Tag: Umar Shannon

Former St. Francis (PA) Guard Umar Shannon Commits to Quinnipiac

After spending several weeks out on the open market, former St. Francis (PA) guard Umar Shannon has committed to play for Tom Moore at Quinnipiac, reports Bill Paxton of the Connecticut Post. The 5’11” combo guard had also seriously considered Fairfield and other MAAC/CAA teams. Continue reading “Former St. Francis (PA) Guard Umar Shannon Commits to Quinnipiac” →

Breaking Down the NEC Transfer List

With the “free agent” period of college basketball in full swing, I felt it was a good time to identify who has prematurely left the NEC and what kind of impact it has on their former team. Here are the top nine transfers that decided to leave the conference. For Jeff Goodman’s complete list of 2013 basketball transfers, go here. Continue reading “Breaking Down the NEC Transfer List” →

Season In Review: St. Francis (PA) Red Flash

Rebuilding a program isn’t an easy thing to do, yet St. Francis University has seemingly been a part of the vicious cycle for several years running. In Rob Krimmel’s first season at the helm – after serving as a Red Flash assistant coach for 12 seasons – the NEC basement dweller struggled once again, yet there were some silver linings to be found. Two members of Krimmel’s freshmen class, Ben Millaud-Meunier and Stephon Mosley, were selected to the NEC all-rookie team. Millaud-Meunier, whose work ethic has been lauded by Krimmel, made 47% of his shots, with a majority of those coming from the perimeter. Sophomore Earl Brown, after an uninspiring rookie campaign, emerged as one of the best rebounders of the conference and took home the NEC’s most improved player of the year award. Only 13 players in the nation bettered Brown defensive rebounding percentage of 25.9%.

Several other underclassmen played significant roles on the rebuilding Red Flash, with more than 75% of the team’s available minutes falling to a freshman or sophomore. Perhaps due to the youth movement in Loretto, the inexperienced Red Flash dropped 19 of their first 20 contests, en route to another disappointing and ultimately uncompetitive season.

Injuries surely deserved part of the blame, with team star Umar Shannon failing to recapture his old magic a season removed from an ACL tear. As is the case for several athletes recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, Shannon had difficultly clearing the mental hurdle of trusting his knee when competing at full speed on the hardwood. It led to an inconsistent junior season, although Shannon will return next season to provide the senior presence Krimmel so desperately needs on this roster.

In addition to Shannon’s struggles, senior Anthony Ervin, arguably the second most valuable player of the 2011-12 season behind Scott Eatherton, saw limited playing time due to a nagging groin injury. His condition improved for the second half of the season, and not surprisingly, so did the Red Flash’s performance. They won four of their final nine games, which included a grueling double overtime loss at Central Connecticut that could have easily gone St. Francis’ way.

Best Moment – After slogging their way to a miserable 0-11 start, the Red Flash stunned the community by upsetting Central Connecticut, 67-60, in Loretto for the NEC opener. In the victory, Earl Brown corralled 25 rebounds, the most by any Division I player since the 2009-10 season. If Brown wasn’t the focal point of the opposition’s game plan before the victory, he certainly was now.

Worst Moment – As much as the Red Flash lost in the 2012-13 season, nothing really paled in comparison to the tumultuous offseason the program had to endure previously. Therefore, it remains perfectly logical to cite the Red Flash’s past offseason as their worst moment. In a span of two weeks last spring, St. Francis had parted ways with head coach Don Friday and budding star Scott Eatherton. Those chain of events essentially guaranteed the Red Flash would go through yet another rebuilding season, if not more.

Saying Goodbye

Anthony Ervin – On a team that sorely needed leadership, Ervin struggled to get healthy in his senior season. When he finally was effective for the second half of the season, however, Ervin averaged 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 45.4% from behind the arc. His graduation leaves a leadership void that will be transferred to Shannon, as the only senior who could receive meaningful minutes next year. (24 games, 4.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.8 apg)

Looking Ahead to the 2013-14 Season
With many assuming the Red Flash will once again struggle for relevancy, it remains plausible that Krimmel could begin to reap the benefits of having one of the youngest rosters in D-I basketball last season. By next November, Shannon will be two years removed from his knee surgery and could return to the form he once displayed as a promising sophomore. The soon-to-be-sophomore class of Ronnie Drinnon, Greg Brown, Mosley, and Millaud-Meunier will have another offseason to improve their game and provide an impact. Brown could emerge as the league’s best rebounder and double double machine with more work. It all adds up to an intriguing second year under Krimmel. With a little bit of luck in the injury department, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Red Flash sneak into the NEC playoffs for the first time in three years. A return to the upper echelon of the conference, however, is highly unlikely, even in a basketball climate full of parity.

