Chemistry, being able to gel, guys maturing — I know they’re a young team, so the Pipe Dream's maturation process has to take place. But I think they’re going to go nowhere but up from here on out. I think when you look down the road, you’re probably saying, you know what, they’ve got a chance to be really good down the road when these kids get older and get more mature, but it’s hard. You have to be patient. Chemistry, being able to gel, guys maturing — I know they’re a young team, so the maturation process has to take place. But I think they’re going to go nowhere but up from here on out. I think when you look down the road, you’re probably saying, you know what, they’ve got a chance to be really good down the road when these kids get older
2013-2014 Basketball
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
B2
NO LONGER
ALONE Ari Kramer | Sports Editor
Sift through the filing cabinets in your brain, and recall the last play of the Binghamton men’s basketball team’s 71-70 loss to Mount St. Mary’s in December 2012. Trailing by one point with less than 10 seconds on the clock, the Bearcats desperately needed a bucket. To no one’s surprise, then-freshman guard Jordan Reed raced up the court, using his array of crossover and hesitation moves to penetrate the Mountaineer defense and find a spot for a potential game-winner. Only everyone in the building knew Binghamton’s leading scorer wouldn’t pass the ball, and then-junior forward Kristijan Krajina of The Mount left the floor with Reed and thwarted him with a victory-sealing block. “Every time we came out of a timeout I felt like I was trying to find a way to creatively get Jordan the ball,” Binghamton head coach Tommy Dempsey said at the team’s media day in October. “The other team knew it, and that becomes difficult in big moments.” Jimmy Gray, coincidentally, buried the most clutch shot of Binghamton’s 2012-13 season, a game-winning 3-pointer at Maine. He and Taylor Johnston graduated after serving as key offensive contributors, but Dempsey and his coaching staff expect the freshman class to more than mitigate its losses. Scholarship players Nick Madray, Yosef Yacob, Marlon Beck and Magnus Richards and walk-ons John Rinaldi and Matt Smith comprise the rookie corps. Dempsey said he plans on playing the four scholarship freshmen for significant minutes on a nightly basis. Reed — a strong, penetrating guard who averaged 16.6 points per game as a freshman — should benefit from their presence more than any other returning player. “I think last year we didn’t have as much weapons as we do now,” Reed said. “We have more people that could spread the court. When I drive and get in the lane I can kick out, and there will be a guy like Nick Madray or Yosef Yacob that can hit the shot.” Madray, a 6-foot-9 forward from Ontario, can stretch the floor and bury 3-pointers from beyond NBA range, while the 6-foot7 Richards brings athleticism to the front court. Beck and Yacob — two point guards who can push the pace, distribute and shoot — will take pressure off Reed, who ranked seventh nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s Poss statistic. In other words, only six other players in the entire country terminated their team’s possessions via shots and turnovers more than Reed.
Because Reed dominated the ball on offense, he also struggled to produce efficiently. Look no further than his 39.1 percent field goal percentage and 86.6 ORtg, a metric that quantifies a player’s efficiency on offense. For perspective, Pomeroy considers 100 an average ORtg. Dempsey expects to see a spike in those numbers this year. “I think [having more options] will help his efficiency tremendously to be taking less bad shots,” Dempsey said. “He’ll turn the ball over less because he doesn’t have to do as much. I think there will be a lot of other guys that have the ball in their hands at different times.” One of those guys will be redshirt junior guard Rob Mansell, who missed all of last season after tearing the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee at the end of 201112. Mansell led Binghamton with 14 points per game as a sophomore, and America East coaches have said they think the shooting guard could form a potent scoring punch with Reed if the knee no longer bothers him. “It’s a non-factor,” Mansell said of his knee. “I don’t even need to ice it. It feels completely normal.” Though Mansell has never suited up alongside Reed, the two guards have practiced, scrimmaged and played pickup together for more than one year. “I think we’ll be able to feed off of each other pretty well and not really butt heads at all,” Mansell said. “We’re both pretty unselfish guys.” Reed echoed that sentiment. “I don’t mind other people taking shots because if you look at my stats, I like the rebounds. So when guys shoot, I don’t mind,” he said. “I just want to go out there, chase the rebound, maybe I can get it. If it goes in, go back on defense.” That said, Reed does care about personal accomplishments. The sophomore said making the all-conference third team in March “drove [him] crazy.” He thought he deserved better, and although America East coaches named him to the preseason first team, Reed, as always, is out to prove the doubters wrong. This time around, however, he’ll have more weapons surrounding him, which should help improve his numbers across the board. “I’m very excited,” he said. “I just can’t wait to get out.”
www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
B3
It's about time Recovered from serious knee injury, Mansell adds another threat to BU's offense Ashley Purdy | Assistant Sports Editor Rob Mansell hunched over as play continued on the other end of the Events Center floor. Hands on his thighs, the then-sophomore guard appeared to be out of breath, not in excruciating pain. But as each step became increasingly harder to take, the training staff retrieved the team’s leading scorer and pulled him from Binghamton’s Feb. 23, 2012 loss to Albany. Mansell suffered tears of the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee on that day, forcing him out of the regular season finale, the team’s two postseason games and all of 2012-13. He hadn’t returned to the court until Saturday, when he posted a team-high 16 points in Binghamton’s 48-47 win over Bloomsburg. Dempsey said last fall that Mansell, who averaged 14 points per contest as a sophomore, would probably be healthy enough to suit up for conference play. But the coach and player opted for a medical redshirt, which allowed Mansell to sit out for all of 2012-13 without losing a year of eligibility. “I just don’t think [playing is] in his best interest,” Dempsey said in October 2012. “Although he would probably be able to go in in January and February, I just don’t think it’s the right thing to do as far as him wasting a lot of this year.” After spending 20 months on the bench, Mansell’s had to suit up with a slew of new faces. Only three players from the 2011-12 team appear on this year’s roster. But Mansell, who has
practiced with the team since last fall, said he won’t need much time to gel with his fellow Bearcats. “We’ve been up here pretty much year-round so it hasn’t been that difficult,” Mansell said. “We’ve been up here both summer sessions, playing pickup. With the new rules that we can start earlier, that’s helped a lot.” Pairing with sophomore guard Jordan Reed, who ranked second in the America East with 16.6 points per game last year, Mansell won’t have as much of a burden on his shoulders as he did in 2011-12. “I just see it as I was before, not really carrying as big of a load, but still going to be aggressive,” Mansell said. “I worked a lot on my ball handling, my shooting. My vision has gotten increasingly better. I’m still going to attack. I’m still going to do the things I did back in 2011-2012.” In addition to his scoring, some of those things included collecting 3.3 rebounds a game, shooting 39.6 percent from the floor and following just Jimmy Gray in 3-point accuracy at 30.4 percent. Mansell actually upped his numbers in conference play, with 14.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting. ”Everyone’s excited about Reed, but Mansell’s a real good player,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. “He scores in a lot of different ways. I mean, Reed gets to the rack like no one’s business but that kid scores in a lot of different ways. Mansell’s really
Now when you add another talented offensive player around a kid like [Reed], like Mansell, they’re just going to be a better offensive team. — Bill Herrion, UNH head coach
good, and he’s proven he’s really good. So I think he’s going to be as big a help as anybody. He would have been their best player [last year].” That’s a statement, given Reed’s prowess as just a freshman. Either way, Mansell and Reed will have to play off each other this season. “[Reed and I] play on opposite wings, so we won’t get in the way of each other too much,” Mansell said. “In practice I think we’ve been playing pretty well together.” Reed said that things were rocky at first, but that they smoothed out as practice continued. “In the beginning parts, when coach was trying to figure out different rotations and stuff, he had us mixed up,” Reed said. “But now we’ve been playing together, and we’re just getting more comfortable with each other and understanding what situations we do best in.”
