game ahead of sixth-place Rider and a game and a half ahead of seventh-place Niagara.

Two of those teams are likely to finish in the top six, while a third could be stuck playing Marist in a play-in game.

With that in mind, it's no surprise where we'll start the Games of the Week:

5. Canisius at Iona, tonight, 7 p.m. MAAC TV

A win over the red-hot Gaels would be unlikely for Canisius, but if the Griffs pull the upset, they'd be off to a great start on the aforementioned road trip. As for Iona, this is the kind of game we've grown to expect Iona to win, but far from the kind of shoo-in they had Thursday against Marist.

4. Canisius at Saint Peter's, Sunday, noon, MAAC TV

If you're not into the idea of watching six hours of Super Bowl pregame coverage, here's a good option for early-day viewing: Two much-improved teams playing a game that could have seeding implications for both.

3. Canisius at Niagara, Friday, 7 p.m.

For a number of reasons, this is the most intriguing game of the Golden Griffs' trip.

Fans of both teams would have been hyped for this one under any circumstances. Throw in the Griffs' overtime win Friday, the fact that the teams are close together in the standings, and the possibility that Canisius could complete a season sweep, and you have the most intriguing game of the year that doesn't involve top-tier teams.

2. Saint Peter's at Fairfield, Friday, 7:30 p.m.

After giving up 88 points on their home court Saturday, the Stags need to beat the Peacocks in the worst way. Fairfield has lost two of three and three of five, with games at Siena and at Rider approaching on the schedule. A loss Friday would make a three-game losing streak a near certainty and a four-game skid highly possible.

And Saint Peter's will be looking to show just how much it's improved since losing to the Stags in Jersey City earlier this year.

1. Iona at Siena, Friday, 7 p.m.

The Saints have been so dominant that I'm always reluctant to put their games at the top of these lists because of the low probability that the game will be competitive.

But I couldn't resist putting this one at No. 1 based on all it has to offer: A matchup of the top two teams in the standings and the blog's power rankings; a likely sell-out crowd at the Times Union Center; and one of the few games that I think it's at least possible Siena will lose.

Tracking Siena's AP votes

2010-02-01T16:24:00.003-05:00

A breakdown of the 19 points Siena got in this week's AP poll, courtesty of pollspeak.com:

The Saints got seven points from Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis, who ranked them 17th.

They also got five points couresty of a 21st-place vote from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Elton Alexander; a total of six points from the 23rd-place votes of the LA Daily News' Scott Wolf and the Idaho Statesman's Nick Jezierny; and one point from Vahe Gregorian of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who ranked them 25th.

Siena also got eight points in the coaches' poll. The 27 combined posts are the most the Saints have received since the poll released prior to their loss to Temple Nov. 21.

Thompson, Needham win weekly honors

2010-02-01T14:53:00.002-05:00

Ryan Thompson is this week's MAAC Player of the Week, while Derek Needham is yet again the Rookie of the Week, the league office announced.

Thomspon, the preseason MAAC Player of the Year, won POW honors for the first time after averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds in wins over Manhattan and Fairfield.

Needham, a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year honors, averaged 15.5 points and 8 assists in a 1-1 week during which the Stags beat Loyola but lost to Rider. Needham played 79 of a possible 80 minutes in the two games.

MAAC BracketBuster games

2010-02-01T13:27:00.004-05:00

ESPN announced all non-TV BracketBuster pairings today, including eight games involving MAAC teams. Siena and Iona will play in televised games, the details of which will be announced at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

The non-TV games involving MAAC teams are as follows:

James Madison (10-12, 3-8 CAA) at Canisius (11-11, 6-5 MAAC)
Fairfield (15-7, 8-4 MAAC) at Vermont (15-8, 6-3 America East)
New Hampshire (7-11, 3-5 America East) at Loyola (10-12, 3-9 MAAC)
Towson (5-16, 2-9 CAA) at Manhattan (7-14, 2-9 MAAC)
Marist (1-21, 1-11 MAAC) at Cal Irvine (7-13, 3-7 Big West)
Niagara (12-12, 5-7 MAAC) at Milwaukee (11-10, 5-6 Horizon)
Rider (13-11, 6-6 MAAC) at Hofstra (10-12, 4-7 CAA)
Buffalo (10-7, 4-2 Mid-American East) at Saint Peter’s (12-9, 7-4 MAAC)

Rider 88, Fairfield 80

2010-01-30T19:40:00.000-05:00

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – This was the Ryan Thompson who many had considered an NBA prospect – a dominant player capable of taking over a game at any time.

Thompson, in a perplexing slump for most of the season, has been his old self the last two games, never more than in the second half yesterday.

The preseason MAAC Player of the Year took it to Fairfield, driving to the hoop with reckless abandon and carrying Rider to an 88-80 win before 3,413 at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

Thompson, assertive in the open floor and unflappable at the free-throw line, scored a career-high 31 points, including 23 in the second half. He hit 7 of 15 from the floor and 15 of 16 from the line. As if that wasn’t enough, he also added 11 rebounds and four steals.

That, combined with 15 points from Justin Robinson and 14 from Novar Gadson, was enough to lift the Broncs (13-11 overall, 6-6 MAAC) to their third straight win.

