Category: LIU Brooklyn

NEC Tournament First Round: Recaps and Highlights

Given all of the so-called parity in the NEC this season, several teams expected to finish in the upper third of the league did just that. No one was all that surprised to find Robert Morris, Wagner and LIU Brooklyn hosting home playoff games, with Bryant serving as the Cinderella story of the group. All four clubs won at least 12 NEC games; therefore KenPom pegged each as moderate to heavy favorites for tonight’s matchups. Frankly, it isn’t all that shocking given the numbers listed below, courtesy of NEC Associate Commissioner Ron Ratner:

  • Home teams have posted a 18-2 record in the quarterfinals over the last five years.
  • All four home teams hosting tonight were a combined 43-11 in their friendly confines before tonight’s action.
  • In the last seven seasons, the #1, #2, and #3 seeded teams of the tournament were 21-0 versus their quarterfinals competition.

In other words, history was not on the underdog’s side. But this is why we play the games, so allow us to recap and highlight the first round of the fabulous NEC tournament.

#1 Robert Morris 75, #8 St. Francis Brooklyn 57
History was certainly against the Terriers heading into this one, with Robert Morris compiling an exceptional NEC tournament record of 10-2 in the previous four seasons. St. Francis did nothing to thwart that trend, as the Terriers went quietly into the night never once threatening to become the first #8 seed to win since 1984. Robert Morris was dominant on the defensive end, forcing 16 turnovers and holding Glenn Braica’s club to 0.88 points per possession (PPP). The Colonials are now 12-1 on the season when they hold their conference opponents to under 1.00 PPP. Karvel Anderson, bum wrist and all, scored a game high 20 points with four rainmakers. Senior Russell Johnson registered 19 points and seven rebounds, while Lucky Jones also grabbed seven caroms to go along with 16 points. Jalen Cannon and Dre Calloway scored an efficient 29 points on 14 shots, but the rest of the Terrier roster only managed to make nine of 33 shot attempts. St. Francis concludes their season with a final record of 12-18.

#5 Mount St. Mary’s 75, #4 Bryant 69
Mount St. Mary’s continued their hot streak by winning their eighth straight game to stun the Bryant Bulldogs, 75-69, in front of a packed house in Smithfield, RI. It was the first playoff win for the Mount since the days of Milan Brown, thanks to a second half surge that saw the Mount outscore their opponent, 47-34. The Bulldogs, led by Alex Francis and Vlad Kondratyev’s combined 20 first half points, led at the break by seven. But Jamion Christian’s defense attacked in the second half, mounting a comeback fueled by nine Bulldog turnovers, some clutch shooting, and severe foul trouble by Bryant. Overall, it wasn’t a great shooting night for the Mount, but the team made a season high 26 of 27 free throws to provide separation at the end. Four Mountaineers scored in double figures, led by Rashad Whack’s 19 points paired with eight rebounds. It was Christian’s first playoff win of his career, and now he’ll get a chance for a second victory at the Chuck on Saturday afternoon. Only five players scored for Bryant, who found themselves in severe foul trouble throughout. Alex Francis logged a game high 25 points.

#3 LIU Brooklyn 91, #6 Quinnipiac 83
For the second straight season, Tom Moore’s Bobcats fell to LIU in the NEC playoffs. Quinnipiac had second half leads in both games, but failed to hold on. After leading by as many as nine points in this one, LIU embarked on a 14-5 run to tie the game at 75 all. From there, a back and forth battle ensued leading to six players eventually fouling out. But in the end, LIU Brooklyn’s experience pulled through thanks to C.J. Garner’s 30 points. Despite playing only 25 minutes due to foul trouble, NEC POY Jamal Olasewere scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds, and handed out four assists. Quinnipiac’s season likely comes to an end (barring an unlikely invitation from the CIT or CBI), but Moore can rest assured that Ousmane Drame should be a dominant force down low next season. Drame scored 23 points in the defeat and ends his season averaging 14.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest over the final 12 games. Senior Jamee Jackson finishes his career with 10 points and nine rebounds. For Ray Curren’s guest post about the game go here.

#2 Wagner 72, #7 Central Connecticut 50
Wagner turned back the clock and played some Dan Hurley inspired defense to smother CCSU from the opening tip in a dominating first round victory. Led by Jonathan Williams’ 20 points and six rebounds, the Seahawks built a commanding 14 point lead at the half after holding CCSU to only 22% shooting. Things didn’t get any better for Howie Dickenman’s kids, as they shot 25% and committed 11 turnovers versus only four assists for the game. Kyle Vinales and Matthew Hunter combined to miss 25 of their 35 shots, with the more athletic and deeper Seahawks pestering the Blue Devils all night. Offensively, it wasn’t a great effort for Bashir Mason’s Seahawks, but they did just enough to comfortably win their 11th home game of the season. Like Christian, Bashir Mason is now in the win column for the NEC playoffs. Not bad at all for a 28-year-old.