“If we need threes,” Mansell said, “I think I’ll take those. If we need people getting to the line or driving, I think we’ll go to Jordan.” So, ostensibly, the main concern right now is a positive one — with Mansell, Reed and the rest of Dempsey’s recruits sharing the floor, Binghamton will see more options on the offensive end, and there won’t be just one Bearcat for the opponent’s defense to pick out. “They’re both big, strong guards. And I think that gives us some physicality at those positions,” Dempsey said. “Because we’re not really a big team inside, we don’t have a lot of depth with our post players. But I do think we have depth with the guards; I think Rob and Jordan together will give us some bigger, physical guards that can both rebound the ball, so that takes some pressure off our big
guys.” And that, in turn, will have a pretty visible effect on their opponents’ defensive tactics. “When you have to defend against multiple, talented offensive players, it makes your job harder as an opposing team,” UNH head coach Bill Herrion said. “Like maybe last year with Jordan Reed … obviously he had the ball a lot, and you could kind of maybe zeroed in on him defensively. Now when you add another talented offensive player around a kid like him, like Mansell, they’re just going to be a better offensive team.” Some might be concerned about Mansell’s knee itself, but according to Dempsey and Mansell, that’s not even a point of discussion anymore. Mansell no longer wears a brace and says he never even thinks about the knee. All that’s left for Mansell is to get back into a regular season game. As it’s drawing nearer, the redshirt junior said he is growing increasingly excited. “Every day at practice I’m so eager to get back out there,” Mansell said. “I’m so sick of practice. I just want to play a game. I can’t wait.”
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
Untapped potential BU's most hyped recruit, Madray needs time before stardom Ari Kramer | Sports Editor
Nick has a chance to be great, but I think people have to be patient. — Tommy Dempsey, BU head coach
The Internet and YouTube never fail to bring the 9-year-old with the wicked crossover, the seventh grader who can windmill and the 14-year-old all-around phenom to our computer screens and into our living rooms. But scour the web for middle school highlights of Nick Madray, and you will return empty-handed. You won’t find his high school statistics, either. “I don’t know much about Madray,” Vermont head coach John Becker said. He’s not alone. Basically, Madray, the most hyped player in Binghamton’s freshman class, is more myth than man as the 2013-14 season tips off. The 6-foot-9 stretch four did not play organized basketball until his freshman year at Stephen Lewis Secondary School, a small, family-oriented institution in Mississauga, Ontario. A goal-focused program, Stephen Lewis did not record player statistics. “The coaches, we’re teachers. We play to compete, but our goal is to develop,” said Ashoak Grewal, who coached Madray in each of his three seasons at Stephen Lewis. “We don’t keep stats. Our goal was always to become a better player and become a better person.” That philosophical approach helped Madray, eased him into organized basketball for the first time after injuries sidelined him throughout middle school. But it also stunted his development as a basketball player. Grewal, who said Madray could always shoot, rarely placed his star forward on the block. He feared the basic tenet of his philosophy would be compromised. “I could have thrown him in the post, and he could have scored 20, 30 points,” Grewal said. “But going against guys that are 6-foot3, he wasn’t going to learn anything.” Therefore, Grewal persuaded Madray to spend his junior year at Findlay Prep, a basketball powerhouse that perennially sends players to prestigious college programs. He would compete against Anthony Bennett — a former AAU teammate and the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft — and Brandon Ashley every day. The goal: Learn as much as you can. Madray described Bennett and Ashley as fast and aggressive, two traits he needed to develop before playing Division I basketball. “If you go up for a layup against them, it’s going to be swatted,” he said. “You always have to go to the rim hard.” Playing behind Bennett and Ashley — who would eventually sign with UNLV and Arizona, respectively — pushed Madray to a new level of exertion in practice. “Playing in that role definitely helped me because I had to work for playing time,” he said. “I had to work to play against them so that I could play in the games.” Madray’s soles met the hardwood
sparingly enough to return to Canada still relatively under the Division I recruiting radar. Syracuse, Virginia and Boston College would all express interest — especially the Orange, who, according to Grewal, sent controversial assistant coach Bernie Fine to Stephen Lewis about five times — but none persisted like Binghamton head coach Tommy Dempsey and associate head coach Ben Luber. Grewal said he encouraged Madray to pledge to Binghamton because he could play significant minutes as a freshman. “Nick needs to play,” Grewal said. “He’s going to become a tremendous player but he needs to play.” “He could be Binghamton’s first NBA player,” Grewal added. “He has NBA potential. Any coach that came said that the potential’s there. It’s in him.” Dempsey tempered those expectations. Madray, a pure shooter, still has to develop a post game to succeed at the college level. He needs to add weight to his 215-pound frame and become assertive on the court, too. “Nick has a chance to be great, but I think people have to be patient,” he said. “It’s a big transition to the next level.” Madray said senior forwards Alex Ogundadegbe and Roland Brown have mentored him, offering advice on every aspect of life as a Division I post player. But the forward has also taken tips from a guard. “I kind of set footprints for a freshman with talent coming into this program,” sophomore Jordan Reed said. “So I feel like I can guide him somewhere throughout the road, road games, stuff like that. Give him pointers because I’ve seen it.” Madray, meanwhile, has seen nothing more than an exhibition game against Bloomsburg, a Division II school in Pennsylvania. But if his appreciation of his high school coaches and teammates serves as any indication, Madray won’t let the teaching efforts of his fellow Bearcats and Dempsey’s staff go unnoticed. “After every single workout, whatever workout I did with him, and we spent a lot of time together, he always says thank you,” Grewal said. “He really appreciates the extra time people put in with him, and he really appreciates the support.” There’s always more to learn, especially when you’ve played organized basketball for just four years. Madray has a long road ahead, one that first will take him through the inherent ups and downs of a freshman season. He needs to learn, but he’s prepared to do so. “It’s going to come down to if it clicks or not,” Grewal said. “Mike George, Anthony Bennett’s agent, told me, ‘Once it clicks, people are going to be talking about Nick.’”
www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Greatness Beck-ons
B5
Frosh called upon to lead, take reins of Binghamton's offense
Erik Bacharach | Assistant Sports Editor
Marlon Beck II appears as a freshman on Binghamton’s roster, but head coach Tommy Dempsey hopes his rookie point guard resembles a senior on the hardwood. “[Dempsey] texted me as soon as I committed, I’m going to have to come in here with a senior mindset,” Beck said. “Coming in as a freshman, even though I have a big role, it’s not something that every freshman gets to do. So coming off that, I’m just looking forward to playing and not proving them wrong.” Beck, who averaged 12.3 points and seven assists last year to lead Maret School to its first-ever conference title, will share the
responsibility of running the offense this season with Yosef Yacob. While Yacob is a versatile and composed option, Beck — with his speed, energy and leadership — will push the ball and force a fast tempo. “We’re both fast, we look to get the ball up the court, we look to find others,” Beck said of himself and Yacob. Redshirt junior guard Rob Mansell compared his team to the Philadelphia Eagles, citing both teams’ tendency to push the tempo as the common denominator. And if Mansell had to compare one of his teammates to Michael Vick, one comes to mind.
