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2 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
IUP BY THE NUMBERS .819 Winning percentage (15434) over the last six seasons
6 Consecutive seasons with 20-plus wins and NCAA tournament berths
5 Consecutive PSAC West championships
3 PSAC championships won in the past five seasons
3 and 3 Starters returning and transfers expected to make an immediate impact
9 Average margin in losses to Division I Pitt (72-58) and South Florida (75-71) in preseason exhibition games
ON THE COVER IUP is led by a trio of starting guards, from left, Shawn Dyer, Devante Chance and Brandon Norfleet. (Photos by Chuck LeClaire, USA Today, and James J. Nestor and Teri Enciso of the Gazette.
Time to Fly Crimson Hawks speed up their game By TONY COCCAGNA tonyc@indianagazette.net
Joe Lombardi is ceding some control. IUP’s ninth-year basketball coach has the best winning percentage in school history, and he has taken the program on an unprecedented sixyear run. He has been highly successful, and he has proven that his system works. But he’s open to change. Under Lombardi, IUP has played structured half-court offense and won 82 percent of its games over the last six seasons. As coaches around the league have said, IUP runs “good stuff,” and Lombardi’s playbook for a particular season might contain as many as 60 sets. This year, the playbook is still packed, but IUP’s approach will be a little different. The Crimson Hawks are going to speed up their game. No, the Crimson Hawks aren’t going to fly up and down the court, fire up shots right and left and try to score 100 points a game. But they do plan to push the ball more, and if that doesn’t result in a good, quick shot, they hope to transition seamlessly into their half-court approach. “We’re trying to flow into our offense more,” Lombardi said. “But when you play faster you have to rely a lot on decision-making on the fly. As a coach you have to allow for less control and more decisionmaking on the court. And how much we do that is determined on how well we play that way. Sometimes when you change a little bit, as a coach, there’s a certain amount of insecurity, especially if you’ve had success in other ways, so you have to allow them to find out over time where we’re capable and whether we’re a better offensive team or not a better offensive team. It’s a long season, and I’m sure by December we’ll have an idea if we want to play even faster or slower.” To help precipitate a faster pace, IUP also plans to employ a zone press on defense in certain situations. “We plan to do some three-quarter pressure and create some
TERI ENCISO/Gazette
JOE LOMBARDI begins his ninth season as IUP’s head coach. He is 173-70 in his career, including 154-34 the past six seasons. turnovers and create some trapping situations,” Lombardi said, “and some of that might result in quick shots by the other team, but quick shots by the wrong people. With those two things combined on offense and defense, I think you’ll see extra possessions in a game, and hopefully it will benefit the talent we have.” Ah, yes, the talent. The talent suits the system in a three-guard offense. Last year, Mathis Keita, a guard/forward, and Marcel Souberbielle, a power forward, led IUP in scoring and rebounding, averaging a combined 31.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Both have graduated and are playing professionally outside the U.S. “We have more players this year that are capable of making plays for
themselves,” Lombardi said. “The system will always be there. Marcel and Mathis were guys that kind of needed the system to give them advantages. The three guards we have this year don’t need the system as much. They can get their own advantages more quickly and have the confidence level to be able to play that way.” IUP has talent on the perimeter in senior point guard Devante Chance and combo guards Brandon Norfleet and Shawn Dyer. Norfleet, a junior and former Cheyney transfer, and Dyer, a senior transfer from West Liberty (W.Va.), excelled in wide-open offenses. “We could have a lot of different strengths, that’s yet to be seen,” Lombardi said. “Extremely good ball handling and quickness allows
us to play faster and allows us to probably get some more offense off dribble penetration. … And you really win with mature guards because they have to make so many decisions with the ball in their hands. I hope that maturity allows them to do a better job with preparation and do a better job with getting ready and carrying that onto the court, and once they’re prepared they can play with a certain amount of calmness.” Jeremy Jeffers, a 6-foot-6 senior and former Drake transfer, plays power forward, and Devon Cottrell, a 6-6 redshirt junior, returns at center. The bench is deep and features Manny Yarde, a redshirt sophomore guard; Stef Osborne, a redshirt Continued on Page 5
Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 — 3
“We have a rotation of five guards that are probably the best group of five that I’ve had here.”
Guards ready to lead the show Talented, deep group take the reins of up-tempo offense By TONY COCCAGNA tonyc@indianagazette.net
If it’s true what is said about basketball and how guards win championships, then IUP has a chance to make a long run this season. The Crimson Hawks have a talented and deep group of guards, a quintet coach Joe Lombardi considers his best in nine seasons at IUP. “We have a rotation of five guards that are probably the best group of five that I’ve had here from a standpoint that they can all really pass the ball, they can get into the paint and make plays for others, and they’re all a threat to knock down the 3-point shot,” Lombardi said. “I think that combination is going to give us the ability to spread the floor out and be a handful for teams to guard defensively.” Devante Chance returns to start at point “WE HAVE high guard. He is joined on the perimeter by reexpectations for our turning starter Branguard play. We’re don Norfleet and senquicker than we were ior transfer Shawn Dyer. Manny Yarde, a last year, and the redshirt sophomore in his third year in the offense we play this program, and Stef Osyear is going to borne, a long-range complement that. ... shooter from Australia joined the proWe’re more fluent on who gram last year and sat the court and quicker out the season, come off the bench. in transition.” The three starters have exceptional oneDevante Chance, on-one skills, and senior point guard Lombardi plans to utilize that strength in an up-tempo offense. “We have high expectations for our guard play,” Chance said. “We’re quicker than we were last year, and the offense we play this year is going to complement that. All three can play the point guard position so I won’t have to lock in on bringing the ball up the court every time or initiating the set. We’re interchangeable. We’re more fluent on the court and quicker in transition.” IUP intends to play at a faster pace this year, and that suits the strengths of the guards. Chance is the ringleader. The 5-foot-11 senior point guard begins his fourth year in the program. In the past under Lombardi, all of IUP’s point guards were transfers that played two years. “I’m fortunate to have Devante in a leadership role and the fact that he’s been here for four years and grown with the program,” Lombardi said. “That type Continued on Page 6
DEVANTE CHANCE
SHAWN DYER
BRANDON NORFLEET
MANNY YARDE
JAMES J. NESTOR/Gazette
STEF OSBORNE
DEVANTE CHANCE, the first point guard to play four seasons under Joe Lombardi, averaged 10.9 points and 4.3 assists last season, his first as the starter.