Top Performances of the Night
C.J. Garner, LIU Brooklyn – The senior was the man with Jamal Olasewere helplessly watching from the bench, scoring 17 of his game high 30 points in the second half.
Russell Johnson, Robert Morris – The most consistent frontcourt presence for Andy Toole all season shined once again, filling up the stat sheet with 19 points, eight rebounds, and five steals. As far as game efficiency ratings are concerned, tonight was the best game of Johnson’s career.

Biggest Surprise of the Night
Mount Mayhem – After trailing by seven points at the half, Mount St. Mary’s defense dug in and shutdown the best offense of the NEC for the second half. The Mount held Bryant to only 1.00 PPP and 40.7% from the floor for the final 20 minutes, which may not seem like much, until you realize Bryant was scoring at a 1.14 PPP rate and shooting 47.9% for the NEC season.

NEC Semifinals Schedule
Saturday, March 9th, Noon: #3 LIU Brooklyn at #2 Wagner
Saturday, March 9th, 2:30 PM: #5 Mount St. Mary’s at #1 Robert Morris

Our NEC Individual Awards for the 2012-13 Season

Rather than have John and I release our consensus NEC individual awards, we decided to give each of us a say in who we would choose. As you’ll see, there was some disagreement for a couple of the categories, and we here at Big Apple Buckets support the First Amendment! Onto the five major awards… Continue reading “Our NEC Individual Awards for the 2012-13 Season” →

Our All-NEC Conference Teams: A Difficult Exercise Indeed

It was the year of parity and unpredictably in the NEC, and that notion certainly extends out to our all-conference awards. There are several worthy candidates, so it was a challenging exercise for John and I to sort out our All-NEC first, second, and third teams. For our individual awards, including Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, etc., go here. So without further ado, let’s begin! Continue reading “Our All-NEC Conference Teams: A Difficult Exercise Indeed” →

NEC Saturday Recap: Playoffs Matches Are Set

It’s hard to believe, but the NEC regular season came to an end today. Playoff spots were solidified and first round playoff match-ups have been determined, so let’s sort through the final Saturday of the NEC season.

St. Francis Brooklyn 92, Sacred Heart 80
The widely hyped play-in playoff game lacked the drama throughout, as St. Francis coasted their way to an easy victory and locked up a date with the Robert Morris Colonials next Wednesday. After a second half Pioneer spurt cut the Terriers lead to eight points, Sacred Heart would get no closer thanks to an atrocious defensive effort that allowed 1.33 points per possession. Glenn Braica’s Terriers made 53.1% of their shots for the game, hit 12 bombs from behind the arc, and possessed a superb assist to turnover ratio of 1.78. Ben Mockford led the attack with 22 points, followed by the frontcourt duo of Akeem Johnson and Jalen Cannon, who each had 15 points. Johnson scored his 1,000 point for his career in the victory. In the loss, Shane Gibson ended his career with a bang, scoring a game high 29 points on 12 of 21 shooting. Gibson’s one man show, however, wasn’t enough to overcome a porous Pioneer defense that only forced nine Terrier turnovers. It was the seventh straight loss for Sacred Heart and continues a string of four consecutive seasons with a losing record inside the conference. Read John’s full recap here.

LIU Brooklyn 96, Quinnipiac 90
Jack Perri’s two most important seniors, Jamal Olasewere and C.J. Garner, combined for 63 points and 15 rebounds, willing the Blackbirds to a season finale victory at the WRAC over Quinnipiac. The fast paced affair (151 total possessions) started off well enough for Tom Moore’s squad, with the Bobcats racing out to a first half lead of 11 points. The Blackbirds countered out of halftime with a 16-0 run, giving them a lead they would not relinquish. After a sluggish first half offensively, LIU exploded for a season best 62 points in the second stanza. Dave Johnson paced the Bobcats with a season high 24 points, while Ousmane Drame continued his dominance down low with 21 points (on 10 shots) and six rebounds. These two teams will meet up again in the first round of the NEC tournament.