“I’ll probably say Marlon,” he said. “He’s our fastest guy. He’s in control of the ball most of the time. I hope he doesn’t get hurt like Vick does, but he’s definitely our fast quarterback.” Freshman forward Magnus Richards, who met Beck three years ago when they first suited up as AAU teammates, said the floor general has always shown leadership qualities. “He’s a very vocal person, so I definitely think that plays into it,” Richards said. “For as long as I’ve been playing with him, he’s been a very good leader. He’s always in the huddles.”
With six freshmen donning the green and white, growing pains are expected throughout the season, especially in the early going. Dempsey admits that “teams that count on a lot of freshmen tend to struggle,” but is confident in his own team’s potential. “I think it’s going to be hard with the amount of youth we have,” Dempsey said. “The fab five spoiled it for everybody I guess when they proved how good you could be with freshmen … We’re going to have to fight through that and hopefully develop these guys’ confidence along the way and get better as we go.”
While everyone expects the Bearcats’ youth and inexperience to keep them at a distance as a non-threat for at least a couple of more seasons, Beck sees this as an opportunity. “We want to use that as our advantage,” he said. “Even though we have a lot of freshmen, we think a lot of teams are going to come into conference thinking, ‘Oh, we can get after them, they’re young.’ But no, we have the mindset where we can get after them.”
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
Buzzabout What's the
Binghamton Those players last year played with an extreme amount of intensity, they did all the right things on the floor, if you were anywhere following them—forget the win total, forget all of that—they played with great intensity and attention to detail, and I’m sure that will carry over to this year. - John Gallagher, Hartford head coach
Chemistry, being able to gel, guys maturing—I know they’re a young team, so the maturation process has to take place. But I think they’re going to go nowhere but up from here on out - Aki Thomas, UMBC head coach
I think Binghamton and UMBC, to me, are kind of wildcards. I think they’ve both proved talent and have good coaches, and I think they have a chance to surprise some people this year and finish higher than maybe they’re being predicted in the preseason polls.
The biggest question is if Reed can play within a system now that he has talent around him. As a freshman, Reed was the Bearcats’ first, second, third and fourth scoring option, and virtually every offensive possession revolved around him going one-on-one (or one-on-five) to get to the rack and score.
- John Becker, Vermont head coach
I mean Reed gets to the rack like no one’s business, but [Mansell] scores in a lot of different ways. Mansell’s really good, and he’s proven he’s really good. So I think he’s going to be as big a help as anybody. - Steve Pikiell, Stony Brook head coach
I think when you look down the road, you’re probably saying, you know what, they’ve got a chance to be really good down the road when these kids get older and get more mature, but it’s hard. You have to be patient. - Bill Herrion, New Hampshire head coach
If Rob Mansell is healthy that could be a solid 1-2 punch. - Will Brown, Albany head coach
- Sam Perkins, One-Bid WOnders founder
The one thing is, these young kids are going to get phenomenal experience, and I’m sure they’re going to get better and better as the year goes on. But I think when you look down the road, you’re probably saying, you know what, they’ve got a chance to be really good down the road. - Will Brown, Albany head coach
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
B7
Vermont The Catamounts lose just Trey Blue and Ben Crenca from last year’s 21-win team, but they add Northeastern transfer Ryan Pierson, who should be ready to go by conference play. They’ll be more than fine.
Stony Brook
Albany
Hartford
The Great Danes can tout their 2013 crown, but they’ll need multiple players to excel in expanded offensive roles to defend their title.
The Hawks are on the rise, returning nearly every key player from last year’s 17-win team. Junior forward Mark Nwakamma will challenge Warney for America East Player of the Year.
Steve Pikiell found a way to replace Muhammad El-Amin and then Bryan Dougher. His Seawolves, led by sophomore forward Jameel Warney, won’t take much of a step back without Tommy Brenton.
UMBC
UNH
Binghamton
Aki Thomas has the Retrievers heading up, winning five AE games last year before upsetting Hartford in the tournament. Senior forward Chase Plummer needs to return to sophomore form to lead the young Retrievers to fifth place.
With more weapons around sophomore guard Jordan Reed, the Bearcats are capable of approaching the 10-win mark in 2013-14.
Maine You can’t replace Justin Edwards, Alasdair Fraser, Mike Allison and Jon Mesghna with the snap of a finger. You just can’t.
The Wildcats graduated several key players. Head coach Bill Herrion planned on using junior transfer Matt Miller to mitigate some of the losses, but the sharpshooter will miss the entire season after tearing his ACL.
UMass Lowell Pat Duqette’s in store for an arduous challenge, leading the River Hawks into Division I. Senior guard Akeem Williams can pour in points, but the team’s No. 2 scorer, senior guard Antonio Bivins, tore his ACL over the summer and will not suit up in 2013-14.
Pipe Dream's America East All-Conference Picks Jordan Reed, So., Binghamton As a freshman, Reed led the America East with 9.5 rebounds per game and ranked second with 16.6 points per game. He shot just 39.1 percent from the floor and 13.7 percent from long range, but an offseason of shooting drills combined with the return of Rob Mansell and arrival of a solid freshman class will boost Reed’s efficiency. Despite Mansell’s 15 field goal attempts in Saturday’s exhibition, Reed’s still Binghamton’s go-to scorer. That hasn’t changed. But expect a more effective offensive player than the volume scorer Reed was last year.
Jameel Warney, So., Stony Brook No one would have complained if Warney won Player of the Year in 2012-13. But it’s an unwritten rule that freshmen can’t win the award, so he took a backseat to senior teammate Tommy Brenton. Now, Warney is the unquestionable face of Stony Brook and the America East. SBU head coach Steve Pikiell said the 6-foot-8 forward might be his most improved player since last season, a scary thought for opposing coaches. Expect Stony Brook’s offense to run through Warney, who averaged 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his debut season.
Mark Nwakamma, Jr., Hartford Nwakamma, Warney’s most imposing challenge to the Player of the Year award, scored a league-best 16.5 points per game in America East play last season. Like Jordan Reed, he didn’t always score efficiently, but managed to shoot 47.5 percent from the floor despite a 90.9z ORtg. Nwakamma’s 32.8 percent Poss ranked fifth in the nation, as Hartford’s offense ran through him. The Hawks have a similar roster in 2013-14, so expect Nwakamma to dominate the ball once again. Assuming he has improved his all-around offensive game, watch out.
