Category: LIU Brooklyn

Week 2 NEC summary: The good, the bad, and the ugly

It’s a touch late, but there was a lot to add to my second serving of the NEC’s the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Before the weekend, I was ready to stick the entire conference into the Ugly section, since the NEC was devoid of a meaningful non-conference win. What big victory was there to hang the conference’s hat on? Does St. Francis College beating Lafayette on the road get you excited? How about Monmouth at home versus a shorthanded Hofstra squad? Or can I interest you in Robert Morris’ drubbing of Atlantic 10 doormat Fordham?

Nothing had trickled my fancy, but then the weekend came. A bunch of NEC programs and their performances stood out, so let’s dive right into the Thanksgiving edition of the Big Apple Buckets’ weekly NEC summary!

The Good

  • Paradise Never Felt So Good – Quinnipiac gave the NEC its first quality non-conference win when they slid past Iona in the first round of the Paradise Jam Tournament. Jamee Jackson had a sensational game (19 points, ten rebounds, one turnover, six of seven shooting) and showcased his scary potential when healthy. Jackson’s dominance and Ike Azotam’s further brilliance on the glass (9.3 rebounds per game) should have future NEC opponents terrified of matching up with Quinnipiac’s frontcourt, especially after they out-rebounded UConn 39-29 in the semifinals. Sure, the agonizing double overtime loss to the Huskies now stands as a dreaded moral victory (King Rice just shook his head), but it was impressive nonetheless. Also impressive: The play of senior point guard Dave Johnson, who possesses a splendid 1.7 assist to turnover ratio in the early going.
  • A New Identity – I’m a bit concerned with how fast Central Connecticut is playing with only six to seven guys currently in the rotation, yet you can’t argue with the early results of Howie Dickenman’s squad. On Sunday, the Blue Devils gave the NEC its best non-conference road win to date – an 81-74 road victory over possible Atlantic 10 contender La Salle. The victory gives Central Connecticut a two-game winning streak, thanks in large part to the play of sophomore point guard and BAB favorite Malcolm McMillan. In the past two contests, McMillan has compiled 13 assists, 13 rebounds, four steals, and one turnover. I’d say a 13.0 A/TO is what coach Dickenman is looking for!
  • Immediate Contributors of Mayhem – I’ve seen plenty of Mount St. Mary’s in the early going and I’ve already shared my observations of Jamion Christian’s Mayhem system. What I’m about to do here though, may make Mount fans cringe, so please prepare yourself. Are you ready? I’d like to extend my praise to former Mount coach Robert Burke for bringing in the talented transfers Rashad Whack and Sam Prescott. Yep, I just congratulated the guy Christian replaced. In the preseason, I heard whispers of Prescott’s elite athleticism and Whack’s ability to knock down the long-range jumper, but I’ve been thoroughly impressed with both players in the early going. Currently, Whack leads the team in scoring, rebounding, steals, and is shooting 50.0% from behind the arc. These junior guards will be a significant part of Christian’s rotation moving forward and may eventually place Kelvin Parker’s picture on a milk carton.
  • Staten Island’s Finest – After one week, Wagner has as many non-conference losses (2) as they had last season, despite the inspired play of senior forward Jonathan Williams. A preseason all-conference third team selection here at BAB, Williams has been the most integral part of the Seahawks offense, averaging 16.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. In the season opener versus Delaware State, Williams sank the game tying layup at the buzzer to extend the game into overtime. If Williams continues to provide this type of production, things will only get easier for the backcourt of Kenneth Ortiz, Latif Rivers, Marcus Burton, and Dwaun Anderson.

The Bad

  • Pioneer Problems? – I was about three minutes away from placing my alma mater right in the thick of the Ugly section, but then Shane Gibson happened. His 11 points in the final three minutes of the game spurred a ridiculous comeback – their second such come-from-behind victory in eight days – over the previously undefeated Stony Brook Seawolves. Despite the win and their 2-2 record, there’s a lot not to like with the Pioneers and it starts of course with Gibson. Before the comeback, the superstar guard underwent a brutal stretch of basketball in his last three games, shooting 8 of 35 from the floor. Hopefully for Dave Bike’s sake, Gibson latest theatrics pushes him back onto the right track. Justin Swidowski and Evan Kelley also need to find their rhythm coming off injuries. Perhaps the most telling stat in Sacred Heart’s first four games: They have only led for 13 out of a possible 165 minutes (8.5%). They’re very lucky not to be 0-4 heading into their Patriot League showdown with Lehigh.
  • Weak Flash – It’s been a rough start to the season for junior guard Umar Shannon, who to be fair is a year removed from ACL surgery. In the Red Flash’s first three games, Shannon hasn’t played well, for whatever the reason, scoring 20 points (on 30 shots) with an efficiency rating of just under 2 (his efficiency rating was 11 in his last full season). Obviously, it will take time for Shannon to trust he’s 100% healthy, so the challenge for first year head coach Rob Krimmel is to find production elsewhere on St. Francis’ young roster while Shannon transitions back (hopefully) into all-conference form. His production will be sorely needed in January.