4 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Healthy Jeffers finds comfort zone Senior forward leaves last year’s stuggles in past By TONY COCCAGNA tonyc@indianagazette.net
Jeremy Jeffers showed flashes of brilliance on the basketball court last season. But they were few and far between. Jeffers, a 6-foot-6 forward, struggled last season, his first after transferring to IUP from Division I Drake. He averaged a respectable 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, but he shot only 44 percent from the field, including 23 percent from 3-point range. A player who shot better than 40 percent from 3 while at Drake, Jeffers might have led the country last season in wide-open 3-pointers missed. It reached the point where teams declined to cover him on the perimeter because he just wasn’t a threat. “It was tough,” he said, “but it’s a new year and new things, and I’m adjusted now.” Last year, Jeffers’ struggles included difficulty in adjusting to a new system and a season-long battle with tendinitis in his knees. This year, the early indications are that he’s healthy and set to have a banner senior year. Jeffers spent the summer back home in North Carolina working on “pretty much everything,” he said. “I worked on my body, my skills, my shooting. I lost probably around 10 pounds and probably dropped 5 or 6 percent body fat. I’m trying to make myself quicker and stronger. “And I’m trying to be a better leader and trying to help guys on and off court and not worry about myself but worry more about the team, and I think when you do that everything falls into place.” When IUP coach Joe Lombardi pursued Jeffers after learning he wanted to transfer, he expected he would get a complementary offensive threat, a forward who could help stretch a defense and score in double figures. That might be coming a year later than he figured. “Jeremy’s a guy that committed to the process this summer and put a priority on getting his knees healthy and becoming a better athlete,” Lombardi said. “He did that through a lot of cardiovascular
JEREMY JEFFERS
DEVON COTTRELL
TEVIN HANNER
DADDY UGBEDE
and core work and just came back as probably the type of athlete that he was a couple years ago. I’m so pleased with that. “He was a very good shooter when he was at Drake, and last year he just struggled to find his rhythm or confidence, whether that was due to injuries or confidence or a combination of both. This year I think he has his confidence back, and he put in the preparation, and whatever success he has shooting the basketball is a credit to his commitment working on it.” So far, so good. Jeffers scored a combined 22 points in IUP’s exhibition games at Pitt and South Florida. He made 7 of 14 field goal attempts, including 6 of 11 from 3point range. Last year he made all of 13 3-point attempts in 28 games. “I’ve taken on a different role this year with working hard,” he said, “and I feel I’m a lot better and quicker to get around slower guys at my position within the offense, and I think I’ll be more consistent this year.” “Last year he played a lot of center position as we played undersized at times,” Lombardi said, “but this year he’ll play exclusively at (power forward), and he’s a great complement spacing the floor and
JAMES J. NESTOR/Gazette
JEREMY JEFFERS made 27 starts last year and averaged 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in his first season after transferring from Division I Drake.
“TO BE a good team you need to have a lot of leaders. As I try to pull them along you need guys on the other end pushing them forward, and Jeremy has done a good job with that.” Joe Lombardi
opening up driving lanes for the other perimeter guys we have.” Jeffers also is a team captain, along with senior point guard Devante Chance. “He came back as a fifth-year senior with some good leadership intentions,” Lombardi said. “With his vocalness and enthusiasm he has really done a good job of setting the pace for a lot of other guys. To be a good team you need to have a lot of leaders. As I try to pull them along you need guys on the other end pushing them forward, and Jeremy has done a good job with that.” Devon Cottrell, a 6-7 redshirt junior, and Daddy Ugbede, a 6-6
junior transfer from Drake, are teaming up to shore up one of IUP’s weaknesses from a year ago: low-post scoring. They figure to split playing time evenly at the center position. This is Cottrell’s fourth year in the program after he redshirted as a freshman. He has been a parttime starter, and last year he averaged 6.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 20 minutes of playing time. He scored in double figures nine times and had back-to-back double-doubles early in the season. Cottrell ran into early foul trouble in the exhibition game at Pitt but scored 10 points in 20 minutes
at South Florida. “The last two years he hasn’t been much of an offensive threat, but I think he’s improved greatly and ready to make an impact on that end of the floor,” Lombardi said. “He’s always been a good defender and understands defensive concepts and sees things ahead of time and has athleticism to make the plays that are necessary. I kind of look at him as an anchor of the defense. I expect him to be a more well-rounded player.” Cottrell returned from the summer break out of shape but worked hard in the preseason to return to form. Continued on Page 10
Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 — 5
“This could be talent-wise probably the best depth we’ve had in several years.”
Crimson Hawks speed up their game Continued from Page 2 sophomore long-range shooter; Tevin Hanner, a 6-5 junior college transfer; and Daddy Ugbede, a 6-6 junior center and a transfer from Drake. “This is a deeper team than we had last year. We have a strong bench,” Lombardi said. “I thought maybe last year our bench was average. Now we have an above-average bench, whether that’s forwards or guard play. This could be talent-wise probably the best depth we’ve had in several years.” “They bring a lot to the table, a lot of shooting and defensive ability that we didn’t have last year,” Jeffers said. “They’ve been bringing a lot to the table and working hard, and hopefully we’ll keep meshing together and developing chemistry and keep getting better.” IUP finished 24-5 last year, lost in the quarterfinal round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoffs and advanced to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region semifinals, losing to West Liberty, the eventual national finalist, in triple overtime. The Crimson Hawks, who have won three of the past five PSAC championships and five straight division titles, extended school records by recording their sixth straight season with
“THEY BRING a lot to the table, a lot of shooting and defensive ability that we didn’t have last year. They’ve been bringing a lot to the table and working hard, and hopefully we’ll keep meshing together and developing chemistry and keep getting better.” Jeremy Jeffers, senior forward, on this year’s depth
more than 20 wins and making their sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. “We feel we didn’t give everything we were supposed to give and didn’t achieve what we put in so much time for,” Norfleet said. “We feel like we didn’t reach our potential. There’s a legacy here, and to not make it to the championship really hurt. This whole summer we dedicated ourselves to get past the level we were at last year. Everybody bought in, and everybody is doing what Coach says, because we all want to get that ring.” Last year, IUP lacked depth and a consistent inside game and struggled from 3-point range. The Crimson Hawks shot only 31 percent from 3-point range, including 28 percent or worse in 13 games.
“Every year is different, but you can look at last year and what we would have liked to have done better,” Lombardi said. “One area is that we would like to shoot the 3-ball better, and we would like to have a better post presence. Those were probably two weaknesses ... and areas we want to get better at, and I think we will. Individuals have improved and will have better years, and people coming in will add to that also, whether that be post presence or shooting the 3. “And there were, defensively, games we weren’t as physical as we needed to be. That’s something we will try to work on, and hopefully we will have improved that by our own physicality as a team and hopefully through better coaching in the way to
play against physical teams and not just players being stronger and more physical.” IUP played two exhibition games, at Pitt and South Florida, and scrimmaged Florida Gulf Coast while in Florida. Both exhibitions were narrow losses, 72-58 to Pitt and 75-71 to South Florida, but the Hawks shot 46 percent overall and 42 percent (16-for-38) from 3-point range. They also outrebounded South Florida. Most importantly, though, the Crimson Hawks used the experiences as a bonding tool, to gauge where they are as a team and to get a head-start on the season. “It was nice to play some Division I teams and teams that play in high conferences,” Lombardi said. “But at the end of the day they are exhibition games. … You want to win and be competitive, but I told the guys there are 28 other games on our schedule that are important to win. It’s all about who we are and establishing our core values and of what we are as a team and a program. Are we a team that competes and plays for each other and a team that can handle adversity and have the mental toughness to bounce back from it? Those qualities are more important to me than the win.”