Brian Voelkel, Sr., Vermont No other America East player can go scoreless and have as drastic an impact on a game as Voelkel, who averaged just six points per game last year. The consummate point forward is the league’s top returning distributor (4.9 assists per game) and Nao. 2 rebounder (8.6 boards per game). In a Big Apple Buckets story from Nov. 1, Voelkel said he plans on seeking scoring opportunities more aggressively this year. That shouldn’t detract from his commandeering of the offense. It should only make him even more of a threat in this league.
Chase Plummer, Sr., UMBC After an impressive sophomore season in which he averaged 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, Plummer regressed as a junior. His shooting percentages plummeted as his scoring mark fell to 11.8 points per game. But with Ryan Cook and Brian Neller no longer with the program, head coach Aki Thomas will need Plummer to return to his sophomore form. The senior was never extremely efficient from the floor. Even if he doesn’t shoot better than 42 percent from the field, Plummer will always work hard and bang for boards.
MEET THE Magnus Richards, Fr. A former AAU teammate of Beck, Richards brings athleticism and a 6-foot-7 body to the frontcourt. He’ll score some and hit the glass, but his intangibles will set him apart.
The Men's 2013 -2014 Division I Basketball Team
Alex Ogundadegbe, Sr.. Ogundadegbe averaged 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10 minutes per game as a junior. He’ll come off the bench for Dempsey in 2013-14.
Marlon Beck II, Fr. Beck, who averaged 12.3 points and seven assists per game as a high school senior, will share the reins of Binghamton’s offense with fellow frosh Yosef Yacob.
Nick Madray, FR. At 6-foot-9, Madray stretches the floor with his shooting ability. He can bury shots from well beyond the arc, but can Anthony Bennett’s former teammate hold his own in the post?
Chris Rice, Fr. Rice played just 4.5 minutes per game as a sophomore. With the returns of Mansell and Moquete and the additions of Beck and Yacob, expect him to be one of the last guards off the bench.
Robert Mansell, R-Jr. Tears of the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee forced Mansell to redshirt in 2012-13. He returns to the lineup after leading Binghamton with 14 points per game as a sophomore.
Not p Matt
Smith was o the roster a week. He’ll g a third tru
BEARCATS Roland Brown, Sr. When he doesn’t start, Brown will likely be the first big man off the bench. He averaged 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game last year.
Jordan Reed, So. Reed fell just three points shy of becoming the first freshman to lead the America East in scoring and rebounding last year.
Yosef Yacob, Fr A two-time Class AAA all-state selection out of Chester, Pa., Yacob will share time at the point with Beck. He scored 1,139 points at Archbishop John Carroll High School.
Rayner Moquete, Sr. After becoming academically ineligible in January, Moquete returns as one of Dempsey’s first players off the bench. He’ll be one of Binghamton’s top 3-point threats.
Jabrille Williams, Jr. Williams has missed the last few weeks of practice as he recovers from sports hernia surgery. When healthy, he’ll provide defense and hustle plays.
pictured: Smith, Fr.
officially added to as a walk-on last give the Bearcats ue point guard.
John Rinaldi, FR.
Karon Waller, So.
A three-sport athlete in high school, Rinaldi holds the Pennsylvania state single-game high school record of five interceptions in a game. He walked on to Binghamton and will play sparingly.
Coming to Binghamton off an impressive senior year of high school, Waller played sparingly as a freshman. Expect him to be one of the last guards off the bench.
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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1
www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
Catamounts seek to play 'best basketball' in March, return to NCAA tourney Erik Bacharach | Assistant Sports Editor
It’s not a popular topic of conversation around Patrick Gym, but Vermont’s fourpoint loss to Albany in the America East finals last year will continue to loom large in the Catamounts’ consciousness until they have a chance to get back on top. Nine players — including the top three scorers and all five starters — from that 21-win team a season ago will suit up again in 2013-14 for third-year head coach John Becker. The loss to the Great Danes cast a giant shadow over the team’s offseason, but Becker and his team only think of it now in ways that will help them earn a championship this year. “We really haven’t talked much about [the loss] since we’ve all gotten back, since we started practice basically, but I definitely see a sense of urgency with the guys, especially our six seniors,” Becker said. “We’ve put that behind us, but definitely in the way the guys are carrying themselves and working, I can see it’s not forgotten.” So while most teams will work hard during the offseason to replace their lost talent, the Catamounts already have their identity. The cohesion and meshing are already there. The groundwork for a championship has been laid. ”I know whenever a team has that many seniors that have won that many games that that’s a proven veteran team,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. “They’re wellcoached. They’re a winning culture and a winning program. They win as a team. It’s not just one player, and I think that’s what makes them so hard to play against. They’ve got a lot of good players that can beat you on any given night.” On paper, the Catamounts’ individual numbers don’t jump out at you. Seniors Clancy Rugg (11.4 ppg), Luke Apfeld (10.7 ppg) and Sandro Carissimo (10 ppg) were the only players who averaged more than 10 points per game last season. Only senior Brian Voelkel (4.9 apg) and Carissimo (2.3 apg) averaged more than an assist per game, and as a team, the Catamounts shot at relatively ordinary percentages (43.7 percent from the field, 70.9 percent from the foul line, 32.2 percent from 3-point). But it’s the intangibles that have the Catamounts atop the coaches’ preseason poll. Their roster is filled with grind-it-out players who hustle for all 40 minutes. “I think without question, I don’t know how anybody doesn’t put Vermont No. 1,” Albany head coach Will Brown said.
Vermont has been in this position before — they were tabbed to finish first in the preseason poll last season as well, only to earn the one-seed in the conference tournament and fall to the fourth-seeded Great Danes in the finals. “We were picked to win it last year, and I think the guys understand that it’s certainly an honor to be picked among your peers as the preseason favorite, but it really doesn’t mean anything,” Becker said. “I don’t know if we’re clearly the best team. I think Stony Brook and Albany and Hartford are pretty good, too.” If it wants to live up to being the preseason favorite, Vermont will need to continue working on its offense this season. But the Catamounts’ established bread and butter are defense and rebounding. Becker’s team held opponents to just 59.2 points per game last season, which was good for 28th in the nation. They also ranked second in the conference in both defensive rebounding and rebounding margin. “Defense and rebounding continues to the core of what we do here,” Becker said. “And hopefully offensively we can be a little bit more dynamic and score the ball better this year. We were pretty bad last year offensively, and that’s something we have to get better at, and I think we will. But day in and day out, it’s defense and rebounding that we preach in practice and that will continue to carry us through the season.” Perhaps the complete encapsulation of Vermont’s style of play can be seen in Voelkel. The 6-foot-6 forward, who started all 33 games last season, averaged just six points per contest, but was named to the America East all-conference first team for his significant contributions elsewhere. Voelkel finished the year ranked second in the conference in rebounding (8.6 rpg), assists (4.9 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (2.2). In a Feb. 20 matchup against Maine, his 13-rebound, 10-assist performance marked the first time since the 1996-97 season that a Division I player took one or fewer shots and had double-digit assists and rebounds in a game. “Brian isn’t necessarily a flashy player,” Becker said. “But he’s definitely at the heart of this team and such a large part of what we do here.” But Voelkel isn’t the only player on Vermont’s roster who is always ready to get his
hands dirty. While Rugg may end up being Vermont’s premier player offensively, he’s another all-around player who fills up the stat sheet game in and game out and whose hustle has earned him praise from across the America East. Count New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion as one of Rugg’s biggest fans. Herrion said he has followed Rugg since the former walk-on’s high school days, as he recruited Rugg’s teammate. “I remember seeing Clancy when he was a young kid, and he was really, really skinny, really weak, when he was a high school kid,” Herrion said. “So he kind of flew under the radar screen from a recruiting standpoint, but then he went to Vermont as a walk-on, and now, four, five, six years later, I’ve seen how far this kid has come as a player. I just think he’s a really, really good basketball player.” Voelkel and Rugg will lead Vermont into one of the most challenging non-conference schedules of any team in
the America East. The 14-game slate kicks off against Saint Joseph’s and also features the likes of Providence, Duke, Illinois State and Harvard. Becker hopes to use the challenging schedule leading up to conference play as a means to see “where [they] are as a team, and what [they] need to get better at.” If the Catamounts learned anything from last season, it’s that preseason rankings, the nonconference schedule and even America East play only matter if they’re playing their best basketball when it counts most. “Everyone understands that it’s going to be a process, the non-conference schedule,” Becker said. “We can’t really get too high or too low and worry as much about the wins and losses but just get better as a team and really understand what we are and what we need to get better at, so that as we go into league play, we’re playing better. And hopefully by the end of league play, we’re playing our best basketball and poised to do what we weren’t able to do last year.”