The Ugly

  • Closer to Dayton Then a 15 Seed? – (Please allow me to prepare myself for the potential onslaught of Blackbird fans in the comments section … deep breath … OK here we go) With the Blackbirds’ tough loss on the road early last week to Lafayette, color me skeptical if you think LIU still has a good chance at securing a 14 or 15 seed should they make the NCAA tournament. After they lose their fourth straight game of the season to Kentucky this Friday, please show me where the quality conference wins will come from. Sure, they can go on a run – and I believe they will – for the remainder of their non-conference slate, but most of their opponents are currently sitting outside of the RPI top 100. Of course, it’s quite presumptuous of me to expect none of LIU’s future opponents (say Manhattan, Hofstra, Columbia) will move up in the standings, but I just have trouble seeing where the Blackbirds will accumulate enough quality wins to get on that 15 seed line. It makes their showdowns with Seton Hall and Columbia must wins in that regard. Really, one or two more non-conference losses after Kentucky could seal LIU’s fate as a future 16 seed for the third straight season.
  • FDU Troubles – I don’t mean to consistently beat a dead horse … but when you find yourself down 41-14 at the half to Northwestern, it’s never a good sign. Before I go any further however, I’ll simply end the post on that note…

I hope everyone has a Happy Thansgiving!

Ryan Peters covers Northeast Conference men’s basketball for Big Apple Buckets and Pioneer Pride. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @pioneer_pride

LIU and Manhattan struggle on the road

Both LIU and Manhattan struggled on the road on Friday night. LIU lost at Maryland, 91-74. The final score isn’t actually indicative of how well the Blackbirds played in College Park. This was probably LIU’s most complete effort, although the bench didn’t score a single point. For Manhattan, the 79-45 final score in Friday’s loss to Harvard does say it all. The Jaspers need George Beamon to get healthy, because the offense is a disaster without him.

Continue reading “LIU and Manhattan struggle on the road” →

NEC goes winless on “Super Monday”

“Mama said there would be days like this,” The Shirelles so wisely said back in 1961. The NEC might be vastly improved and looking to move up in the conference pecking order, but in eight important games on an early Monday night in the season the league couldn’t get out of its own way while going 0-8, including a number of winnable games. Let’s run through the carnage.

Continue reading “NEC goes winless on “Super Monday”” →

LIU Getting Ready for New Look Morehead St.

When LIU Brooklyn takes the court at the Barclays Center tonight it’ll be against on a much different Morehead State than the one that finished last season. Donnie Tyndall was replaced by former Mississippi Valley State head coach Sean Woods this off season and he’s going to completely change how the Eagles play. Continue reading “LIU Getting Ready for New Look Morehead St.” →

NEC Team Capsules: LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds

Head Coach: Jack Perri, 1st year
Last season: 25-9 (16-2 in NEC), lost to Michigan State in Rd. 2 of NCAA tournament, 89-67
NEC Preseason Coach’s Poll: 1st out of 12 teams
State of Program: Dynasty Time
Key Player Lost: Michael Culpo (9.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 76.5% FT%, 38% 3PT%), Arnold Mayorga (9.8 MPG, 2.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 75.9% FT%)
Incoming Players: D.J. Griggs (G), E.J. Reed (F), Khalil Murphy (F), Gilbert Parga (G/F), Kedar Edwards (G)
Past Article: Two Texans Start a New Era at LIU

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG Jason Brickman
G C.J. Garner
G Brandon Thompson
F Jamal Olasewere
F Julian Boyd

Key Reserves: Kenny Onyechi (F), E.J. Reed (F), Gerrell Martin (G), Khalil Murphy (F), Troy Joseph (G/F)

Major Storylines:

  1. Play strong in non-conference – LIU lost just twice in NEC play last season, but ended up with a 16 seed because of its struggles in non-conference play. The Blackbirds lost to Hofstra, Columbia and Norfolk St. amongst others. This season’s schedule is tough. LIU has to take care of business against Lafayette (twice), Morehead State, Hofstra, Rice, Manhattan, St. Peter’s and Lamar.
  2. Two tough games – Here’s what we know: There was an incident on campus during the offseason that involved members of the LIU men’s basketball team. The players were suspended indefinitely as the school handled the matter internally. The eventual punishment was that the four players – Julian Boyd, Jamal Olasewere, C.J. Garner and Troy Joseph – were suspended for the first two NEC games this season. Those games are at Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac and might be the biggest obstacle in the way of LIU repeating as NEC champions. Both are likely losses unless players like Khalil Murphy and E.J. Reed can step up.
  3. The pressure to three-peat – Even though Jim Ferry is gone, the expectation in Brooklyn and around the NEC is that LIU is still the team to beat. The pressure to repeat really didn’t seem to affect the Blackbirds last season, but will the chance to complete a brand new NEC legacy – and do something that’s never been done before by reaching three NCAA tournaments in a row – be too much of  a burden? There are some strong challengers in Robert Morris and Wagner.

Lineup Analysis: One of the criticisms of LIU in the past has been that the Blackbirds lack depth. It’s hard to make that argument in the front court this season. Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere start, but Kenny Onyechi and Khalil Murphy are going to be strong backups. Freshman E.J. Reed is another player that is ready to take over once the three seniors depart. The bigger question is in the backcourt where Jason Brickman played a ton last season. Yes, it’s great to have the consumate pass first point guard expertly directing the offense on a full-time basis, but it’d be nice if he could take a break every once in a while. Freshman guard D.J. Griggs might be able to give Brickman an occasional blow this season. C.J. Garner is entrenched at the shooting guard spot after a superb season as the third offensive option. The question is at the swingman spot, where Brandon Thompson takes over for Michael Culpo. Jack Perri has said that Thompson is one of the most improved players during the offseason and he’ll get a chance to prove it early. A healthy Troy Joseph will also give Perri another option at that spot. Finally, Gerrell Martin is a sharpshooter that could get the chance to find some minutes in the backcourt as well. LIU will run, but that won’t stop players like Boyd, Olasewere and Brickman from playing 30-plus minutes a night. It’s not because there isn’t depth behind them. It’s because they’re all-NEC level players and the leaders of a team looking to do the unprecedented.

Coach’s Quotes:

“I want to get him as many minutes as I can, because he’s got a chance to be a really special kid in this league. He’s got a great motor, he’s got a really good skill package at 6’6”.” — Jack Perri on freshman E.J. Reed

“Our guys love playing there. They always have and we’ve done well. Are we fortunate, yes. I mean a few bounces one way or the other we could’ve lost a few of those games, but we’ve been fortunate and had some talent.” — Perri on LIU’s 27-game home winning streak, the second longest in the nation behind Kentucky

Final Prediction:

Ryan – Really, what can I say. You have one of the best point guards in the country in Brickman, an absolute beast in Boyd, a matchup nightmare in Olasewere, and one of the most underrated guards of the NEC in Garner. This team will be near the top again, but those 2 suspended games early in the conference season may come back to bite them. Regardless, LIU won’t do any worse than the NIT, but if that happens, then this veteran group will be sorely dissapointed.

John — LIU made things a little more difficult for itself this season with a coaching change and suspending four players for the first two conference games, but ultimately, until this team fails to take home the title with Brickman, Olasewere and Boyd, this is the team to beat. I expect the Blackbirds to earn their third straight berth to the NCAA tournament.

Previous NEC Team Capsules:
October 24: St. Francis (PA) Red Flash
October 25: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights
October 26: Bryant Bulldogs
October 29: Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers
October 30: Central Connecticut Blue Devils
October 31: Monmouth Hawks
November 1: Sacred Heart Pioneers
November 2: St. Francis (NY) Terriers
November 5: Quinnipiac Bobcats
November 6: Wagner Seahawks
November 7: Robert Morris Colonials

Q&A with Dan Hanner about Preseason Predictions

Dan Hanner released his preseason rankings from 1 (Indiana) – 345 (Grambling) yesterday. He’ll be expanding on the rankings more in College Basketball Prospectus 13 (out soon!) and ESPN The Magazine. Most of that though will probably focus on bigger schools, so I asked Dan to dive into the rankings for the conferences we cover here at Big Apple Buckets. I know lots of people want to hear about the NEC, if so, scroll a little ways down. Continue reading “Q&A with Dan Hanner about Preseason Predictions” →

NEC Welcomes Four New Head Coaches

Four new head coaches were introduced to the conference during NEC “Social” Media Day at the Barclays Center on Tuesday. Jack Perri, Bashir Mason, Jamion Christian and Rob Krimmel all got to speak with their peers and the media. All four will have their own challenges to deal with in the season ahead.

Continue reading “NEC Welcomes Four New Head Coaches” →