Category: NEC

Early Season KenPom Trends for NEC Teams

With the young season now a month old, I felt this was a good opportunity to analyze some early season trends. I combed through Ken Pomeroy’s advanced statistics to highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses of several NEC teams. Some trends will be of no surprise, but others I can bet were not expected. Continue reading “Early Season KenPom Trends for NEC Teams” →

Navy uses second half surge to pull past Bryant

Most fans would admit that when a Bryant/Navy non-conference battle in Annapolis was set this past offseason, it likely wasn’t a game at the top of anybody’s lists. After all, these were two basketball programs that struggled to merely stay competitive last season. Continue reading “Navy uses second half surge to pull past Bryant” →

NEC Week 5 Recap: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

After our most glowing NEC recap last Monday, this version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly isn’t all peaches and cream. Overall though, the conference had another solid week with the two biggest contenders in LIU Brooklyn and Robert Morris continuing their winning streak and a little known junior college transfer entering the spotlight.

The Good

  • A Performance to Tell the Grandkids About – Later this week when I post my biggest individual surprises of the young season, I thought I would be all slick when I highlighted the play of Central Connecticut junior college transfer Matthew Hunter. With all of the attention going to teammate Kyle Vinales, and rightfully so, Hunter’s performance in the young season has been quietly productive. That is until Hunter had a historic performance on the road versus Big Ten power Indiana. Hunter’s 40 points (on only 25 shots) tied a record for the most points scored by an opponent in Assembly Hall. In the early going, Hunter has been the fourth most efficient player in the NEC, so if conference opponents weren’t paying attention to the energetic, highly skilled slasher, they sure are now. Vinales and Hunter are turning into a phenomenal one-two punch that will terrorize NEC opponents this winter.
  • More Like a 15 Seed – After an uneven start to the season, the Robert Morris Colonials are slowing morphing back into the Colonials of old, playing inspired defense and aggressively driving to the rim on offense. In their three game winning streak, Andy Toole’s group has outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points at the charity stripe, while forcing 47 turnovers. Lucky Jones has quietly been the most efficient player for Robert Morris, averaging 10.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Karvel Anderson has provided instant offense off the bench, as he’s shooting a fantastic 16 of 23 from behind the arc during the winning streak. Despite the recent success, Toole is still searching for a consistent effort for all 40 minutes, yet the upside of this Colonial group is quite intriguing.

The Bad

  • What Home Court Advantage? – This past Saturday marks another confounding home loss by the Quinnipiac Bobcats, who now have lost three times to non-conference opponents in the friendly confines of TD Bank Sports Center. The latest defeat to America East contender Vermont was the latest example of Quinnipiac’s inefficiencies on the offensive side of the ball. Tom Moore had hoped his team would execute better in the half court and push the ball a little more in transition, but so far neither plan has actually come to fruition yet. Poor free throw shooting continues to plague the Bobcats, with Quinnipiac missing nearly half of their 20 attempts versus Vermont. It’s an issue that may have little chance to resolve itself, so Moore will have to find creative ways to overcome this glaring deficiency.
  • Attacking the Rim – It has been a difficult start to the season for Glenn Braica, who finds his on the wrong end of these non-conference battles in year number three. The Terriers winless week now has them with a surprising record of 2-5. A quick glance at the statistics doesn’t illustrate any outragous trends, with the exception of one facet. St. Francis Brooklyn is doing a lousy job of getting to the charity stripe (bottom 20 nationally in free throw attempts per field goal attempts) and making them once at the line (59.6%). All other things equal, if you’re consisently getting outscored at the line most nights, it will usually be an uphill battle to make up the difference in points elsewhere. The Terriers need to be more aggressive getting into the lane.

The Ugly

  • Not Fit for a King – One of the things that makes King Rice good for Monmouth and the NEC is his competitive drive, although it was that same fire that got Rice in trouble with his athletic director. After a tough upset loss to Navy at home, Rice went off on the officials after he was ejected from the game for acquiring two technical fouls. The post-game tirade earned Rice a one game suspension and left him in the locker room for the Hawks’ showdown with Syracuse. Obviously, Rice’s presence wouldn’t have determined the outcome of the game, but Rice needs to exercise caution before ripping NCAA officials after a difficult loss. I’m sure the second year head coach has learned his lesson.
  • Where’s the Defense? – It was yet another winless week for the Sacred Heart Pioneers, as they dropped two contests to middling teams of the Patriot League. Sacred Heart had their opportunities to win both, but only before they had made exhaustive comebacks in each game. The biggest culprit is the defense, which has allowed 1.12 points per possession this season, good for third worst in the NEC. If the Pioneers are going to overcome the crippling injuries to the backcourt, then they’ll need defensive stops eventually. In crunch time versus Lafayette, the defense never stepped up. In fact, the Pioneers gave up 17 Lafayette points in their final 12 possessions, good for a 1.42 PPP. That will simply not get it done.

