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

NEC Team Capsules: Quinnipiac Bobcats

Head Coach: Tom Moore, 6th year (93-65)
Last Seaon: 18-14 (10-8 NEC), lost semfinals of NEC Tournament to LIU, 78-75
NEC Preseason Coach’s Poll: 4th out of 12 teams
State of Program: Win-now mode
Key Players Lost: James Johnson (16.5 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.3 SPG), Nate Gause, Alex Jackson, Kevin Tarca, Terrance Bobb-Jones
Imcoming Players: Kendrick Ray (G), James Ford (G), Tariq Carey (G), Shaq Shannon (G)
Previous Posts: Quinnipiac Recruiting Recap, Quinnipiac Heavily Invests in Basketball, Notes/Quotes From Quinnipiac’s Practice

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Dave Johnson (8.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.5 A/TO)
G: Zaid Hearst (7.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 37.0% 3PT)
G: Garvey Young (5.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG)
PF: Ike Azotam (15.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 56.2% FG)
C: Ousmane Drame (6.5 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 0.9 BPG)

Key Reserves: Jamee Jackson (F), Kendrick Ray (G), James Ford (G), Shaq Shannon (G), Evan Conti (G), Tariq Carey (G), Justin Harris (PF)

Major Storylines:

Replacing The Man – It’s one of the biggest questions in the NEC this past offseason: How will the Bobcats replace the production and leadership of two time All-NEC team selection James Johnson? The short answer: Tom Moore will carve up Johnson’s minutes several different ways, with the bulk going to promising sophomore Zaid Hearst. Replacing the leadership void caused by Johnson’s graduation, however, will fall in the laps of several different Bobcats, whether it’s Ike Azotam, Jamee Jackson, Dave Johnson, or Garvey Young.
Shooting the Basketball In the Basket – One major criticism of Quinnipiac has been their inability to shoot the basketball with any type of consistency. Their free throw percentage has been in the bottom 10% of the nation the past two seasons (63.8% FT last year), while their long-range accuracy has suffered as well. Currently, Hearst is the only player on the roster with a three point percentage over 36.0%, although freshmen James Ford, Kendrick Ray, and Shaq Shannon certainly have the ability to improve the Bobcats’ range from downtown.
Improving Their Offensive Efficiency – When asked what Quinnipiac needs to improve to finally win a NEC title, Moore doesn’t hesitate in bringing up the offense. If Quinnipiac continues to defend (1st in the NEC last season in FG% defense) and rebound (1st in the NEC in rebounding margin), then Moore plans to push the tempo and figure out a way to improve his team’s efficiency in the half-court set. The key will be the guard play – if Hearst and a freshman or two can give the Bobcats a reliable scorer on the perimeter, then the half-court execution will be that much easier, especially with the way the Bobcats crash the glass.

Lineup Analysis: Another season, another close call. Moore has done an excellent job getting Quinnipiac into a position to win, but they simply haven’t executed when it has mattered most. Looking ahead, the Bobcats boast the second best frontcourt in the league with All-NEC preseason first team selection Ike Azotam, who led the NEC in rebounds per game. Sophomore Ousmane Drame, an All-NEC rookie team selection, posted terrific rebounding rates as a freshman, and will look to improve his offensive prowess. Jamee Jackson is a versatile, athletic “4” big man who Moore calls the best frontcourt defender in the league. That trio, along with steady senior Dave Johnson at the point, gives the Bobcats an excellent foundation to possibly crack the top three of the conference. Zaid Hearst is poised to play 30 productive minutes at the “2” or “3” for Quinnipiac, while there are a plethura of options to consider for the final starting spot. Fifth year senior Garvey Young is a defensive specialist. Kendrick Ray has excellent athleticism and play-making ability. Freshmen James Ford can light it up from behind the arch. And the group of Tariq Carey, Shaq Shannon, and Evan Conti make up a solid bench that allows Moore to comfortably play 8-10 per night. It’s one of the better rosters in the NEC, and they should find themselves once again in the upper third of the league.