Wagner 67, Monmouth 57
Monmouth closed out their disappointing season with a loss to Wagner on Senior Night. Monmouth’s threesome of seniors – Jesse Steele, Ed Waite, and Marcus Ware – were stymied by Wagner’s defense, as they were only able to muster a combined 26 points on 31 shots. As a whole, tonight was the 13th time in 18 conference games that King Rice’s offense failed to register more than 1.00 point per possession. (They’re 1-12 when that happens). For Wagner, the win secures a #2 seed and gives the Seahawks home court advantage throughout the semifinals. Despite committing 16 turnovers versus only five assists, the Seahawks manufactured enough offense via the charity stripe – 23 made free throws – to earn the victory. Jonathan Williams ended the regular season with his second double double of the year, registering 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Bryant 85, St. Francis (PA) 60
Bryant was able to put their bitter Thursday defeat to Robert Morris in the rear view mirror, as they confidently dispatched the inferior Red Flash by more than 20 points for the second time this season. Six players scored in double figures for Tim O’Shea, led by (surprise surprise) Alex Francis with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Corey Maynard added 18 points. The Bulldogs scored at will, achieving their season high of 1.41 points per possession and brought up their average to a NEC best 1.14 points per possession. On the flip side, St. Francis now has undergone eight consecutive losing seasons for a combined record of 55-178. The rebuilding project continues to chug along in Loretto, but Rob Krimmel does possess some respectable pieces moving forward.

Mount St. Mary’s 103, Fairleigh Dickinson 82
Talk about two teams heading in opposite directions. Saturday afternoon’s matchup did little to change that on FDU’s Senior Day, as Jamion Christian’s Mount enjoyed their finest offensive performance of the season. Shivaughn Wiggins led the Mountaineers with 28 points on only nine shots, while Sam Prescott added 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists. It was the ultimate team effort with nine Mountaineers scoring and logging at least 11 minutes of action. The win caps off a phenomenal finish to the season and catapults the Mount to fifth place in the standings. The loss mercifully brings the Greg Vetrone era to an end, with the Knights missing their third straight NEC postseason. Seniors Melquan Bolding and Kinu Rochford were their usual efficient selves in defeat, scoring 19 and 14 points, respectively. It was the 14th straight loss for FDU.

Robert Morris 81, Central Connecticut 61
In a game that meant very little to either team, Robert Morris raced out to an early first half advantage and coasted to an easy double-digit victory to conclude their regular season. Andy Toole wasn’t terribly cautious with his banged up senior class on the final Saturday of the season, and they produced on the court. Velton Jones finished with 12 points, seven assists and four steals, while senior Russell Johnson led the team with 20 points. Lucky Jones threw in a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) for good measure. It was one of the poorest shooting performances by CCSU for the season with the Blue Devils only making 19 of their 40 two-pointers and 2 of their 19 three-pointers.

Final NEC Standings
1) Robert Morris, 14-4
2) Wagner, 12-6
3) LIU Brooklyn, 12-6
4) Bryant, 12-6
5) Mount St. Mary’s, 11-7
6) Quinnipiac, 11-7
7) Central Connecticut, 9-9
8) St. Francis Brooklyn, 8-10
9) Sacred Heart, 7-11
10) St. Francis (PA), 5-13
11) Monmouth, 5-13
12) Fairleigh Dickinson, 2-16
*Wagner has tiebreakers on LIU and Bryant based on head-to-head-to-head record (3-1)
*Mount St. Mary’s has tiebreaker on Quinnipiac based on head-to-head record (1-0)

NEC Playoff First Round
Wednesday night, March 6th
#8 seed St. Francis Brooklyn at #1 seed Robert Morris
#5 seed Mount St. Mary’s at #4 seed Bryant
#6 seed Quinnipiac at #3 seed LIU Brooklyn
#7 seed Central Connecticut at #2 seed Wagner

The NEC Playoff Picture: A Q&A With Myself

Rather than tire you all with an exhaustive summary of the NEC playoff picture, I decided to ask myself several questions about the last week of NEC regular season play! There are so many things that can still change the complexion of the conference’s playoff race, so if you feel something isn’t factual here, please let me know in the comments section. Before we begin, please familiarize yourself with the updated NEC standings: Continue reading “The NEC Playoff Picture: A Q&A With Myself” →

Three New York Players Named Lou Henson Finalists

Three local players have been named finalists for the Lou Henson award, which is given by CollegeInsider to the top mid-major player in the country. Tommy Brenton of Stony Brook, Jamal Olasewere of LIU Brooklyn and Momo Jones of Iona are all candidates for their conference’s Player of the Year awards as well. Continue reading “Three New York Players Named Lou Henson Finalists” →

Mount St. Mary’s Continues Dominance at Home, Defeats LIU Brooklyn

To the casual fan observing from afar, nothing probably seemed amiss with LIU Brooklyn’s effort after nearly 28 minutes of play in Emmitsburg, MD. Despite getting limited contributions from Jamal Olasewere and Jason Brickman, the first place Blackbirds were leading the Mount, 53-50. E.J. Reed scored 20 first half points and had the team playing with a little cockiness and swagger you’d expect from the back-to-back defending champs.