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

Preview: LIU vs. Hofstra

Hofstra goes on the road for the first time since its season was sent spiraling on Saturday at LIU Brooklyn. The Blackbirds are 2-4, but have won their past two games and are once again starting to look like a contender in the NEC. LIU also hopes to get Kenny Onyechi and Booker Hucks back for this game. Is it possible that Hofstra could have Jamal Coombs-McDaniel? It sure would help.

Continue reading “Preview: LIU vs. Hofstra” →

Passing Tendencies of Top Points Guards

To be amongst the nationally leaders in assists requires a number of things. It takes a good system. It takes teammates. It takes talent. Put all of those together and you might get really lucky. Through the early part of the season there are 10 players averaging at least seven assists per game. What makes them tick? Here’s a breakdown of their tendencies. Continue reading “Passing Tendencies of Top Points Guards” →

Monmouth’s King Rice suspended one game

Last night, the Navy Midshipmen came into Monmouth and snapped the Hawks’ four game winning streak. It was a surprising result to say the least and it left Monmouth’s head coach angry after the game. King Rice was angry at himself. He was angry at his team’s effort in the second half, when they allowed 53 Midshipmen points. And most importantly, he was angry at the officials.

After receiving his second technical late in the second half, Rice was ejected from the game. In the press conference afterwards, Rice went off to Asbury Park Press beat writer Tony Graham when asked about the technical fouls.

“Here’s the problem,” said Rice. “I don’t cuss at these guys, they’ve got a chip on their shoulders towards me. Those two officials have a problem with King Rice and they showed it tonight.”

Part of the problem, besides of course talking in the third person about yourself, is Rice publicly criticized the officials. And Monmouth apparently wasn’t going to stand for that behavior.

Today, the Asbury Park Press reported that Monmouth has suspended Rice for Saturday’s game versus Syracuse.

In a statement, Monmouth athletic director Dr. Marilyn McNeil said, “Monmouth University does not condone public criticism of officials, or any sideline behavior that misrepresents the University’s commitment to good sportsmanship and respect for all participants.”

Well then. Consider this a lesson learned for the second year head coach, which selfishly is unfortunate. Only hours before I had quipped on Twitter that a King Rice press conference after a loss was must listen theater. He certainly doesn’t hold back when you ask him a question.

As a result of this suspension, I may be disappointed the next time I talk to Rice. He’ll surely be subdued with his comments, and with good reason.

A disappointing Wednesday night of NEC basketball

Coming into tonight, any NEC fan could have made the logical argument that the conference would finish a perfect 6-0 on the night. After all, you had four home favorites and two slight underdogs on the road. There were no elite opponents on the schedule, just middle of the road mid-major teams that the NEC should feast on. Well, two teams took advantage. The other four? Let’s delve into that, shall we?

Holy Cross 83, Sacred Heart 78
For a game that had only one tie and zero lead changes, it was a surprisingly entertaining game in the second half. Holy Cross built up a 17 point lead by riding the hot hand of Justin Burrell who had 20 points in the first half. Despite their typically lousy start, the Pioneers chipped away with the help of Shane Gibson and freshman De’Aires Tate (10 points, six rebounds in 15 minutes). After a spirited comeback tied the game at 72 apiece, Holy Cross drilled a three and sunk their free throws late to hold for the victory. Offensively, the Pioneers were OK but the defense was once again porous, as they allowed the Crusaders to shoot 52.7% from the floor. Tonight was the seventh time in seven games Sacred Heart has trailed at the half. That isn’t a recipe for success, I reckon.

Yale 64, Bryant 62
This one surprised me a bit, as Bryant was riding a four game winning streak into a home matchup against the 2-6 Yale Bulldogs. But ten Yale Bulldogs scored in the game, while the Bryant offensive attack was the exact opposite of balanced. Dyami Starks and Alex Francis did their part, combining for 41 points on 30 shots, but only three other Bulldogs put up a crooked number. Bryant had their opportunities to pull ahead late, but they missed three free throws in the final two minutes before Justin Sears hit the game winning layup at the buzzer. Heartbreak city in Smithfield.

Quinnipiac 67, Colgate 56
It was the same old story for the Bobcats tonight: They dominated the boards (+12 rebounding margin), held Colgate to 37.0% shooting, and hit a far from impressive percentage of their twos, threes, and free throws. Classic Tom Moore basketball, everybody! It was enough for the win, however, mainly because Quinnipiac got to the line 38 times, and made 25 of those. Anytime you can outscore a team by 15 points at the charity stripe, that’s a good thing. Also a good thing: Ike Azotam and Jamee Jackson each had a double double.