Follow IUP basketball throughout the season in The Indiana Gazette and online at indianagazette.com
Black-Out Night set Saturday at KCAC IUP will open the season Friday night at Memorial Field House against Urbana (Ohio), and they’ll return to their real home Saturday to take on Johnson C. Smith (N.C.). The Crimson Hawks have planned a Black-Out Night for the game at the KCAC. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. “I’ve always felt that every opening game at the KCAC should be like when the Pirates open up PNC Park every year,” IUP coach Joe Lombardi said. “We want to pack the house. We want to see if we can fill up the place like the Pirates fill up their place every opening day. So we put some effort into promoting it and hope to get a good turnout. The Student Co-Op is providing T-shirts for the first 500 students at the gate, and other people that come to the game, it would be appropriate if they could wear something black with IUP on it.” The Pirates held Black-Outs for their wild-card playoff games the last two years. “We’re kind of stealing it from the Pirates,” Lombardi said. “We might even come up with Terrible Hawk Towels, or maybe Horrible Hawk Handkerchiefs.”
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6 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Guards set to lead show Continued from Page 3 of longevity and that type of commitment to the program are greatly appreciated. He’s been part of a lot of wins here, and he’s grown and bought into the culture trying to build a program so we can maintain success year in and year out.” Chance posted career highs of 10.9 points and 4.3 assists per game last year. He rarely left the court, averaging 36.8 of a possible 40 minutes per game. “Devante is a very special player in our program,” Lombardi said, “because with all head coaches there’s a special connection with the point guard because they really have to carry onto the court all the stuff you want done. They really have to be like a player-coach. To be able to have a guy for four years and see him grow and evolve is a neat thing for a coach. He’s a special player to me because we’ve been through a lot together, and he’s really grown up a lot in the last three years, not only as player through hard work and dedication to elevate his abilities, but also through the maturity he has to want to be a leader and be all in as far as the team.” Norfleet begins his second season in the program after playing as a fresh-
man at Cheyney, where he was the PSAC East Freshman of the Year. He had to sit out the first seven games last season and then averaged 11.0 points and 3.1 assists per game. He finished shots when he got to the bucket, but he struggled from the perimeter, making only 7 of 42 3-point attempts. An athletic 6-foot-4 guard, he gives IUP length and quickness on the perimeter. “Brandon was in a little bit of an awkward situation last year having to come in at midyear,” Lombardi said. “It was just hard to come in midterm and get really comfortable, especially with the system we have, and a little more thinking and decision-making was a challenge for him. I thought he had a good year, but not the type of year he’s capable of having, and I’m expecting him to have a more efficient year this year. He may not take any more shots, but I want his field goal percentage to be up. I want him to make fewer mistakes defensively. I want him to be a better rebounder. “With his size and athleticism he should be able to impact the game in so many ways. He’s the most diverse player we have, meaning he should be one of our top three defenders, one of
our top three passers, one of our top three 3-point shooters, one of our top three as far as getting at the rim, one of our top three rebounders. That’s his value, and his value to do all those things make him a great player, and that’s not necessarily going out and getting 20 points every night. His value is to be efficient and productive in all those areas, and that’s what we’re really looking for out of Brandon.” At Cheyney, Norfleet played in a wide-open offense that relied on oneon-one skills. At IUP last year, he was asked to play in a more structured offense. This year, though, the style better suits his strengths. “Last year was very difficult,” he said. “In high school I played a little bit more structured, but at Cheyney I had the ball in my hands all the time and could do whatever I wanted to do. Here, I had to find my niche … and I had to think too much last year. “The offense is different this year, and we’re trying to play faster and pressing, so it’s more up-tempo, and that’s how I play so I definitely feel more comfortable this year. We’re much more athletic than we were last year so we’re able to play that type of Continued on Page 7
TERI ENCISO/Gazette
MANNY YARDE, a redshirt sophomore, returns in a reserve role this season.
Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 — 7
Talented, deep group run the show Continued on Page 6 up-tempo game. So I feel more confident because I meshed with the guys well early. Last year it took a while to get comfortable playing with everybody. This year since I’m playing right away I feel a lot more comfortable with the guys.” Another of Norfleet’s problems last year was foul trouble. He would pick up a couple quick fouls and have to spend more time on the bench than Lombardi would have liked. “Brandon has to get a better understanding of what he can and can’t get away with on the court,” Lombardi said. “We play a game that you need to have some contact and need to be physical and play with your hands and do things that could be fouls if you do them at the wrong time or overdo them. We don’t want him to lose his aggressiveness, but at the same time we want him to find a balance in there on how often to do it.” Dyer, a 6-foot left-hander, is the x-factor. He transferred from one of the most successful Division II programs in the country, not long after helping West Liberty advance to the national championship game. He played three years for the Hilltoppers, who were 97-9 in that span, and he scored 1,323 points and shot 42 percent from 3-point range. “Shawn is established,” Lombardi said, “and I think he’ll come in and have an impact. He’s been successful at a high level. He adds the ability to score the ball and the ability to shoot, which makes everybody better because it creates more space on the floor for everybody to operate when guys are able to do that. “Not only that, he brings a good work ethic and commitment to the team. What I’m most pleased with is that he wants to complement the other guys and make them better in whatever role the coach wants of him. I don’t think for one second that it’s ever been about him. So he’s come in with humility.”
Dyer totaled 29 points in IUP’s two exhibition games. He made 7 of 14 3-point attempts. “This team is so talented, it’s crazy,” he said. “I haven’t been on a team this talented in a long time. I don’t have to do as much as I did at West Liberty. I have to find my role and stick with it. These guys are so talented and athletic. Everybody’s roles vary, but I think I bring maturity and experience and a little bit of scoring to the table.” A little bit of scoring? Last season, Dyer scored 24 points in a tripleovertime win over IUP in the NCAA tournament. Eleven days later he fired in 30 in the national semifinals, carrying West Liberty into the national championship game. “That’s the humble side of me. But I don’t need to go out and try to get 30 points,” Dyer, whose twin sister, Shawntá, plays at Louisville, said. “Everybody is so talented on this team, but you still have to play your role and do the fundamentals. A team this talented has to stick to the fundamentals because that’s what will take us far into March. We have the talent to take us a long way, but we have to stick to fundamentals and pay attention to details. If we listen to Coach Lombardi, we’ll get some pretty fun things to do this year.” “He’s played in big games,” Lombardi said. “He has an xfactor that’s priceless, and that will probably be appreciated as we go down the road because he has competitive greatness and a history of performing and stepping up, and the higher the stakes the better he plays. We’re not building for him to have to do that, but it’s nice to know he has an ‘it’ factor that’s proven and he’s capable of doing it.” Yarde begins his second season in the program after redshirting as a freshman. He averaged 3.4 points in 15.5 minutes of playing time last season. “Manny is a guy that is headed in the right direc-
tion,” Lombardi said. “With all the playmakers we have, we don’t need him to make plays, we just need him to finish plays. I’ve been impressed with his commitment on the defensive end. He can be an elite defender in our league, not only on the ball but understanding the whole team concept. On offense, he’s improved as a jump shooter and has ability to get to the rim and has a good in-between game. He’s a guy that gives us really good minutes in a reserve role, and I like the fact that he can impact the game with his defense and rebounding and finishing without ever having a play called for him.” Osborne brings a unique talent to the team. He probably won’t beat a defender off the dribble, but he has the ability to shoot from long range — several feet behind the 3-point line, which is 20 feet, 9 inches from the basket. “Stef is going to cause a lot of headaches this year — some for the other team, some for me,” Lombardi said, half-jokingly. “He has a unique set of basketball skills because of how deep he can shoot the ball — 4 or 5 feet behind the arc — and he has the green light to shoot when he’s open because he’s done that with great consistency and put a lot of time into it. There are going to be some games where he’ll have a big impact on the outcome and other games against some teams that might be more physical that might not call for his type of all-around game. But when you have guys coming off the bench it’s always good to have versatility and different types of players that can complement on any given night what the starters need.” If the guards live up to their potential, IUP could be playing deep into March. “I feel like the sky’s the limit,” Norfleet said. “We have so many weapons. If one person is having a bad night it can be picked up by anyone else. It could be anybody’s night on a given night.”