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STONY BROOK Provided by Newsday.com
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Pikiell, Seawolves approach post-Tommy Brenton era with confidence Ari Kramer | Sports Editor No coach seeks the challenge of replacing a star, but the inherent, ever-changing nature of college basketball leaves no other option. Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell is no stranger to finding a way to win without a former standout. In 2010-11, his Seawolves won 15 games a season after 2010 America East Player of the Year Muhammad El-Amin played his final collegiate game. Two seasons later, Stony Brook overcame Bryan Dougher’s graduation to win a program-best 25 games. Tommy Brenton, who doubled as the 2013 America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, starred for that 25-win team. Now, he’s halfway across the world, suiting up for Link Tochigi Brex of Japan’s professional JBL Super League. “That’s a lot to lose,” Albany head coach Will Brown said. But Pikiell has succeeded in the past despite losing key players, and he plans on employing the same strategy he did in 201011 and 2012-13. “It’s always tough to replace a Player of the Year,” Pikiell said, “but you hope you have some guys that were in the program playing behind them that are now going to get an opportunity to play.” When Dougher graduated, Pikiell turned to then-junior guard Anthony Jackson, who rewarded his coach with 11.3 points per game and a 36.2 percent clip from 3-point range just one year after playing 12.4 minutes per game. Pikiell hopes senior forward Eric McAlister can be this year’s Anthony Jackson. McAlister, an athletic four-man who recorded 42 dunks as a junior, averaged 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game a year ago in Brenton’s shadow. In two preseason scrimmages, Pikiell said McAlister stood out as Stony Brook’s best player — and don’t forget the Seawolves also boast sophomore forward Jameel Warney, the America East’s preseason Player of the Year. “[McAlister’s] playing with more
confidence,” Pikiell said. “He’s bigger, he’s stronger, he’s making jump shots. And he’s now free to play. He’s not looking over his shoulder at Tommy.” But McAlister won’t be the only Seawolf with an expanded role. As a true point forward, Brenton had the ball in his hands as much as — if not more than — Stony Brook’s senior backcourt of Jackson and Dave Coley. That duo combined for 22.4 points per game but just 3.3 assists per game, as Brenton led the team with 4.8 dimes per night. “I think there’s pressure on Dave and A.J.,” Pikiell said. “They’re all-league caliber guards, and they need to play like all-league guards. Those guys are very important to us.” They’ll have help in the form of Warney, a 6-foot-8 forward, who can also pass well out of the post. “Jameel has the ball more in the post, and he’s a real good post passer,” Pikiell said. “We’re getting him involved a lot more with the offense.” Pikiell also said Warney will be one of the conference’s most improved players, a statement that should terrify opposing coaches. Warney took the America East by storm as a freshman, a refined post player with a big body and a variety of moves. If he has improved his shooting touch as much as Pikiell claims, Warney could be primed for one of the conference’s most memorable sophomore seasons. “He’s gained 10 pounds of good weight,” Pikiell said. “He had a great summer, so I’m very excited about his development.” In emails to Pipe Dream, opposing America East coaches have also mentioned sophomore guard Carson Puriefoy as a potential breakout
candidate. As a freshman, Puriefoy shot 36.1 percent from 3-point range and averaged 5.3 points in 14.8 minutes per game. Pikiell said he will play three guards at times this season, so Puriefoy could serve a key role for the Seawolves. “He’s the fastest guy in the program,” Pikiell said. “He’s gotten stronger. His perimeter game has improved. He’s shooting the ball better now. He’s going to play a lot of minutes. There’s no doubt he’s talented, and I’m excited about the kind of year he could have.” Despite the challenge of replacing Brenton, America East coaches ranked Stony Brook No. 2 in the preseason poll. Pikiell and his program have earned that respect, as winners of three of the last four regular season titles. There’s a decent chance, however, that Stony Brook’s nonconference record will
superficially invalidate the coaches’ pick. The Seawolves will face a loaded schedule in the weeks leading up to America East play. Games against No. 14 VCU and 2013 Sweet 16 teams Indiana and La Salle highlight the challenging slate. “That’s who we have to play now,” Pikiell said. “You want to build confidence, you want to get your rotation set and you want to get ready for league play.” It won’t be easy. Neither will replacing Brenton. But Pikiell has been here before, and he’s accepting the challenge with open arms.
STONY BROOK BY THE NUMBERS Top Returning Scorers 1. Jameel Warney, 12.4 ppg 2. Anthony Jackson, 11.3 ppg 3. Dave Coley, 11.1 ppg
Top Returning Rebounders 1. Jameel Warney, 7.2 rpg 2. Dave Coley, 4.2 rpg 3. Eric McAlister, 2.8 rpg
Top Returning 3-pt. Shooters 1. Scott King, 39 percent 2. Anthony Jackson, 36.2 percent 3. Carson Puriefoy, 36.1 percent
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BASKETBALL PREVIEW
www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
HARTFORD
Provided by ESPN.com
With nearly every key player returning, Hawks look to get over hump Ashley Purdy | Assistant Sports Editor Fourteen months after opening the 2011-12 season with 13 straight losses, the Hartford men’s basketball team clinched the No. 3 seed in the 2013 America East tournament. But No. 6 seed UMBC prematurely ended the Hawks’ quest for an NCAA tournament berth, upsetting John Gallagher’s 17-win squad in the quarterfinals. The Hawks received a bid to the College Insider Tournament, where they fell to Rider in the first round. Though the 2012-13 Hawks became the first team in program history to earn a Division I postseason bid, Gallagher has his sights set on higher achievements in 2013-14.