Coach’s Quotes:

“I think we have to do a better job – we have to execute our offense better in the half-court to create better shots, and I put that on me, more than I put that on our team. And secondly, I think we have to run a little bit more then we have, get more in transition then we have. If we can guard in the half-court at the level we’ve guarded in the half-court the last few years … and rebound at the same level we’ve been rebounding and we improve our shot selection and shot creation and run a little bit more, that’s what I think we need to do.”
– Moore, when asked to identify what his team needs to do this season to finally get over the hump and win the NEC championship

Prediction:

Ryan – If there’s one team that could crack the top three of LIU, RMU, and Wagner, it’s Quinnipiac, who has the second best frontcourt in the league. Like John says, though, I think the Bobcats will be in better shape come 2013-14, when their young backcourt has another year to develop. For now, mark me down for a fourth place finish.

John – The front court is excellent, but even it didn’t shoot consistently last season. Can the offense improve enough to carry the Bobcats into the upper echelon? It’s probably still a year away.

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 Terriers

Assist Tracker: Dec. 22

The Northwestern – Creighton game provided plenty of fireworks and also a bunch of notable assist efforts. First I’d recommend reading this great piece by Patrick Marshall. He used some stats I collected about Doug McDermott and Grant Gibbs and ran with it using his insights from watching the Bluejays play all season. It’s really interesting stuff.

Grant Gibbs (G, Creighton) — In keeping with the theme of Marshall’s piece five of Gibbs’ 12 assists in Creighton’s 87-79 win over Northwestern were to Doug McDermott. Gibbs’ assists were mostly for threes (7), but also included two jumpers and three layups. McDermott finished the game with 27 points on 10-14 shooting from the field. Overall nine of 10 baskets by McDermott on Thursday were assisted by a teammate.

Antoine Young (G, Creighton) — That’s because Young added three more (the final one was by Ethan Wragge). Overall Young had seven assists with a relatively even breakdown between four layups and three threes. Creighton had 26 assists on 30 baskets (86.7%). The Bluejays came in having an assist on 66.3% of their baskets, 10th in the country.

Dave Johnson (G, Quinnipiac) — Johnson had 10 assists as Quinnipiac defeated Niagara 85-81. Six of the 10 assists went to Ike Azotam who went 13-18 overall and scored 32 points. Six of Johnson’s assists went for layups, three for threes and one dunk. Johnson, a junior from Jackson, NJ, also scored 13 points. He came in averaging 2.9 assists per game, so this was a bit of a surprise.

Zac Swansey (G, Tennessee Tech) — Swansey really spread his 10 assists around in the Golden Eagles’ 81-68 win over Kennesaw State. Jud Dillard got three assists and scored 16 points. Liam McMorrow also got three and scored 15 points. TTU’s leading scorer, Kevin Murphy, had 21 points, but got just one assist from Swansey in the game.

Michael Bizoukas (G, Missouri State) — Even though Missouri State fell in overtime to West Virginia 70-68, Bizoukas continues to thrive with the Bears. He had 10 assists against Mountaineers. Five of them went to Kyle Weems and another four were to Caleb Patterson. Bizoukas is getting help from his teammates as seven of his assists were either on threes (4) or jumpers (3) – though to be fair three were also on dunks.

Aaron Craft (G, Ohio State) — Usually it is Craft’s defense and not his offense that’s making headlines, but in Ohio State’s 69-40 win over Miami (OH) he had nine assists and just one was to Jared Sullinger. Instead it was William Buford that benefitted the most from Craft’s passing with six of his eight baskets coming off assists from the sophomore. Buford led the Buckeyes with 18 points. Overall Craft had assists on five jumpers, three layups and one three. It’s also worth noting that the box score gives Craft for eight assists, but the play-by-play says the total was nine.

John Shurna (F, Northwestern) — Northwestern’s loss was disappointing for the Wildcats and one of the reasons is that Shurna didn’t really show up. He went 6-14 from the field and scored 18 points while mostly being a non-factor in the outcome. It’s worth noting though that Shurna did have nine rebounds and six assists. Those six assists were evenly distributed with two each to Davide Curletti, Luka Mirkovic and Drew Crawford. That means Shurna contributed to both of Mirkovic’s two baskets – another problem for the Wildcats – and two of Curletti’s four. Overall Shurna assisted on three layups, two jumpers and one three.

Two big names that didn’t do much? Junior Cadougan had just one assist in Marquette’s win over Milwaukee. He took on more of a scoring role against the Panthers, leading the team with 15 points. Shabazz Napier had five assists in Connecticut’s close win over Fairfield. Only four of them are in the ESPN play-by-play, one is a dunk by Andre Drummond.