The MAAC wasn’t the only conference with thrilling games last night. The NEC race continued with another six games and two teams are starting to emerge as the conference favorites. The surprising thing is that one isn’t Robert Morris. In the biggest upset of the night the Colonials lost at home to Quinnipiac.
Category: Wagner
NIT Bracketology: The paper tiger
By mid-January the college basketball analyst comes out to hunt for Bubble Teams. It’s an exercise dependent on looking through RPI table, the “eye test” and other glorious means of trying to determine which teams will make the NCAA tournament. In particular, the analysts – some of who are very well respected – are trying to separate out the paper tigers.
Tempo-free NEC: The battle at the top
The NEC is supposed to be a dogfight at the top and through four conference games that’s exactly what’s happening. Central Connecticut State, Robert Morris, Wagner and Long Island Brooklyn are sitting atop the conference with the only losses amongst those four teams being to each other. (Wagner lost at LIU, RMU lost at CCSU). The tempo-free numbers tell a similar story, but a surprising team is on top.
Advanced stats from Saturday’s NEC action
New York’s three NEC teams – Long Island Brooklyn, Wagner and St. Francis (NY) all scored wins in NEC play on Saturday. The Blackbirds are now tied with Central Connecticut State in first place at 4-0 and the Seahawks and Terriers are right behind at 3-1. All of the wins on Saturday were important, but there were some interesting statistical oddities in each of the games.
Continue reading “Advanced stats from Saturday’s NEC action”
Both sides of the luck coin
There were seven games played by New York City area teams on Thursday night. St. Francis (NY) beat Quinnipiac 73-72 as Stefan Perunicic hit the game-tying layup, and game-winning free throw. Perunicic also scored his 1,000th point in the victory. Manhattan lost a real tough one to swallow as Dylon Cormier hit a three in the left corner on Loyola’s final possession in the Greyhounds’ 61-60 victory.
NY Power Poll: Starting the New Year right
A new year means a new power poll. What it doesn’t mean though is new rankings. The top four have stayed exactly the same since last time, even though both Seton Hall and Iona suffered losses during that period. Of course SHU followed it up by beating Connecticut and the Gaels absolutely crushed Siena at MSG. So it’s justified. There was some movement further down the poll, where one team has started to make its move upwards.
Continue reading “NY Power Poll: Starting the New Year right”
Wagner Opening Eyes Ahead Of Schedule
Editor’s Note: With Wagner playing so well, and getting ready to embark once again into NEC play after winning the Cable Car Classic we have our first ever guest post on Big Apple Buckets!
Why?
That’s the question I was often asked last summer when I became the play-by-play voice of the Wagner basketball team. Calling games last year for Long Island University and St. Peter’s College, I watched both make the NCAA Tournament in the same season. Switching to Wagner meant giving up those other two gigs, including for an LIU team that won 27 games and was picked to win the Northeast Conference title again this season.
So when I decided to join Wagner that question lingered.
Why?
In short, I expected second-year head coach Dan Hurley and his staff to continue turning Wagner around. With a 10-3 record so far, I hardly anticipated this much so soon, but then Hurley says he didn’t either. So what has fueled the Seahawks’ fast start so far?
1. Great recruiting. Sophomore transfer Kenny Ortiz (Southern Miss) chose to return close to home (Newark) and has fit perfectly at point guard. His toughness and defensive mindedness (1.8 steals / game) have rubbed off on the entire team. Ortiz’ 5-for-5 first half shooting helped lay the groundwork for Wagner’s upset at then No. 15 Pittsburgh. His over-the-backboard buzzer beater at Santa Clara won last week’s Cable Car Classic. In 31 of the previous 44 Classics, at least one team in the field has gone on to that year’s NCAA Tournament.
Junior JUCO transfer Jon Williams has been as advertised starting at forward, an all-around player (12.8 points / game, 50.4% shooting, team-leading 5.4 rebounds / game) that adds experience up front. Williams can shoot, post up, drive, rebound and defend. What else is there?