“There’s always room for improvement,” he said. “Guys have to be committed to work hard and to doing the right things.” Losing just one starter — or half a starter, as graduate John Peterson more or less split the job with junior forward Nate Sikma — Hartford should skip the adjustment period of the early season and be able to get ahead on the team’s development. In fact, Gallagher said that they already have made some huge improvements
from last season. “I think we’re shooting the ball way better. We were a 33 percent 3-point shooting a game, I think now we’re more on the 38-39 percent range. I think we’re better with the ball — we’re not turning it over as much,” he said. “And then we’re continuing to work on our rebounding, and we focus on rebounding percentage, not rebounding numbers, so our rebounding percentage has gotten way better.” Led by junior forward Mark Nwakamma, the veteran Hawks will have the upper hand against teams coping with inexperienced rookies and transfers. Nwakamma, the team’s greatest asset, earned all-conference first team honors after last season when he ranked in the league’s top 10 in four different categories. He posted 14.7 points per game to lead his team and finish fifth overall in the conference, and he rounded out the other three categories with field goal percentage (seventh at 47.5 percent), steals (eighth at 1.4 per game) and blocked shots (ninth at 0.7 per game). He also led his team in rebounding, with 5.5 per game, a mark that ranked 14th in the conference. Gallagher mentioned that Nwakamma had his hands on the ball on 71 percent of the team’s plays last season — a huge number, but fitting for a dominant player. “Philosophically, we want to get the best player the ball the majority of the time,” he said. “That doesn’t mean he’s shooting it, it just means we’re playing it through him. So I like the number 71 percent of the time. I like that number.” Nwakamma, who grew even more impressive during last season’s 16game America East
slate, poured in a league-best 16.5 points per conference game. He’s not infallible, though, as evidenced by his 3.3 turnovers per game. “If [Nwakamma] is touching [the ball] 71 percent of the time, he’s going to have a higher turnover percentage,” Gallagher said. “But, it’s too high for us. It was a 1-1 ratio, and we want to make sure he’s making better decisions.” Gallagher will also return junior guard Yolonzo Moore II, junior guard Corban Wroe, sophomore guard Evan Cooper and Sikma, all of whom deserve attention in opponents’ scouting reports. Moore trailed Nwakamma in the team’s scoring rankings with an output of 9.2 points per game, maintained a team-high 2.6 assists per game and spent the most minutes on the floor. “[Moore] played the whole season hurt last year, and he still averaged close to 10 points per game,” Gallagher said. “I think he can be a consistent double-figure scorer for us.” Cooper shot a team-high 37.2 percent from deep while Sikma and junior guard Wes Cole each attempted more than four treys per game. Wroe, meanwhile, registered just 59 field goal attempts in 2012-13, but hustled and pestered opponents for 19.2 minutes per game. Gallagher said he likes his team’s depth, which allows his allotment of minutes to be flexible. Players, he added, will earn their minutes in practice. And that includes freshmen, too. “There’s always room for players to step up, whether they’re freshmen or incoming guys,” Gallagher said. “No job is ever given or granted to anyone. That’s why practice is so important … you should never underestimate the value of earning your minutes and earning your job.”
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www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
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ALBANY Provided by TimesUnion.com
Great Danes search for leadership after graduations of Iati, Black Ari Kramer | Sports Editor
When Gerardo Suero decided to go pro and Logan Aronhalt transferred to Maryland, Albany faced the tall task of replacing 35.3 points per game. But head coach Will Brown knew his 2012-13 squad could thrive anyway. “When we lost Suero and Aronhalt,” he said, “we automatically became a much better defensive team, a more unselfish team.” The fresh dynamic helped the Great Danes reel off nine wins in their first 11 games — including an upset of Washington. By season’s end, they were America East tournament champions twirling with No. 2 seed Duke in the Big Dance. Albany fell to the Blue Devils, 73-61, but stayed within striking distance until the final minutes thanks to Jacob Iati and Mike Black’s veteran play and 25 combined points. Black and Iati graduated in the spring, and, like Suero and Aronhalt, left a significant offensive void. While Brown felt confident about life post-Suero and Aronhalt, he said he’s not sure how to replace his top two scorers from a year ago. Together, Black and Iati accounted for 27 points per game. No other Great Dane averaged double figures. But Brown’s not concerned with addressing the scoring void, as a talented group of newcomers will crack the rotation. His lineup can score by committee. “I just don’t know if we’re going to have the leadership we had a year ago,” Brown said of his top two scorers. “Jacob Iati, in my 13 years at Albany, was probably the best leader we ever had, and I think replacing his leadership will be crucial to our success.” Iati spent four years in Brown’s program, but he sat the 2009-10 season after transferring from High Point. So in total, he spent five years as a student-athlete. “He was another fifth-year senior that kind of had to earn his way early. He was a determined kid,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said. “When you have that kind of leadership, those are the x-factors that are real important to programs.” And you can’t replace them with the snap
of a finger. A month ago, Brown didn’t know where to turn for a new leadership figure, but senior forward and captain Luke Devlin has emerged as a candidate in the weeks leading up to the season. A spell of injuries hampered Devlin in 2011-12 and 2012-13, but Brown said the senior is “finally somewhat healthy.” He averaged 7.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game as a freshman, but his vocal leadership in 2013-14 could be just as vital as a return to that level of production on the floor. “Luke’s the guy that just never shuts up for two-plus hours every single day,” Brown said. “He’s just nonstop … He’s our most effective leader at this point.” Brown hopes two of Devlin’s fellow captains, sophomore guard Peter Hooley and junior forward Sam Rowley, can develop more leadership qualities as the season
progresses. It’s a process, and without a teammate like Iati to show the way, the coaches need to teach their players to lead, ease them into the role. “We don’t want Sam to be uncomfortable, so we’ve got to gradually give him little things that he can get better at,” Brown said. “Maybe say, ‘Hey, Sam, this is your drill in practice today. I need you to run it and organize it,’ or ‘Hey, Sam, I need you to be a little more talkative in the huddle since you’re not comfortable doing it in an open setting.’” “ I t ’ s almost like coming up with little
projects or little experiments where you put them in a position to lead for a few minutes at a time,” Brown added. Without an experienced leader like Iati, Albany could struggle at times, especially in the beginning of non-conference play. The Great Danes won’t battle a power conference team until New Year’s Eve when they’re scheduled to face Pittsburgh, but they’ll play seven of their first nine games on the road. Brown said he embraces the challenge of spending so much time away from home. “Sometimes your record might not be where you want it to be because you’re going on the road so much,” he said. “But I think going on the road toughens you up mentally, physically.” Perhaps it will also spit out a new leader or two.