This was a different Rider team overall – one much more like the one many expected to see this season than the one that struggled badly in December and January.

The Broncs came in having faced double-digit deficits in nine of their 11 MAAC games. Yesterday, they trailed by no more than three, led by as many as 16, and would likely have won going away had it not been for an astounding performance by Fairfield’s Mike Evanovich.

Evanovich, connecting from far beyond the arc, hit his first eight 3-point attempts before missing his final three. He set a school record for 3s made and finished with a career-high 24 points.

Yet Rider was in control almost throughout.

The Stags (15-7, 8-4) cut a 16-point second-half deficit to four in the second half, when it appeared a mental lapse by Gadson could prove costly.

Rider led 78-68 when Gadson passed at a wide-open layup and tried to throw an alley-oop to Mike Ringgold. Fairfield’s Colin Nickerson intercepted the pass and found Derek Needham for a layup, cutting the deficit to eight.

Two Rider turnovers and two Fairfield baskets later it was 78-74 with 2:18 left, what had been a quiet crowd coming to life.

But the Broncs gathered themselves, scored 10 points at the line in the final two minutes, and finished off their most impressive conference win of the season.

Live from Harbor Yard: Rider at Fairfield

2010-01-30T15:27:00.000-05:00

Rider at Fairfield

Tom Cleary on Fairfield

2010-01-30T11:41:00.002-05:00

For some more insight on the Stags, I turned to Tom Cleary, who holds to jobs I used to have: Men's basketball beat writer and Editor in Chief at The Mirror, Fairfield's student newspaper.

My answers to Tom's questions are on The Mirror sports blog.

1. Please tell me you're petitioning the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility at The Mirror. If you graduate, I will no longer have any more connections there.

It's unbelievable that we are almost graduating. I think we all would love to stay another year and are a bit worried about the future of Mirror Sports. It's also scary that after our class there will be no connections to your class, it seems like just yesterday Dan Akeson was sports editor and you were running the show. But overall these four years covering Fairfield sports have been amazing for all three of us (Keith Connors, Chris Simmons and myself). Keith and I started covering Fairfield basketball in Cooley's first season and we have watched Fairfield basketball develop over four years. While we will definitely continue to follow Stags basketball, we will always miss the chance to go to Stags games and sit on the court and have the opportunity to cover the game.

2. Surprised by the Stags' success this year?

I'm somewhat surprised, only because of the injuries to Warren Edney and Greg Nero. After last season, with all the injuries and the problems with Jon Han, it was unclear whether the Stags would continue developing well or if they would regress. As it turns out they have advanced by leaps and bounds. Derek Needham has been a huge part of that, because he has given Cooley a point guard that can push the ball and make plays with athletic players around him like Anthony Johnson and Yorel Hawkins. I wasn't sure what to expect entering the year, but from early on, really as soon as Hawkins came back from his bout with appendicitis and as we saw what Needham could do, I felt that the Stags were going to have a special year. Even if the schedule has been lighter than in the past, the Stags have won the games they are supposed to. Now they just have to win the games they aren't, which they have not yet.

3. Ed Cooley told me Derek Needham is humble but extremely confident. How is he in interviews and press conferences?

Derek Needham has been unlike any other freshmen I've seen at Fairfield in my four years and unlike many freshmen around the country. He is cocky and confident enough to be a great point guard, but is also collected, calm and wise beyond his years. I've only seen him get down once, after a tough performance against a great team in Siena. Usually he remains upbeat, confident that he and the team will bounce back. He also has a quiet confidence about him that is much different from what we saw in Han, who was outwardly cocky. Needham knows he can play with anyone and has confidence that his team can do the same. He handles himself well in press conferences. He's been through a lot in his life and has earned a lot of respect from both his coaches and teammates. I think he is going to go down as one of the greatest in Fairfield history, both in the record books and in the memories of Stags fans, who will love him even more the more they get to know him.

4. Who is Fairfield's most improved player?

Yorel Hawkins. He had his fair share of good games last season, but the problem with him was his choice of shots. This year he has been far more selective with his shooting and is making shots when it matters. He has reached the point where he can take over a game. At the same time he has improved greatly defensively and runs the floor very well, providing a weapon for Needham on the break. Hawkins is shooting 49 percent from the field (10th best in the league), after shooting 40 percent last season. Needham deservedly gets most of the attention, along with Anthony Johnson, but without Yorel Hawkins the Stags would be in a lot of trouble.

But consideration has to go to Anthony Johnson, who put on a lot of muscle this off season and is a real force inside. He can dominate a game also and makes a lot more of his shots inside (50 percent this season) and is also improving from the free throw line. However, we all knew that if he was healthy he would be a top player again.

5. Gun to your head, how many MAAC wins will Fairfield finish with?

13 wins. The Stags will lose two of the last seven this season, probably one to Rider and one to Siena. The Stags won't lose to Iona at home and I think they can pull out a close game against Niagara on the road. Fairfield struggles on the trip down to Rider and I think that will continue this season. 13 wins probably gets the Stags third place, but the way the MAAC has gone this season, it could be good enough for second place.