JAMES J. NESTOR/Gazette
BRANDON NORFLEET averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists last season, his first at IUP after transferring from Cheyney.
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8 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
THE CRIMSON HAWKS
Photo courtesy of IUP
Seated, from left, Stefan Osborne, Anthony Rocco, Shawn Dyer, Devante Chance, head coach Joe Lombardi, Jeremy Jeffers, Travis Tomer, Brandon Norfleet and Manny Yarde; and standing, assistant coach Matt Hahn, volunteer coach Raymor McClain, manager Travis DeBona, Tevin Hanner, Daddy Ugbede, Nathan Lemke, Devon Cottrell, Alec Boyer, manager Ryan Warner and manager Tyler Stief.
SCHEDULE Date Oct. 31 Nov. 8 Nov. 14 Nov. 15 Nov. 19 Nov. 22 Nov. 25 Nov. 29 Nov. 30 Dec. 3 Dec. 6 Dec. 16 Dec. 17 Dec. 20 Jan. 3 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan. 10
Opponent Time at Pitt@ L, 72-58 at SouthFlorida@ L, 75-71 Urbana^ 7:30 p.m. Johnson C. Smith^ 7:30 p.m. W.Va. Wesleyan 7:30 p.m. at Seton Hill* 1 p.m. at Bowie State 7 p.m. Sciences# 4:30 p.m. Saint Rose# 4:30 p.m. Mercyhurst* 7:30 p.m. at Gannon* 7:30 p.m. Mansfield* 7:30 p.m. Lock Haven* 7:30 p.m. at Bloomsburg* 3 p.m. at East Stroudsburg* 3 p.m. at West Chester* 3 p.m. Cheyney* 7:30 p.m. at California* 5 p.m.
Jan. 14 Jan. 17 Jan. 21 Jan. 24 Jan. 31 Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 18 Feb. 21 Feb. 25
ROSTER Edinboro* 7:30 p.m. at Slippery Rock* 3 p.m. Pitt Johnstown* 7:30 p.m. Clarion* 7:30 p.m. Seton Hill* 7:30 p.m. California* 7:30 p.m. Gannon* 7:30 p.m. at Mercyhurst* 7:30 p.m. at Edinboro* 3 p.m. Slippery Rock* 7:30 p.m. at Pitt Johnstown* 3 p.m. Clarion* 7:30 p.m.
@ exhibition ^Atlantic Region Conference Challenge #IRMC/Urgicare Classic sponsored by Holiday Inn *PSAC game
No. Player Pos. Yr. Ht. 0 Alec Boyer Fr. F 6-5 1 Cornell Yarde II R-So. G 6-4 3 Devante Chance Sr. G 5-11 4 Stefan Osborne R-Fr. G 6-0 5 Anthony Rocco R-Jr. G 6-1 10 Tevin Hanner Jr. F 6-5 11 Jeremy Jeffers R-Sr. F 6-6 21 Devon Cottrell R-Jr. F 6-7 22 Shawn Dyer Sr. G 6-0 23 Brandon Norfleet Jr. G 6-5 32 Travis Tomer Fr. G/F 6-5 42 Nathan Lemke R-Fr. C 6-10 44 Daddy Ugbede Jr. C 6-6
Wt. 215 185 181 164 175 200 205 220 185 190 195 210 225
Hometown/high school Burke, Va./Lake Broddock Reading/Schuylkill Valley Philadelphia/Electrical & Technology Victoria, Australia/St. Patrick’s Northern Cambria/Northern Cambria Baltimore, Md./Milford Mill Wilson, N.C./Greenfield School Pittsburgh/Gateway Marion, Ohio/Marion Harding Virginia Beach, Va./Landstown Morgantown, W.Va./University Colac, Australia/Trinity College San Mateo, Calif./Serra
FAST FACTS Nickname: Crimson Hawks Colors: Crimson and gray Home court: Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, Ed Fry Arena (capacity, 4,000) League: PSAC (West Division) 2013-14 record: 24-5 Starters returning/lost: 3/2 Lettermen returning/lost: 5/3 PSAC West preseason poll: 2nd NABC preseason poll: 15th Final 2013-14 ranking: 15th 2013-14 PSAC West record/ finish 13-3/1st, tie Head coach: Joe Lombardi Season: Ninth Career record: 173-70 Alma mater: Youngstown St., 1981
Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 — 9
THE CRIMSON HAWKS
Photo courtesy of IUP
Seated, from left, Monica Burns, Halle Denman, Marita Mathe, Amy Fairman, Leslie Stapleton, Courteney Storm, Lisa Burton, Mackenzie Livingston and Marina Wareham; and standing, head coach Tom McConnell, volunteer coach Jessica Wallace, Zhané Brooks, Lindsay Stamp, Amy Graham, Ashley Stoner, Megan Smith, Alexis Aiken, assistant coach Kelly Mazzante and assistant coach Jaclyn Babe.
ROSTER
SCHEDULE Date Nov. 2 Nov. 8 Nov. 14 Nov. 15 Nov. 18 Nov. 22 Nov. 26 Dec. 3 Dec. 6 Dec. 16 Dec. 17 Dec. 20 Jan. 3 Jan. 4 Jan. 7 Jan. 10
Opponent Time at Penn State@ L, 75-71 at Pitt@ L, 69-61 vs. Sciences^ 5:30 p.m. vs. Concordia^ 2 p.m. Ohio Valley 7 p.m. at Seton Hill* 3 p.m. Shepherd, W.Va. 11 a.m. Mercyhurst* 5:30 p.m. Gannon* 7 p.m. Mansfield* 5:30 p.m. Lock Haven* 5:30 p.m. at Bloomsburg* 1 p.m. at East Stroudsburg* 1 p.m. at West Chester* 1 p.m. Cheyney* 5:30 p.m. at California* 3 p.m.
Jan. 14 Jan. 17 Jan. 21 Jan. 24 Jan. 31 Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 11 Feb. 14 Feb. 18 Feb. 21 Feb. 25
Edinboro* 5:30 p.m. at Slippery Rock* 1 p.m. Pitt Johnstown* 5:30 p.m. at Clarion* 5:30 p.m. Seton Hill* 5:30 p.m. California* 5:30 p.m. at Gannon* 5 p.m. at Mercyhurst* 5:30 p.m. at Edinboro* 1 p.m. Slippery Rock* 5:30 p.m. at Pitt Johnstown* 1 p.m. Clarion* 5:30 p.m.