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5 When former UMBC head coach Randy Monroe resigned just one month before last season, Aki Thomas had to fill the vacancy with an interim label. But Thomas impressed Charles Brown so much in 2012-13 that the director of athletics removed the interim tag, naming the former Howard standout the program’s head coach after he doubled the Retrievers’ win total and staged an upset of third-seeded Hartford in the America East quarterfinals. Of course, this was all done with the help of Ryan Cook, the league’s third-best scorer. The former Retriever scored 15.4 points per game and ranked fifth in the league with a 38.5 percent clip from long range. But Cook — a pro with OKK Sloboda Tuzla in the Bosnian Liga I — and sharpshooter Brian Neller are no longer with the program after exhausting their eligibility last season. “You can’t really replace a veteran scorer like [Cook] with just a player, sometimes not even two
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UMBC Retrievers on the up as Thomas sheds interim tag Ashley Purdy | Assistant Sports Editor
players. It has to be done collectively as a team,” Thomas said. “A veteran scorer like Cook, and Brian Neller — those guys are really invaluable. It takes time to become that kind of player at the college level, and they had the time to do that.” As a team, Thomas hopes to mitigate the losses of Cook and Neller by strengthening a defense that ranked last in the America East with 71.5 points allowed per game in 2012-13. “We really want to be able to get more stops on the defensive end than we’ve got in the past,” Thomas said, “and I think that’s going to be the biggest difference for the team from last year.” Senior forward Chase Plummer should provide some of that defensive security. The threeyear captain ranked seventh in the conference in rebounding last season with 6.4 per game, 11th in scoring with 11.8 points per game and second in steals, with 1.7 per game, all en route to earning allconference second-team honors. After fracturing a cheekbone and
missing the final 12 games of the season, classmate Brett Roseboro will also be an integral component of the Retrievers’ defense. After transferring from St. Bonaventure after the 2010-11 season, Roseboro debuted for UMBC last year with 49.1 percent shooting and 6.3 rebounds per game. “Those two guys are proven interior players in our league … and we’re looking for both of those guys to contribute on the inside, in rebounding and defensively. Especially defensively,” Thomas said. “Chase brings a level of offensive prowess to that position, and Brett is really one of the dominant defenders of our league interior-wise, being able to change shots and rebound the ball.” Junior guard Joey Getz will return as well. A year after averaging 5.8 points per game, Getz will have an expanded role in the offense. “He’s definitely talented and has the ability to [fill Cook’s role],” Thomas said. “I think this should be a coming out year, so to speak, for Joey.”
For the rest of their offense, Thomas will rely on some new faces, including freshman guards Will Darley and Rodney Elliott. Darley averaged 21 points and seven rebounds per game his senior year of high school, while Elliott led his team with 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals a contest during his. “Elliott’s, of course, a point guard and we need help in that position,” Thomas said. “Will Darley we’ll need; he’s a really good shooter, he’s an outside threat. We lost a lot of that in Brian Neller and Ryan Cook, so we’ll need shooting and [Darley’s] done a really tremendous job so far in practice.” So how high can the Retrievers jump this year? “[That’s] still up in the air. We’re really half returners and half new guys on the team,” Thomas said. “It’s going to come down to our chemistry and how we gel and how quickly that happens to determine the kind of success we can have this year.”
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BINGHAMTON
NEW HAMPSHIRE Wildcats look to Konan, Pelcher for scoring, leadership
Ashley Purdy | Assistant Sports Editor
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Provided by UNHWildcats.com
After losing his two leadings scorers in Ferg Myrick and Chandler Rhoads, New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion hoped to replace some of that scoring capacity with junior transfer Matt Miller. Miller, whose ability to shoot from the perimeter was well established at Division II Seton Hill, led his team as a sophomore with 20.1 points per game and converted 158 3-pointers in his two seasons there. But instead, Herrion ended up with an even larger gap in his offense when Miller tore his ACL in the first week of practice. “He’s out for the year, which is really unfortunate because Matt sat out last year and he was really excited and worked very hard and was ready to play this year, and he’s going to miss the season,” Herrion said. “So what we’re really going to miss with his being out is that he’s a terrific 3-point shooter, so we’ve got one less perimeter shooter with Matt out.” Herrion’s options still aren’t shoddy, however — he’ll return seniors Patrick Konan and Chris Pelcher, upon whom he’ll depend for much-needed leadership.
Konan, a 6-foot-6 forward, should be the team’s primary source of scoring and rebounding. With 11.8 points (No. 12) and 5.4 rebounds per game (No. 15), Konan returns as the only Wildcat to rank among the America East’s top-15 scorers and rebounders. Herrion will look to his No. 2 scoring man from last season to rise to No. 1 this year. “Patrick can really score,” Herrion said. “He’s a very streaky offensive player, but we need him to be more consistent offensively … He’s kind of now a go-to guy, so he’s going to really get guarded hard by other teams, and he’s going to have to make that adjustment and not be a onedimensional player.” But Herrion added that he doesn’t think that will be problematic for the fifth-year senior. Konan led the team with 48 made 3-pointers a year ago, and Herrion said the forward has already proven himself to be much more of a dynamic offensive player. After playing through a separated shoulder injury for the final two months of last season, then-junior center Chris Pelcher contributed 9.1 points and 6.3
rebounds per game and posted the Wildcats’ third highest shooting clip at 53.4 percent. Herrion expects a healthy Pelcher to play a key role in replacing Myrick and Rhoads. “Chris Pelcher is as good a back-to-the-basket post player as there is in this league. He’s got to be a guy that when we need baskets he’s kind of a go-to guy for us,” Herrion said. “He’s going to have to learn how to play and kind of beat double teams because people are going to really pay attention to him, defensively inside.” As far as being doubled goes, Pelcher’s numbers dropped during the conference season, when he attracted more attention. And now coaches, like Hartford’s John Gallagher, are paying even more attention to him. “I think Pelcher is one of the best big guys in the league,” Gallagher said. “He’s really a dominant type of player, and I think he’s a double-double type of guy … I think with Patrick Konan, he’s really developed into a player.” So as long as Pelcher manages to find a way out of those pressurized situations, he could
have a big senior year. But, as Herrion said, the team will need leadership. UNH recruited five freshmen, and Herrion said that all of them will have to play. So far, power forward Jacoby Armstrong has impressed the Wildcats the most with his physicality, and Herrion expects that he will play immediately. But he’s confident in all of his recruits, at least offensively. “We’ve got five freshman, and all five freshmen are going to have to play for us,” Herrion said. “They can all play on the offensive end of the floor. We can put them in a college game and they can play offensively. I think the biggest adjustment that freshmen make coming from high school or prep school to college is on the defensive end of the floor.” Which is where guys like Konan and Pelcher come in. “The first thing we need from Patrick and Chris is — because they’re both fifth-year seniors, they’re both transfers, so they’ve been playing college basketball for a while — I think the first thing we need,” Herrion said, “is for both of them to be leaders and to play like leaders.”