Navy 85, Monmouth 66
Wait, what?!?! In the biggest upset of the night, the Patriot League continued to own the Northeast Conference in a stunner at the MAC. Monmouth struggling on the offensive end is far from surprising, but the fact that the Midshipmen scored 53 points in the second half on Monmouth’s defense is, well stunning. One of the best teams at turning their opponents over, Monmouth only forced 11 Navy turnovers and allowed the Midshipmen to shoot 57.1% from the field. The lopsided win broke Navy’s 18 game road losing streak and snapped Monmouth four game winning streak. Senior Jeese Steele’s struggles continued as he only scored three points on eight shots. He’s now shooting less than 30% for the season.

Albany 77, St. Francis Brooklyn 73
In a wild game in up-state New York, Albany continued its winning ways with another home win over a NEC opponent. The Great Danes hit 11 of 17 three-pointers and jumped out to a ridiculous 18-0 lead from the opening tip. To Glenn Braica’s credit, St. Francis fought back and even held a brief one point lead in the second half. But Albany senior Mike Black was too much, scoring 21 points in the victory. The Terriers were out-rebounded by 11, gave up 1.17 points per possession, and were outscored at the free throw line, 20-6. Travis Nicholas, Ben Mockford, and Jalen Cannon scored 51 of St. Francis’ 73 points. Looking ahead, it may get worse before it gets better with Boston College, Stony Brook, and St. Johns on the immediate schedule.

Central Connecticut 87, New Hampshire 84
After falling behind and trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, Howie Dickenman’s resilient bunch came up big once again late. Five Blue Devils scored in double digits, led of course by the nation’s leading scorer, Kyle Vinales. The sophomore had 27 points on 18 shots to go along with seven assists and three steals in, wouldn’t you know it, 40 minutes of play. The victory gives Central Connecticut a winning record at 4-3, before they head to Assembly Hall to face the #1 team in the land, the Indiana Hoosiers. This contest will surely test the Blue Devils’ lack of depth, especially when they’ll be forced to guard players like Christian Watford, Cody Zeller, and Yogi Ferrell.

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

Conference Realignment Trickling down to the NEC, Quinnipiac, Monmouth?

If you’re a big fan of conference realignment, then the last couple of years have been fantastic for you. A BCS conference plucks a team (or two) from another BCS conference, which begins a trickle down effect inevitably ending with the Big East grabbing a team filler, regardless of their geography. Apply, lather, rinse, repeat. What fun!

For most of us, however, conference realignment has been a common annoyance that has unfortunately dominated the headlines more times then we can remember. We’ve witnessed a comical amount of shifting between the BCS conference programs, and it hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.

The lower mid-major levels have experienced some turnover as well, although it has been minor in comparison. Really, the biggest news among us mid-major fans on the east coast was when the Patriot League plucked America East member Boston University and MAAC member Loyola (MD) this past offseason. Since those moves, there has been a fair amount of speculation regarding when a NEC school or two would make a leap upward to a more lucrative mid-major conference.

Well, it sounds like we aren’t far away from that possibility. Today, Bill Paxton of the Connecticut Post dropped a bombshell of a tweet stating sources have informed him that Quinnipiac, Monmouth, and possibily Wagner are the leading candidates to fill the vacancies of the MAAC. Nothing has been confirmed, both from NEC commissioner Noreen Morris or any of the aforementioned schools (and sometimes it has been flatly denied), nor have any specifics or timelines been divulged. This is just a good old fashion rumor that’s more than likely to be true, when you consider the inside ties Paxton has with the MAAC and NEC.

For Quinnipiac and Monmouth, the upward move makes some sense. Quinnipiac has invested a lot of capitol into their athletic programs, especially basketball, so an upgrade to a bigger mid-major conference would more than likely be accepted. I bet the Quinnipiac athletic director is waiting by the phone right now! The logistics behind Monmouth’s move would be a little trickier, because of their football program. The MAAC doesn’t have a football conference, so where they’d play their football games is anyone guess. One highly unlucky scenario could have Monmouth remaining in the NEC for football. Couldn’t you just imagine that awkward conversation between Monmouth and the NEC?

Regardless, we here at Big Apple Buckets will of course update you with the latest news should anything definitive break. Per Paxton, the MAAC presidents will be meeting next Friday to discuss expansion, so if there’s a decision made concerning which schools they’d like to target, it probably wouldn’t take long for agreements to be reached. Until then, I won’t even begin to speculate on how the NEC would proceed if a team, or two, or three is poached next week. Let’s simply wait for the facts to come out first.

It’s certainly fitting that news like this was dropped on a Monday after NEC basketball experienced their most successful week of the young season. But instead of celebrating Robert Morris’ fantastic upset victory of Ohio, or Jalen Cannon’s dominance, or Monmouth’s and LIU Brooklyn’s winning streaks, we are once again reading about realignment rumors on our Twitter timeline.

And this time, the NEC is finally in the middle of it. Lucky us.