@ exhibition * PSAC game ^ Carol Eckman Memorial Tournament at West Chester
No. Name Yr. Pos. Ht. 0 Ashley Stoner Sr. F 6-1 3 Lindsay Stamp Sr. G/F 5-10 5 Marita Mathe Sr. G 5-7 10 Marina Wareham Jr. G 5-3 11 Amy Graham Jr. F 6-2 12 Leslie Stapleton R-Jr. G 5-9 13 Monica Burns Fr. G 5-6 14 Alexis Aiken Jr. G/F 5-8 15 Zhané Brooks Jr. F 5-10 20 Mackenzie Livingston So. G 5-7 22 Lisa Burton Sr. G 5-9 23 Halle Denman Fr. G 5-7 24 Amy Fairman Sr. G 5-9 30 Megan Smith Fr. G/F 6-0 32 Courteney Storm Fr. G 5-8
Hometown/High school Pittsburgh/Thomas Jefferson Erie/Mercyhurst Prep Indiana/Indiana New Wilmington/Kennedy Catholic Zanesville, Ohio/West Muskingum Indiana/Indiana New Stanton/Hempfield Pittsburgh/North Allegheny Erie/Villa Maria Blairsville/Blairsville Pittsburgh/Penn Hills Beaver Falls/Blackhawk Creekside/Marion Center Blain/West Perry Hollidaysburg/Hollidaysburg
FAST FACTS Nickname: Crimson Hawks Colors: Crimson and gray Home court: Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, Ed Fry Arena (capacity, 4,000) League: PSAC (West Division) 2013-14 record: 18-10 Starters returning/lost: 5/0 Lettermen returning/lost: 10/3 PSAC West preseason poll: 4th NABC preseason poll: NR Final 2013-14 ranking: NR Head coach: Tom McConnell Season: Second Career record: 103-15 Record at IUP: 18-10 Alma mater: Point Park, 1984
10 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Hawks expect more low-post production Continued from Page 4 “I wasn’t in the best shape so I had to work hard,� he said. “It was kind of a bad thing, but it helped me. I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since I’ve been here. I’m ready to do everything the team needs me to do: rebound, play defense, do all the little things that help the team out. As a team, if we stick to the process, we could be really good this year. We have the potential, but we have to put it all together.� “He worked very hard in the fall to lose almost half his body fat over a twomonth period,� Lombardi said. “That’s the type of extra work that he put in. And he’s a guy that just cares about his teammates. I try to tell all the players to play for their teammates, and Devon is the epitome of that, and not wanting to let his teammates down. That’s the most important thing to him, not the recognition or shine that he might get.�
“THE BIG MAN from Drake, he’s a great presence down low. He hustles, and he’s a monster in the paint. If you give him the ball, he’s going to get a bucket or go to the foul line.� Brandon Norfleet, junior guard, on junior transfer Daddy Ugbede
Like Cottrell, Ugbede was stuck in early foul trouble at Pitt. He more than made up for it at South Florida, scoring a team-high 20 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. He was 6-for11 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line. “The big man from Drake, he’s a great presence down low,� junior guard Brandon Norfleet said. “He hustles, and he’s a monster in the paint. If you give him the ball, he’s going to get a bucket or go to the foul line.� “Daddy gives us some physicality and low-post
scoring,� Lombardi said, “and I think he’ll be an improvement over what we had in the past. He brings that skill level. He has to continue to improve on the defensive end and his presence rebounding the ball. Those are things he’s working on, and hopefully he’ll continue to reach the level we need him to be at.� Jeffers and Ugbede played on the same team at Drake. A native of Nigeria, Ugbede moved to California prior to his junior year of high school. “We talked a lot during the
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recruitment process,â€? Jeffers said. “He’s knows what he’s here to do and his role. We didn’t get to play as much as we wanted where we were, and getting the opportunity to play here, I think he’ll definitely take advantage of it.â€? Another transfer, Tevin Hanner, backs up Jeffers at power forward. The 6-5 junior from Baltimore led his Millford Mill Academy to two state championships and played two seasons at McLennan (Texas) Community College, where he averaged 10.3 points and 7.9 rebounds as a freshman and 8.3 points and 6.5 rebounds as a sophomore. “Tevin picked up the things we do very well,â€? Lombardi said. “He’s the ultimate glue-type guy, a guy that makes good teams better. I’m confident he’ll find a way to contribute this year through his defense, his rebounding and his energy, and he’s a good finisher around the bucket. ‌ I think he knows how to make winning plays, so that’s a valuable commodity for any team to have. Nathan Lemke, a 6-10 redshirt freshman from Australia, joins the mix this season. “Nate is still young in his development process,â€? Lombardi said. “He redshirted last year, and big guys often come on late, and the rate they come on is often dictated by how strong they get and how much work they put in to building up their bodies almost more than their skills. I look for him to provide some depth at (center). He has to stay ready to go because it’s a long season and you never know when you might be called on to have an impact on an important game.â€?
Sports phone (724) 465-5555 Fax (724) 465-8267 Email sports@indianagazette.net Website indianagazette.com
JAMES J. NESTOR/Gazette
DEVON COTTRELL, a redshirt junior, averaged 2.0 blocked shots per game last season.
Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 — 11
2013-14 STATISTICS MEN’S STATISTICS Record: 24-5 No. Player 10 Souberbielle, Marcel 22 Keita, Mathis 23 Norfleet, Brandon 3 Chance, Devante 11 Jeffers, Jeremy 21 Cottrell, Devon 1 Yarde, Manny 32 Bosnik, Jesse 44 Ngollo, Kalusha N. 5 Rocco, Anthony 33 Vigus, Daniel 0 Mickens, Ben Team Total Opponents
GP-GS 29-27 29-29 22-18 29-29 28-27 29-9 29-2 27-4 12-0 9-0 12-0 13-0
Min-Avg 975-33.6 987-34.0 600-27.3 1066-36.8 699-25.0 592-20.4 449-15.5 375-13.9 90-7.5 16-1.8 22-1.8 29-2.2
Total FG-FGA 153-317 155-315 94-198 106-252 85-193 78-139 31-76 19-54 3-10 0-0 2-9 2-6
FG Pct .483 .492 .475 .421 .440 .561 .408 .352 .300 .000 .222 .333
3-Pts 3FG-FGA 42-110 44-132 7-42 40-124 13-56 0-0 6-22 11-38 0-0 0-0 1-4 0-1
3FG Pct .382 .333 .167 .323 .232 .000 .273 .289 .000 .000 .250 .000
FT-FTA 117-149 103-143 47-67 63-78 53-71 26-36 30-39 10-16 8-12 6-8 0-0 1-6
FT Pct .785 .720 .701 .808 .746 .722 .769 .625 .667 .750 .000 .167
29 29
5900 5900
728-1569 620-1584
.464 .391
164-529 140-505
.310 .277
464-625 370-488
.742 .758
Rebounds OR DR TR 41 117 158 44 122 166 29 62 91 14 94 108 32 96 128 63 81 144 32 49 81 11 31 42 6 13 19 1 3 4 2 2 4 0 4 4 36 33 311 707 1018 287 583 870
Avg PF 5.4 65 5.7 50 4.1 58 3.7 58 4.6 63 5.0 92 2.8 40 1.6 37 1.6 14 0.4 2 0.3 2 0.3 5 69 2.4 35.1 486 30.0 537
FO 0 0 3 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0
A 50 108 67 124 25 16 19 19 0 2 1 0
9 --
431 291
PF 56 32 61 77 35 47 88 23 26 55 7 2 0 6
FO 1 0 4 1 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
A 30 40 22 65 61 70 36 34 13 8 6 4 1 0
515 495
11 --
390 317
TO 59 55 46 72 36 24 32 17 4 3 1 4
Blk 8 13 6 4 11 59 3 1 1 0 1 0 6 359 107 402 103
Stl 39 40 27 55 13 18 11 13 3 0 1 0
Pts 465 457 242 315 236 182 98 59 14 6 5 5
Avg. 16.0 15.8 11.0 10.9 8.4 6.3 3.4 2.2 1.2 0.7 0.4 0.4
220 146
2084 1750
71.9 60.3
Blk 8 0 9 9 5 2 19 0 2 6 0 1 0 1
Stl 38 20 12 61 20 7 27 10 5 13 3 0 1 3
Pts 391 319 299 233 173 222 131 71 43 33 16 7 5 8
Avg. 17.8 11.4 11.1 8.3 8.2 8.2 4.9 2.5 1.7 1.2 0.9 0.6 0.6 0.5
62 57
220 185
1951 1723
69.7 61.5
WOMEN’S STATISTICS Record: 18-10 No. Player 3 Stamp, Lindsay 12 Stapleton, Leslie 0 Stoner, Ashley 24 Fairman, Amy 5 Mathe, Marita 1 Watson, Talen 15 Brooks, Zhane 10 Wareham, Marina 14 Aiken, Alexis 23 Todd, Melanie 22 Burton, Lisa 13 Wallace, Jessica 20 Livingston, Mackenzie 11 Graham, Amy Team Total Opponents
GP-GS 22-19 28-20 27-27 28-24 21-19 27-17 27-10 28-0 25-0 28-4 18-0 11-0 9-0 16-0
Min-Avg 659-30.0 780-27.9 691-25.6 755-27.0 595-28.3 601-22.3 540-20.0 331-11.8 213-8.5 296-10.6 68-3.8 34-3.1 16-1.8 46-2.9
Total FG-FGA 144-316 102-247 122-224 80-169 59-161 75-231 53-120 22-53 12-45 10-28 5-20 2-11 1-3 3-7
FG Pct .456 .413 .545 .473 .366 .325 .442 .415 .267 .357 .250 .182 .333 .429
3-Pts 3FG-FGA 46-111 59-147 0-0 26-60 35-90 13-54 0-0 15-36 0-1 0-1 0-4 1-6 0-0 0-0
3FG Pct .414 .401 .000 .433 .389 .241 .000 .417 .000 .000 .000 .167 .000 .000
FT-FTA 57-80 56-65 55-70 47-56 20-30 59-64 25-64 12-17 19-33 13-25 6-12 2-2 3-6 2-2
FT Pct .713 .862 .786 .839 .667 .922 .391 .706 .576 .520 .500 1.000 .500 1.000
28 28
5625 5623
690-1635 590-1492
.422 .395
195-510 132-415
.382 .318
376-526 411-577
.715 .712
Rebounds OR DR TR 31 107 138 40 50 90 76 85 161 43 73 116 9 69 78 9 50 59 53 99 152 1 10 11 22 39 61 36 47 83 8 14 22 0 2 2 3 3 6 0 5 5 54 45 99 385 698 1083 283 639 922
Avg 6.3 3.2 6.0 4.1 3.7 2.2 5.6 0.4 2.4 3.0 1.2 0.2 0.7 0.3 3.5 38.7 32.9
TO 52 47 43 55 47 48 47 17 9 25 10 4 0 2 13 419 440
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12 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Time to Shine Local trio hope for something special in final season By TONY COCCAGNA tonyc@indianagazette.net
It is their time to shine their brightest. Marita Mathe, Amy Fairman and Leslie Stapleton came into the IUP women’s basketball program together. They won’t quite leave together, so they have one last chance to do something special as a group. The three players from local high schools have formed the backbone of the IUP program the last four years. Mathe and Fairman are seniors now, and Stapleton would be playing her last season had she not missed most of her sophomore season with a broken ankle. This is, though, their last hurrah as the highly touted group that committed to play basketball at their hometown university and immediately stepped into roles as starters or key contributors during their freshman season. The trio joins two other seniors, Ashley Stoner and Lindsay Stamp, on a team that returns all five starters from an 18-10 season. “The perfect senior year would definitely be being able to finally win the PSAC,” Mathe said. “For the seniors, since we’ve been here, we’ve made it one step closer, except for last year. I feel like it would be very rewarding to be able to win the PSAC and definitely make it into the NCAA tournament and at least get to the final four. And I feel like we have the skill and talent and knowledge with our coaches to do that well this season, and that would be very rewarding, knowing that we left that behind us.” “We’re all dreaming of playing for the PSAC championship and the playing in the NCAA tournament,” Stapleton said. “That would be the perfect way for the seniors to go out.” “Just go out with bang,” Fairman said. All three enjoyed success on the high school level, with Mathe and Stapleton playing on a dominant Indiana team that played in the state championship game in 2010 and Fairman playing on Marion Center powerhouses that won back-to-back District 6 titles. All three played on the same AAU team since elementary school. IUP last won the PSAC title in 2009, two years before Mathe, Fairman and Stapleton arrived on campus. Of course, there are a lot of hurdles to clear along the way. IUP will have to run a gauntlet that includes preseason favorite Edinboro as well as Gannon and California. Edinboro returns three starters from a team that finished 27-6 and won the PSAC and NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championships. Gannon returns three starters from a 28-4 team — all four losses came against
JAMES J. NESTOR and TERI ENCISO/Gazette
MARITA MATHE, Amy Fairman and Leslie Stapleton have been maintays for the Crimson Hawks since their freshman year.
MARITA MATHE
AMY FAIRMAN
LESLIE STAPLETON
5-9 Senior Guard Career averages: 7.8 points, 2.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals. 682 career points. Single-season school record: .433 3-point FG%.
5-9 Junior Guard/Forward Career averages: 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds. 539 career points. Career school record: .405 3-point FG%.
“THE PERFECT senior year would definitely be being able to finally win the PSAC ... that would be very rewarding, knowing that we left that behind us.”
“I ABSOLUTELY love Marita and Leslie. The whole team, I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else. We have a really good team to go far, and that would just be awesome.”
“WE’RE ALL dreaming of playing for the PSAC championship and playing in the NCAA tournament. That would be the perfect way for the seniors to go out.”