www.bupipedream.com | November 8, 2013
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
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Commentary: Don't buy coaches' crap about Black Bears Ari Kramer | Sports Editor Addition by subtraction. It’s a comforting platitude, especially to a coach whose roster was ravaged by transfers, defections and graduations. Maine head coach Ted Woodward knew he would need to replace graduating starting forward Mike Allison in 2013-14. He couldn’t, however, have anticipated the mass exodus of players that would leave Maine in the spring. Alasdair Fraser, Justin Edwards and Jon Mesghna each announced they would leave Woodward’s program within weeks of the team’s heartbreaking America East quarterfinals loss to Albany. Outside of Stony Brook’s Jameel Warney, Fraser was the league’s most formidable post presence. Edwards rivaled Binghamton’s Jordan Reed for best athlete and narrowly edged the then-freshman
for the scoring title, while Mesghna shot 38.3 percent from long range. You can’t simply replace that, especially with Allison’s graduation exacerbating the dire situation. But that’s the tall task staring Woodward in the face as the new college basketball season tips off. He says he’ll be fine, that he likes his team. Rival coaches say Maine should be competitive, that addition by subtraction could actually come to fruition up in Orono. Don’t buy the crap. Coaches pay heed to their own adaptation of life’s Golden Rule. They won’t criticize or speak negatively about one of their peers on the record because they don’t want to deal with the return jabs and other potentially damaging repercussions, like lighting a fire under an opponent. The only time you’ll hear
a coach lay into one of his or her contemporaries is on a controversial topic — think about the Rick PitinoJim Boeheim feud over realignment. There’s no apparent controversy at Maine — though such a spate of notable transfers and defections at least raises a red flag — so the America East coaches whom Pipe Dream asked about Maine’s uphill battle invariably said Woodward’s squad would be just fine. These same coaches picked Maine to finish eighth out of nine teams in the preseason poll, in front of UMass Lowell but behind New Hampshire, Binghamton and UMBC, three teams also coping with roster turnover. There’s obviously a reason. The Black Bears’ two key returning players are Xavier Pollard and Zarko Valjarevic — a questionable decision maker
and a shooter. Woodward signed a few well-respected recruits, most notably Parade All-American Garet Beal. But Maine undoubtedly faces a challenging transition period. The Black Bears will field a thin frontcourt a year after boasting one of the most formidable in the America East. They don’t have an established playmaker like Edwards, who averaged 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game last year. Take Mesghna out of the picture, and Valjarevic returns as Maine’s top 3-point threat at 33.8 percent. Maybe some of the newcomers can at least plug the leak. We’ll see. Addition by subtraction is a comforting phrase. But if you root for Maine, don’t rely on it.
Erik Bacharach | Assistant Sports Editor
Provided by EnterpriseNews.com
UMASS LOWELL River Hawks face long road to Division I success
The UMass Lowell River Hawks have already lost two of their most exciting players to season-ending injuries. They’ve spent the offseason adjusting to new head coach Pat Duquette. And they open up their 2013-14 campaign against last year’s national runner-up, University of Michigan. Who said the transition to Division I wouldn’t be easy? The River Hawks are set to begin their first season in college basketball’s top tier, after reaching the NCAA Division II tournament in four of the past five seasons. Last year, the team went 15-13 and sunk to eighth place in the Northeast-10 Conference. Albany head coach Will Brown, who was with his program in its Division I infancy, said progress occurs slowly for a transitioning team. “If I had to tell Pat Duquette anything, I would tell him that it’s a journey,” Brown said. “It’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. Until he gets his players in there — and it’s going to take a while because it’s going to be hard to get kids until you’re getting closer to being eligible to play in the conference tournament and then the NCAA tournament — I would tell him to roll up his sleeves and go to work.” Obstacles and challenges aside, making the leap to Division I with a new head coach at the helm seems appropriate. For Duquette, the chance to build something from scratch the way he sees fit couldn’t be a more enticing situation. “I think it’s a perfect opportunity for a first-year head coach to come into a situation where you can really
build it from the ground up,” Brown said. Duquette lost one of his key building blocks this offseason, however, to a torn ACL. Freshman guard Jahad Thomas, who Duquette said would run his offense, will miss all of 2013-14. Senior forward Antonio Bivins also suffered an ACL injury during the summer and won’t suit up for year one of the Duquette era. At 6-foot-5, Bivins was one of UML’s most imposing players a year ago, averaging 15.5 points and 7.4 rebounds, while starting all 28 games. Both players will redshirt this season and have an extra year of eligibility. “It obviously slows us down in the short term,” Duquette said. “But they’ll be back.” With the injuries, UMass Lowell will be even more reliant upon senior Akeem Williams. The 5-foot-10 guard led the Northeast-10 with 19.9 points per game last season and earned firstteam all-conference honors. Still, while Williams is the clear focal point of the River Hawks’ attack, Duquette remains adamant about not putting too much pressure on his leading scorer. “We’re going to rely heavily on Akeem. He’s got more experience and talent than most guys on our team,” Duquette said. “But at the same time, I don’t want him feeling like he’s got to do more than he’s capable of because then he’s not going to play to his potential. So he’s got to find a balance between being aggressive and taking on a lot of responsibility, but also sharing and using his teammates.”
One of those teammates is junior guard Chad Holley. Only Bivins and Holley started all 28 games for UMass Lowell in 2012-13, and Holley also posted 11.2 points and 3.2 assists per game. He’s shown he’s capable of the 25-point nights he had in the River Hawks’ 82-65 win over Le Moyne the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference tournament. “[Holley’s] role definitely increases this year,” Duquette said, “especially with the injuries.” Even with the few bright spots, it’s no surprise that America East coaches picked the River Hawks to finish last in the preseason poll. “Realistically, that’s where we expected to be picked,” Duquette said. “When you’re picked that low and other peoples’ expectations are that low, it’s a lot of fun trying to prove them wrong.” While the 16 America East games the River Hawks are scheduled for this season will allow them plenty of opportunities for upsets, the NCAA requires programs to complete four seasons of Division I basketball before earning postseason eligibility. While the wait isn’t necessarily a positive, it gives Duquette and his team plenty of time to establish a brand. “Most importantly, we’re working hard at instilling our own culture into this program, developing a work ethic and defining a style of play that’s going to make up UMass Lowell,” Duquette said. “I think that by doing that, we’re preparing our current players to be as competitive as we can in the short term. But we’re also laying the foundation for our future success at the same time. We’re doing both.”
Sports
2013 - 2014 Basketball Special
vs. Bloomsburg (Exhibition) W 48-47
11/8
vs. Loyola Md. 8 p.m
11/10
@ Brown 3:30 p.m.
11/13
@ Cornell 7 p.m.
11/16
vs. Navy 2 p.m.
11/23
vs. Radford 2 p.m.
11/26
@ St. Peter’s 7 p.m.
11/2
vs. Colgate 2 p.m.
12/4
@ Mount St. Mary’s 7 p.m.
12/7
@ Syracuse 7 p.m.
12/14
@ Monmouth 7 p.m.
12/23
@ Buffalo 12 p.m.
12/28
vs. Bryant 2 p.m.
12/13
@ St. Joseph’s 2 p.m.
1/5
@ Maine* 4:30 p.m.
1/9
vs. New Hampshire* 7 p.m.
1/11
vs. UMass Lowell* 4:30 p.m
1/15
@ Stony Brook* 7 p.m.
1/20
@ Albany* 7 p.m.
12/28
vs. Hartford* 7 p.m.
1/26
@ Vermont* 7 p.m.
1/29
vs. UMBC* 7 p.m.
2/1
@ UMass Lowell* 2 p.m.
2/4
vs. Stony Brook* 7 p.m.
2/8
vs. Maine* 2 p.m.
2/12
@ New Hampshire* 7 p.m.
2/19
vs. Albany* 7 p.m.
2/27
@ Hartford* 7 p.m.
3/2
vs. Vermont* 2 p.m.
3/7
America East quarterfinals TBD
Men's Basketball
Schedule
11/2
*Denotes America East game
Friday, November 8, 2013