Conference season is winding down and my end-of-season NIT projection is starting to look quite similar to some “if the season ended today” NCAA Tournament projections. I released a new bracket this morning and it’s probably time I took a moment to discuss some of the more controversial points. Continue reading “Discussing the NIT: Feb. 19, 2018”
Author: jtemplon
Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Return of the Mak-ai
Inside this week: A long-lost star returns, the playoff races heat up, and we dive deep on the national 3-on-3 tournament that launches this postseason. Don’t miss our weekend coverage of Princeton’s nightmare collapse , Penn’s unlikely hero at Columbia, and Yale’s impressive win at Dartmouth. Continue reading “Ivy League Weekly Roundup: Return of the Mak-ai”
Powerful First Half Close Pushes Manhattan Past Niagara
A 17-4 run over the final five minutes of the first half helped Manhattan fend off Niagara and pull even at 8-8 in conference play. The Jaspers maintained a double-digit advantage through most of the second half en route to an 82-72 victory. Continue reading “Powerful First Half Close Pushes Manhattan Past Niagara”
Hartford Ends All Vermont’s Streaks, Will It Matter In March?
Perhaps the most amazing thing about a streak like Vermont’s is taking perspective when it finally ends. The Catamounts had the longest current win streak in the nation (15), hadn’t lost a regular season conference game in more than two years (33 games), and had the country’s second-longest home win streak nationally (22, and would have been tops if Vermont had won, as Cincinnati lost later in the day to Wichita State).
But it was a poised, veteran, well-coached Hartford squad that came to Patrick Gym and finally wiped all those streaks off the board with a 69-68 upset in front of a sellout crowd of 3,168. While the Hawks hope the ultimate culmination will come in the America East finals in three weeks, this win will show the national crowd just how far Hartford has come since posting a 19-46 record the last two seasons (and just 8-24 in America East).
Continue reading “Hartford Ends All Vermont’s Streaks, Will It Matter In March?”
Columbia Prolongs Princeton’s Nightmare Behind Hot Shooting
Just three weeks ago, Princeton looked like a legitimate contender for the Ivy League title. The Tigers had blown out two of their first three conference opponents, they had won seven of nine D-I games overall, and a team full of shooters gave them the league’s most fearsome offense.
Just a game and a half ago, Princeton looked to be getting back on track. True, the Tigers had lost four straight games, but they had found their shooting stroke to lead Cornell by 22 points midway through the second half. Given the results around the league, they were about to pull back into a tie for fourth place with a good chance to get back to the conference tournament, where who knows what would happen? Continue reading “Columbia Prolongs Princeton’s Nightmare Behind Hot Shooting”
With Mason’s Return Imminent, Yale Might Be Contender
One of the benefits of having nearly two decades of experience in charge for Yale coach James Jones is to let other people do the worrying about his team for him.
Two weeks ago, the Bulldogs were 2-4 in Ivy League play and appeared to have a very good chance of missing the Ivy League Tournament, despite the fact Yale was picked to win the conference in preseason. Injuries to Makai Mason and Jordan Bruner changed those plans a bit, but Jones and Yale have finished in fourth or better in Ivy play for an amazing 17 straight seasons.
Continue reading “With Mason’s Return Imminent, Yale Might Be Contender”
Unlikely Hero Devon Goodman Leads Penn Past Columbia
In practice leading up to Friday night’s game, Penn point guard Devon Goodman was not high on Columbia’s scouting report.
Goodman’s last competitive playing time had come a very long month ago — coincidentally, against the Lions — when he was scoreless in four ineffective minutes, finally losing his tenuous place in Penn’s rotation. Even in the Quakers’ practices this week, he was playing on the scout team, aping Columbia point guard Mike Smith. Continue reading “Unlikely Hero Devon Goodman Leads Penn Past Columbia”
Niagara Overcomes Scott Injury To Take Down Iona
The Niagara Purple Eagles laid claim to third place in the MAAC and remain in the hunt for the league’s top spot with a thrilling 85-84 win over Iona in New Rochelle. Continue reading “Niagara Overcomes Scott Injury To Take Down Iona”
Hofstra Takes Down William & Mary Behind Gustys’ 20/20 Effort
With eyes turning toward the rapidly-approaching Colonial Athletic Association tournament, Hofstra took a step forward in the battle for desirable seeding with a 90-84 win over William & Mary Thursday night. Continue reading “Hofstra Takes Down William & Mary Behind Gustys’ 20/20 Effort”
MAAC Weekly Recap & Power Rankings – February 14
There’s a lot to love about the MAAC as we hit the final two weeks of the regular season. Rider and Canisius have separated themselves as the top two teams in the league, and because sports are so great, we get to see the two of them square off in New Jersey on Sunday! Continue reading “MAAC Weekly Recap & Power Rankings – February 14”
NYC Buckets Archive 