Edinboro — and California returns four starters from an 18-9 team. IUP, though, is loaded with experienced upperclass players. “Anytime you have seniors, that bodes really well,” IUP coach Tom McConnell said. “They’ve been through it all and know what it takes. They want to have success and are willing to do what it takes and are willing to
sacrifice for the good of the team and really buy into that role of what they need to do and how they can help us be successful. That’s the maturation of the journey seniors take, and this group is willing to do that.” Mathe, Fairman and Stapleton were thrust into the fray as freshmen. Mathe started half the games at point guard, and Stapleton started a third of the games at forward. Foot
injuries prevented both from becoming mainstays in the starting lineup. Fairman has rarely missed a start during her career, playing either shooting guard or small forward and spearheading the defense. “We had to make the transition from high school to college just like that,” Mathe said. Continued on Page 15
5-7 Senior Guard Career averages: 9.3 points, 2.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds. 725 career points. Single-game school record: 7 3-point FG.
Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 — 13
IUP BY THE NUMBERS
11-1 Record in the first 12 games last season
7-9
5/0
Record the remainder of the season
3,482
Starters returning/lost from last season
Career points scored by the five returning starters
4 Players within range of 1,000 career points
Spurring the Offense Crimson Hawks to put fun back in the game By TONY COCCAGNA tonyc@indianagazette.net
Tom McConnell knows his IUP women’s basketball team will never in any way be confused with the San Antonio Spurs, but he would like his team to emulate the reigning NBA champions. “We keep talking about offense on the run, of being able to go,” McConnell said. “We want to be the type of team, we either shoot early in the shot clock or shoot it late in the shot clock. As I study teams over the years that have had success, you want to try to get easy ones and try to push and explore and see if you can score early in the shot clock. And then if you don’t, then you really make the other team work. We want it to be seamless, not just pull it out and just set up and allow
the defense to set. We just want to flow into it and be in that second phase of sharing the ball, getting good ball reversal, screening for one another and making the other team work, and now hopefully we’ll get a good, open look.” To illustrate the strategy, McConnell showed his team video footage of last year’s NBA Finals between point guard Tony Parker’s Spurs and the Miami Heat, a series San Antonio won four games to one. “I was really impressed by the way the Spurs played last year,” he said. “We watched video of Tony Parker pushing it and the Spurs trying to score early, and if it wasn’t there, just the great ball movement they had. I tried to make comparisons between the way they played and the way we’d like to play. They’re not a great one-on-one team and couldn’t beat the Heat going
one-on-one. But great ball movement and sharing the basketball elevates everybody. It’s a fun way to play … and a lot of fun to watch.”
IUP, 18-10 in McConnell’s first season last year, can count on a group of experienced players to lead the way. All five starters return, and four are seniors. Upperclassmen get the majority of the playing time. None are skilled at going one-on-one against a defender, but the perimeter players are good shooters, and the interior players are skilled and physical. Guards Lindsay Stamp, Marita Mathe and Amy Fairman, forward Leslie Stapleton and center Ashley Stoner return as starters. All are seniors with the exception of Stapleton, a redshirt junior who missed all but two games of her Continued on Page 14
TERI ENCISO/Gazette
ASHLEY STONER averaged 11.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season.
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14 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Crimson Hawks hope to spur offense Continued from Page 13 sophomore season with a broken ankle. “It’s really invaluable, to have a group of seniors who are smart, hungry, battletested,” McConnell said. “They have just a tremendous desire to do well together. They’ve had these shared experiences and what they’ve learned from everything on and off the court, and they want to use that for our success. They love playing together, and they care about each other on and off the floor. They’re a close group, and really not only outstanding basketball players but outstanding young women. It’s great to be able to coach them.”
IUP PLAYED two exhibition games, sticking with Penn State and Pitt. The Crimson Hawks lost at Penn State, 7571, and led at Pitt late in the game before taking a 69-61 loss. “We were able to go into a Penn State and a Pitt and play a competitive game against very good programs because of that experience,” McConnell said. “This year it’s their team, and I want them to take ownership of it and enjoy this experience and enjoy one another because it goes fast. I want good things for them this year.” Marina Wareham, a guard, and Zhane Brooks, a center, are juniors and solid reserves. Megan Smith, a 6foot versatile freshman who was expected to make an immediate impact, is out indefinitely with a badly sprained ankle she suffered against Penn State, ending her 18 minutes of playing time. Lisa Burton, a senior guard, and Alexis Aiken, a junior guard/forward, are upperclassmen who saw significant playing time in the past. STAMP LED the team in scoring (17.8 points per game) and rebounding (6.3) last year. She got off to a strong start, scoring 20 or more points in the first seven games and 11 of the first 14, but she missed six
“IT’S REALLY invaluable, to have a group of seniors who are smart, hungry, battle-tested. They have just a tremendous desire to do well together. They’ve had these shared experiences and what they’ve learned from everything on and off the court, and they want to use that for our success.” Tom McConnell
games with an ankle injury in a key stretch from midJanuary to mid-February. Stapleton averaged 11.4 points, and Stoner checked in at 11.1 points and 6.0 rebounds. IUP shot a respectable 42 percent from the floor, including 38 percent from 3point range. Stamp, Stapleton and Fairman each shot 40 percent or better from 3point range, and Mathe came in at 39 percent. “Since we are a veteran team, we do have the ability to read each other and know where each other is going, and that’s the kind of basketball we all like to play,” Stamp said. “It’s more of reading the defense rather than setting up something that’s a written-up play. We want to try to get a good shot in the first 6 to 10 seconds, and then if it’s not there, get into our offense quickly and get a good shot in the last 10 seconds of the shot clock.” “We want to get the ball out of the hoop or get a rebound,” Mathe said, “and push the ball up the floor and just run and do our own thing and just play basketball without thinking of a play and just be in motion and try to score quickly and get back on defense.”
In the first 12 games, IUP allowed more than 70 points only once. Then the Crimson Hawks allowed more than 70 in three game stretch in January, and the defense was never the same as they struggled to contain dribble penetration. “I thought early on last year we were really good defensively … and then through the latter part of the season we broke down a little bit,” McConnell said. “We need to play really, good, solid man-to-man defense. That needs to be our identity and the staple of what we do. We need to be in great position and help each other because, like our offense, we don’t have a lot of great one-one-one defenders that just lock you down. So we really need to be helpful to each other and hooked up and be in the right position. “We’ve been talking about two things a lot: If we can play in our stance and jump to the ball, then we’ll be a good defensive team. But that’s so much easier said than done, to get five down in their stance and guard. We want to try to play hardnosed man-to-man defense and do some more mixing up to keep teams off balance.”
IUP STARTED 11-1 last year but went just 7-9 over the last two months of the season. Of the 10 losses, seven came against Edinboro, Gannon and California, the three teams that finished above the Crimson Hawks in the PSAC West standings.