2. Player Development. After earning NEC All-Rookie Team honors last year, sophomore Latif Rivers (team-leading 14.2 points / game) is again finding his stride at shooting guard after off-season knee surgery. All of his 18 points came in the second half at Pitt. Rivers was Cable Car Classic MVP after averaging 19 points in the two games.
Senior swingman Tyler Murray raised his scoring about nine points per game last year. While his scoring (12.7 / game) is down, his three-point percentage (51.7%) is up, and among the nation’s best. Murray reached 1,000 career points at Santa Clara, and his steady leadership and underrated ball handling and rebounding are key.
6’11” sophomore Naofall Folahan continues to emerge as a solid center, especially on defense, where he leads the NEC in blocks (2.0 / game).
3. Improved defense. This was Job One this season, and Wagner is holding opponents to an NEC-best 40.7% shooting. After committing tons of fouls earlier this year, the Seahawks cut those way down in the Cable Car Classic against two very tough teams to defend, Air Force with their complex multiple sets, and Santa Clara, which boasts Kevin Foster, who led the nation in three-point shots made last year.
4. Playing to win. Hurley coached future NBA and elite Division I players at St. Benedict’s High School in Newark, creating a Top 5 program nationally. When he tells his players they can compete at UConn (12-point loss) and at Pitt, and vie for a conference championship this season, they believe him. Late in games, the Seahawks have surrendered big leads but have managed to step on the gas again when needed to finish strong and win. Shooting an NEC-best 75% from the foul line also helps.
Already this season, Wagner has become the first NEC team ever to beat Pitt (the Panthers were 70-0 against the league), won ten games before the end of the calendar year for the first time ever, set a school record for non-conference wins (nine), and have won their first in-season tournament since 1997.
So to those who once asked, why? I now counter, why not?
Aside from being the voice of Wagner basketball, Joey Wahler is a sports anchor/reporter at News 12 New Jersey and an update anchor at WFAN.
New York Mid-Major Non-Conference Teams
Nobody is in action today as we get ready for conference play, so it’s time to look back once more and name the All-New York Mid-Major Non-Conference teams. There are a lot of talented players to pick from in the New York City area. If I left your favorite player off one of the teams below let me know in the comments. I don’t like expanding beyond two teams, even though it’s possible, because at some point you just start including everyone and I wanted to avoid that situation.
The end of 2011
The end of a year is often a time for reflection. Ironically, in college hoops it is actually just the middle. There’s still at least half the season left to play in 2012 and it’s setting up to be mighty exciting.
I had no idea what would happen when I started this site in April of 2011. I knew that I loved college basketball and the conferences back near my childhood home in New Jersey. I knew I was excited to come back and experience something new and different in New York City.
I didn’t know that it was going to be quite like this. After over 26,000 page views (most in the past two months as things really got going), mentions on sites like CBS’ Eye on College Basketball, SI’s Power Rankings, Beyond the Arc, Ballin’ Is A Habit, and ESPN’s College Basketball Nation, I’m happy to call this my home on the Internet. I’ve gotten the chance to try out some new things — like the Assist Tracker, conference sims and similarity scores — and there are more on the way.
I’m also continuing some old things. NIT Bracketology will continue to be a staple for the site moving forward. The New York Power Poll will post every other week – and thanks to all the voters! There will be recaps of games throughout the area. I got to 25 games during the first two months of the season and I plan on attending many more as it continues.
To all the fans in the MAAC, CAA, NEC, A-10, Ivy League and beyond that have embraced me, sent their message boards to the site and looked to Big Apple Buckets for analysis and game coverage – thank you.
Let me know what you want to see more of as the season progresses. As New York City basketball experiences a renewal that hopefully continues into 2012 with teams like Iona, Manhattan, Long Island, Wagner and Stony Brook all with legitimate chances to play in the postseason let’s make this journey a special one.
Here’s to a happy New Year and a great 2012.
Friday round up: 5 wins
It was a banner day for New York City’s mid-majors last night as they rung in the New Year with style. All five schools in action pulled out victories. It was an impressive display of how far some of these young teams have developed.
NYC Buckets Archive 