Tag: Umar Shannon

Gio McLean Ruled Ineligible For Remainder Of Season

According to a report from Q30 Sports, the NCAA has ruled Quinnipiac junior college transfer Giovanni McLean academically ineligible to participate in basketball activities for the remainder of the season. Continue reading “Gio McLean Ruled Ineligible For Remainder Of Season” →

Players on Their Future at the Gotham Hoops Invitational

Earlier this month, Gotham Hoops hosted the inaugural Gotham Hoops Invitational at Farmingdale State College. The event was a showcase for over two dozen Men’s College Basketball seniors in the Tri-State area.

Participants included a diverse array of players from local Division I, II, and III schools. The players were separated into four teams and played two exhibition games to show off their skills. This was just one opportunity for these seniors to play in front of friends, media, and scouts as they pursue their dreams of playing professionally.

Big Apple Buckets was at the event, and we were able to catch up with some local players including Manhattan’s Rhamel Brown, Hofstra’s Stephen Nwaukoni, and Quinnipiac’s Ike Azotam. Continue reading “Players on Their Future at the Gotham Hoops Invitational” →

Tom Moore on Quinnipiac’s First Season in the MAAC

This postseason I sat down with Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore reflecting on his team’s first year as a member of the MAAC.  The Bobcats vastly outperformed expectations, finishing third in league play after being picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches poll.  Despite recording their third 20-win season in the last five years and once again leading the nation in rebounding, a rash of injuries saw the Bobcats’ title hopes wither down the stretch.  Questions and answers are compiled from a postseason interview with coach Moore as well as post-game press conferences from Quinnipiac’s semifinal loss to Manhattan and CIT loss to Yale. Continue reading “Tom Moore on Quinnipiac’s First Season in the MAAC” →

Forecasting the MAAC Tournament

Today marks the start of the MAAC tournament, and we at Big Apple Buckets thought it would be worthwhile to take a closer look at each team in their quest to represent the MAAC in the NCAA Tournament.  Each team makes the trip to Springfield with a different set of pros and cons, and dealing with different sets of highs and lows that go beyond simple numbers. Continue reading “Forecasting the MAAC Tournament” →

Umar Shannon to Have Season-Ending Surgery.

Umar Shannon's buzzer-beating 3-pointer lifted Quinnipiac to a stunning victory over Niagara (Photo Courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics)
Umar Shannon has been clutch for the Bobcats this year, but his teammates will have to fill the void.  (Photo Courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics)

Quinnipiac announced Friday afternoon that guard Umar Shannon will undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee this coming Wednesday.  The graduate transfer from Saint Francis University was averaging 14.3 points and 2.3 assists per game this year for the Bobcats.

The addition of Shannon has been vital to Quinnipiac’s success this season.  Shannon earned a redshirt year in 2011 after tearing his ACL in practice following the Red Flash’s season opener against VCU.  The injury required surgery on the same knee he will have repaired next week.

After graduating from SFU last year, Shannon received interest from a number of schools, but chose to use his final year of eligibility at Quinnipiac. He is the team’s third leading scorer this year behind Ike Azotam and Zaid Hearst, and has repeatedly come through in the clutch.

Two of Shannon’s biggest moments of the season came on game-winning buzzer-beaters against Hampton and Niagara.  He has continually been the go-to guy in end-game situations, but now it will be up to coach Tom Moore to find a way to fill the void.

Most of Shannon’s lost minutes will likely be shared between guards Evan Conti and James Ford.  Freshman Kasim Chandler, who has been sidelined with a broken toe for the last eight games, would also be projected to take over some of those minutes upon his return.

Conti was a regular starter last season, but saw his playing time diminish this year, largely due to Shannon transferring in.  Since receiving more consistent playing time at the end of January, Conti is averaging 8.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game over 11 contests.

Ford is averaging 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game this season, but fills the role of 3-point specialist which Shannon had filled this year.  However, Ford missed the recent trip to Buffalo with a mild head injury before going 0-2 from the field in just five minutes against Siena in the team’s last contest. Shannon has made nearly twice as many 3-pointers as any other player on the team, and Ford is a 40% shooter from behind the arc.

Shannon finishes his career with 1,307 points over his time with the Bobcats and Red Flash.

Vincent Simone will be chronicling Quinnipiac’s move to the MAAC and helping cover the conference this season for Big Apple Buckets. You can follow him on Twitter @VTSimone.