THERE ARE four new players on the roster. Joining Smith in the freshman class are guards Halle Denman, Courteney Storm and Monica Burns. Storm has yet to practice due to a back injury. “I really like the four new players a lot,” McConnell
TERI ENCISO/Gazette
LINDSAY STAMP led IUP in scoring and rebounding last season, averaging 17.8 points and 6.3 boards per game. said. “They’re all going to have really impactful careers at IUP. I hope that they, as a group and individually, be patient with the process. That’s one of my concerns because they’re coming into a program with a lot of upperclassmen, but I see all of them contributing in some way this year. To be perfectly honest, it’s a work in progress for us as a staff as to who to play early and how much. But I like this class. I like the way they’ve worked. I like the way the upperclassmen have reached out
and blended them in with the group.” Smith figures to see the most playing time in that group. She is a 6-foot guard/forward from West Perry High School. “I just love her versatility,” McConnell said. “She has very good offensive skills. She can score around the basket in a variety of ways — some good low-post moves, a nice up-and-under — and she also has the ability, at her size, to step out and shoot the basketball. She can put it on the floor a little
bit. I like her because she gives us some really good length on the defensive end, to go get it off glass and guard multiple positions, but she also has the footspeed to step out and guard a perimeter player as well. She’s going to be a key contributor for us for those reasons.”
ONE MORE THING the Crimson Hawks have going for them is familiarity. The players are more familiar with their second-year Continued on Page 15
Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014 — 15
Will familiarity breed success? year. She went on to a threeContinued from Page 14 coach, and vice versa, and year career in the WNBA. the coach is more familiar A native of Williamsport, with the league. she played at Montoursville “Familiarity with our play- High School and scored ers; familiarity with the more than 3,200 points in league; having a year to see her career. what the strengths of our Babe played at Central players are,” McConnecticut State Connell said in reand Duquesne. A sponse to the comtwo-time all-conferfort level in his secence player at Cenond season. “As a tral Connecticut staff we try to sit State, she graduated down and devise a with two of the top scheme that fits the scoring seasons in personnel of this school history. group. I think we’re a “I really enjoy good shooting team, them,” McConnell so we try to get good said. “They’re good KELLY ball movement and basketball people MAZZANTE set a lot of screens. and really make a That’s helped, knowdifference with our ing these guys and girls on the floor and what they can do. off the court. I think “And then familiarthe girls have really ity with the league: taken to them. I Last year, not knowthink they have a lot ing the league, our of respect for what practices were very they’ve both done as generic in terms of players. We have what we were good camaraderie as preparing for. This a staff, and I think it JACLYN year in the preseashows. We try to go BABE son we’re able to out there every day practice in order to and be passionate prepare to beat the top and coach with energy. teams in our league.” “People talk a lot about Kelly’s pro background and MCCONNELL HAS two new the college player she was, assistants on his staff: Kelly and she’s going to be every Mazzante and Jaclyn Babe. bit the coach as the player Both are coaches for the first she was, and as good a playtime. er as she was, she’s an even Mazzante graduated from better person. They’re both Penn State in 2004 as the Big wonderful and have a great Ten’s all-time leading scorer spirit, and I love coming to with 2,919 points. She was a work and being with those two-time All-America first- two every day. It’s been a real team selection and a two- blessing and a lot of fun for time Big Ten player of the me.”
Meet the Hawks on Nov. 25 The IUP women’s basketball team will hold Education Day during its home game at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex against Shepherd (W.Va.) on Wednesday, Nov. 25. The game time has been changed to 11 a.m., and the team is inviting students in grades 1 to 8 to attend the game free. For information, contact the women’s basketball office at (724) 357-2722 or email assistant coaches Kelly Mazzante at mazzante@iup.edu or Jaclyn Babe at jbabe@iup.edu.
Local trio set for final run Continued from Page 12 “That’s definitely what helped build us into the players we are today. We had to step up our game as soon as we got here.” The three have combined to help lead IUP to a 64-26 record the last three seasons. Each has a chance to become 1,000-point scorers. Mathe enters her final season with 725 points, and Fairman has 682. Stapleton has 539 with two seasons remaining. In fact, four players could reach the milestone this season. Stamp has scored 932 points in her career, with 732 coming at IUP and 199 as a freshman at Mercyhurst. Stoner has 750. All three are good 3-point shooters. Fairman had the best season in school history last year, hitting 43.3 percent (26-for-60), and Stapleton holds the best career percentage at 40.1 (96-for237) and hit that same mark 40.1 (59for-147) last year. Mathe shot just shy of 40 percent last year and tied a single-game school record with seven. The trio signed with IUP prior to their senior seasons in high school. “After I found out we were all going to be playing here I was excited because I’ve been playing with those two since the third grade,” Mathe said. “We’ve just got such great chemistry on the court and off, and we’ve been friends forever, and that definitely made for a great transition going from high school to college. We were already familiar with each other’s playing style, and that was definitely a big plus for us to be able to make such a big impact right away.” “Me and Marita got to play high school together,” Stapleton said, “and sometimes I feel like we can just read each other’s minds. It’s just so cool that all three of us got to play together
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“ME AND MARITA got to play high school together, and sometimes I feel like we can read each other’s minds. It’s just so cool that all three of us got to play together at a younger age and we’re still playing together now.” Leslie Stapleton
at a younger age and we’re still playing together now.” Mathe has been a mainstay at point guard. “Just a team leader, just an ideal leader,” McConnell said. “She has given her heart and soul to the program. She’s your point, she’s the voice of the coach on the floor. She just has a tremendous work ethic, tremendous passion and just really wants to do well. She’s one of the most coachable players I’ve ever been around because she has such a strong desire to excel. … Her challenge moving forward is take all that she does and not only just lead by example but be that vocal leader and make people around her better. And she’s doing that.” Fairman is the kind of player that fills up the stat sheet. She usually stands out in one area, and she’ll do well in all as a scorer, passer, rebounder and defender. She has, though, shown the ability to put her team on her back. She scored 26 points in an exhibition game at Penn State, a 7571, loss on Nov. 2. “She’s just a really solid, smart, un-
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selfish basketball player,” McConnell said. “She really sees things before they unfold. She’s really unselfish and would rather make the assist pass than score the ball herself. But she’s a very talented offensive player so we need her to do like she did at Penn State, and if she’s open, if she’s our best option, to shoot the ball, be a scorer, be a threat. And defensively she just has a nose for the basketball and gets a lot of deflections and steals. Where she really needs to grow is to just pick her spots when she’s going for a steal and not gamble and put us in bad position or get in foul trouble, because we need her on the floor.” Stapleton has played on the perimeter throughout her career. “Leslie is just a really good, solid offensive player who can shoot the basketball,” McConnell said. “Really, where we’ve worked with her and want her to go is to learn how to play without the ball. We told her we want her to have a Ph.D. by the end of the year in cutting and using screens. She’s a really good shooter when she gets her feet set so we want to create opportunities for her to score. The two areas where she’s really got to grow and improve is cutting down on turnovers, interior passing and to be a solid defender in keeping your man in front of you. But she has a knack for making big shots.” If the Crimson Hawks can make enough big shots, they will have a chance for the big year they desire. “It’s been a blast,” Fairman said. “I absolutely love Marita and Leslie. The whole team, I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else. We’re such a close team, and we have really good chemistry. We have a really good team to go far, and that would just be awesome.”
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16 — Indiana Gazette IUP Basketball Preview, Wednesday, November 12, 2014
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