The only problem was head coach Jack Perri wasn’t buying it one bit. To him, the three-point lead was a farce, a mere aberration based on what he had seen out of his team earlier in the week.

“For the first week in a while, our guys didn’t prepare the same way, they didn’t care the same way,” said a disappointed Perri after the game. “We did a good job of [preparing] since the Wagner game and we struggled with that this week. For whatever the reason, we were out of it. I tried to warn them. I tried to get them ready…I could see this coming.”

So when LIU lost their second half lead in the blink of an eye, it came as no surprise to the first year head coach. Three consecutive three-pointers by Kelvin Parker and Rashad Whack sparked a 9-0 run and gave the Mount a six point advantage midway through the second half. It was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish to the delight of the feverish crowd on hand.

One person’s delight though is another person’s dismay, and Perri was clearly disgusted at his team’s execution in two facets: The 20 turnovers Mount St. Mary’s forced throughout the game and their porous perimeter defense that allowed the Mount to sink 11 of 25 three-pointers, including six rainmakers from junior Rashad Whack.

Whack led the Mountaineers with 26 points – 16 of them in the pivotal second half – to go along with three assists and three steals. It was the eleventh time this season Whack led the Mount in scoring for the game, and the fourth time the junior had broken the 20 point barrier.

In all, five Mount players logged an efficiency rating north of ten for the game, but it was Jamion Christian mainly praising the inside presence of 6’8″ center Raven Barber as a key catalyst for the team’s second half run.

“Raven Barber was an unbelievable force,” said Christian. “We challenged him [to produce] in the under eight timeout to just do more. Fly around, play with some freedom and he did that. I definitely thought he was the difference in the game.”

After playing ten uneventful minutes in the first half, Barber stepped in and sparked the Mount with eight points and six rebounds in the second stanza. His toughness, along with freshman Shivaughn Wiggins, helped keep the Blackbirds at bay on offense, holding them to a respectable 0.95 points per possession. It was LIU’s second worst offensive output for the conference season.

LIU Brooklyn’s offensive struggles can certainly be pinned on the poor play of Jamal Olasewere and Jason Brickman. Olasewere played a NEC low 20 minutes, as he found himself in constant foul trouble throughout the second half. In fact, when the senior picked up his fourth personal foul (third offensive), the Mount then embarked on a 13-4 run to take a commanding nine-point lead deep into the second half. For Perri, Olasewere was the main culprit for LIU’s lackidasical attitude leading up to the game.

“I’m telling you, this one started well before the game even started,” reiterated Perri. “[Jamal] was one of the big reasons why, I don’t know what it was, but I could sense that he was out of it. I don’t know if he was trying to do too much, he was just out of it. I didn’t see the same Jamal as I know.”

Jason Brickman struggled as well, giving the ball up six times while only scoring 11 points on as many shots. Mount St. Mary’s freshman Shivaughn Wiggins was given the assignment of guarding the best point guard of the NEC, and his coach was incredibly proud of the freshman’s effort.

“I’ve said it time and time again, I don’t think there’s a better on-ball defender in the league,” gushed Christian. “[Shivaughn] did an unbelievable job on [Brickman] tonight. [Shivaughn’s] ability to guard the basketball has really changed the dynamic of our team.”

“Shivaughn just gives you some toughness. He’s not afraid to mix it up and go in there and get some of those crazy rebounds or take a charge. And for 35, 36 minutes, he’s going to guard the other team’s point guard and never need a break. He’s just given our team a different dynamic with the way he can score the ball in the lane.”

Christian gladly continued when asked if Wiggins deserves the NEC Rookie of the Year award at season’s end. “I think there’s no better player in the league as a rookie, because of what he’s done for our team defensively.”

E.J. Reed registered a career high 25 points on 12 shots and corralled a team high nine rebounds in the defeat. The versatile and athletic Reed served as the lone bright spot for the now second place Blackbirds. They’ll travel to Wagner for an enormous Sunday night showdown that should help decide who gets a home playoff game in the first round of the NEC tournament. How will Perri get his team ready for the challenge?

“Hopefully it’s a wakeup call and we’ll see tomorrow and Saturday and get ready for Wagner.”

Mount St. Mary’s will host St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday, in a pivotal battle that will surely shape the bottom half of the NEC tournament draw. It will be the last home game of the season for Christian’s group, who now holds an excellent 9-2 record at the Mount.

NEC Thursday Recap: Playoff Picture Still Murky For Some

The second to last Thursday of the NEC regular season had some fantastic finishes and did little to clean up the race to the NEC postseason. Let’s recap all of the action… Continue reading “NEC Thursday Recap: Playoff Picture Still Murky For Some” →