Tag: Aakim Saintil

Hermannsson, LIU Brooklyn Hitting Stride As NEC Tourney Looms

BROOKLYN – LIU Brooklyn has passed the eye test as NEC contenders pretty much all season long, but alas that only works in multi-bid conferences when you’re canvasing for an at-large handout from the NCAA Selection Committee.

In one-bid leagues, it’s just the cold, hard, facts, ma’am, and the bottom line is the Blackbirds looked about as far from being NEC contenders as the local weathermen were in their forecasts back on Jan. 23, when LIU and St. Francis Brooklyn played on despite travel bans and two feet of snow outside.

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LIU Brooklyn 76, Central Conn. 67 – Rough Sledding For Blue Devils

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – “They’re going to beat somebody” might be the ultimate in backhanded compliments, but it’s become a common refrain for opponents of Central Connecticut the last two seasons.

There are many causes, the most prominent being the dismissal of Kyle Vinales before last season, but these aren’t encouraging times for CCSU, now 1-12 overall and 0-2 in the NEC after falling 76-67 Monday night. With no more winless teams in Division I, the Blue Devils are tied for bottom in that category, and perhaps even more concerning, rank No. 350 overall in KenPom, with only Florida A&M behind them.

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Fordham 89, LIU Brooklyn 84 (OT): Rams Ready For A-10 Or Nah?

Any potential scientific experiment needs a problem statement and Tuesday night at Rose Hill, it was pretty simple to concoct one: Is Fordham good?

Of course, then you need a hypothesis, and I went with a yes, although a little hesitantly. Fordham was indeed 6-1 and went to 7-1 with a hard-fought 89-84 overtime victory over city rival LIU Brooklyn (4-3). That alone is cause for celebration on campus. After all, the Rams only won seven games total in 2010-11 and 2012-13. They won just 10 each in Tom Pecora’s other three seasons, and he was fired after posted a 44-106 mark.

It’s not only likely, but probable that Jeff Neubauer will start his Fordham career 9-1 after beating two of the worst teams in Division I, Coppin St. and Maine (Fordham’s next two games), and then could match Pecora’s high for a campaign at the Barclays Center on Dec. 22 against Boston College, some two weeks before the former Eastern Kentucky coach even makes his Atlantic-10 debut.

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NEC Power Rankings – Version 1

To put it honestly and succinctly, the NEC has been a mess in what could be construed as the 1st inning of the 2015-16 season. As of this post, the 10 programs of the conference have combined to win 10 games in 52 tries against Division I competitors, sinking the league’s standing among the 32 conferences to 30th overall, ahead of only the lowly MEAC and SWAC, according to Ken Pomeroy. Continue reading “NEC Power Rankings – Version 1” →