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 Capsule: St. Francis (PA) Red Flash

Head Coach: Rob Krimmel, 1st season
Last Season:  6-23 (5-13 NEC), failed to qualify for the NEC playoff
NEC Preseason Coach’s Poll: 12th out of 12 teams
State of Program: Rebuilding mode
Key Players Lost: Scott Eatherton (14.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 62.5% EFG), Chris Johnson (5.8 ppg, 5.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 2.3 A/TO)
Incoming Players: Ronnie Drinnon (PF), Gregroy Brown (G), Ben Millaud-Meunier (G), Stephon Mosley (F)
Previous Posts: St. Francis (PA) Recruiting Recap, Rob Krimmel Interview

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Stephon Whyatt (7.2 ppg, 2.6 apg, 0.8 spg)
G: Umar Shannon (medical redshirt last season)
G: Anthony Ervin (11.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 37.6% 3PT)
F: Tony Peters (2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
C: Storm Stanley (1.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg)

Key Reserves:  Greg Brown (G), Ronnie Drinnon (PF), Ollie Jackson (G), Earl Brown (G/F), Kam Ritter (G/F), Dominique Major (G), Ben Millaud-Meunier (G)

Major Storylines:

  1. Forget What Could Have Been – It’s easy to gloss over what could have been, especially if Scott Eatherton stayed in Loretto and starting point guard Chris Johnson wasn’t dismissed from the team. Instead, the Red Flash find themselves in the midst of yet another rebuilding project, this time with head coach and son of the athletic director Rob Krimmel calling the shots. The energetic and optimistic Krimmel is ready to begin writing his chapter of St. Francis basketball, but can he end the viscous cycle of mediocre basketball?
  2. Plenty of Competition to Go Around – In his first offseason, Krimmel is attempting to build his team the good old-fashioned way – by having an open competition at several positions. Only Umar Shannon and Anthony Ervin are guaranteed to play big time minutes, with plenty of opportunity available for the remainder of the roster. It’s a philosophy that Krimmel hopes will force his mostly inexperienced players to step up, whether it’s on the perimeter or down low.
  3. Replacing Scotty – Eatheron was the best frontcourt presence on the roster last season, so the challenge will be to replace his high quality minutes. It’s a daunting task, yet the coaching staff is optimistic that 6-foot-11 big man Storm Stanley can fill a majority of the minutes at the “5”. Freshmen Ronnie Drinnon, who has promise long-term, and the high-motored Stephon Mosley will also have a chance to contribute. Others such as tri-captain Tony Peters and Earl Brown could also provide an impact.

Analysis: At this time last year, no one envisioned seeing the Red Flash at the bottom of the 2012-13 NEC preseason coach’s poll. The 2011-12 team had a veteran backcourt in Chris Johnson and Umar Shannon to look forward to. Unfortunately, neither was on the active roster after 8 games, thanks to a season ending knee injury for Shannon and team dismissal for Johnson. As a result, St. Francis slumped their way to a 5-13 conference record and fired head coach Don Friday, nearly eight weeks after the season had already ended. One day later, long-time assistant Rob Krimmel emerged as the next head coach, leading to questions of nepotism by the fans and media members alike. Now without Eatherton, Krimmel must pick up the pieces and rebuild from stratch. At the very least, Krimmel will have his star guard Shannon fully back from injury. Shannon and a respectable backcourt with Anthony Ervin, Stephon Whyatt, and Kam Ritter should contribute in a big way. Freshmen Ronnie Drinnon and Greg Brown have impressed in the preseason and are expected to log significant minutes for the Red Flash. Storm Stanley sits as the biggest wildcard for this team, if he can provide 20+ quality minutes a night at the “5” for Krimmel, then Stanley is a NEC Most Improved Player candidate. Minutes at the “4” are wide open with players like Tony Peters, Earl Brown, and Drinnon expected to play.

Coach’s Quotes:

“He’s continuing to make the strides we needed [Storm Stanley] to make … We really made it an emphasis with our guards to get him the ball in the block, because when he gets the ball in the block, he scores 75-80% of the time. Our strength is going to be our guards, but we can’t run around and shoot all the ball and not give the big fellow a look.”
– Krimmel, when asked how Storm Stanley has looked in the preseason

“Greg [Brown] has been our most consistent performer. He’s really put together five or six consecutive practices where he’s understanding his role and what he can bring to the team. And Ronnie Drinnon, Ronnie had 16 rebounds in practice … he just brings a different motor to it. So those would be the two kids that have since practice has started consistently performed.”
– Krimmel, when asked which freshmen have progressed the most this preseason

Predictions:
Ryan – With most of the NEC much improved, St. Francis will have difficultly finding wins within the conference. They’ll earn a few victories at home, but I find it hard to believe that they’ll return to the NEC postseason, especially with their inexperienced frontcourt.

John – I actually don’t think that that SFPA is the least talented team in the NEC. If Rob Krimmel can make players responsible for their actions on and off the court the Red Flash could finish as high as 10th. They’ll miss the NEC postseason, but they’ll be competitive.

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

Rob Krimmel optimistic despite tough road ahead for St. Francis

It was one of the more tumultuous offseasons in recent memory, but you would have never detected it in the voice of first time head coach Rob Krimmel.  The newly hired Krimmel has one of the most difficult jobs in college basketball these days; he’s been asked to rebuild a St. Francis team that has missed the NEC postseason in five of the past seven seasons.  Within that time span, the St. Francis Red Flash have posted a record of 50-154.

And if the job ahead wasn’t daunting enough for Krimmel, it was made that much more arduous when Scott Eatherton, the Red Flash’s leading scorer, rebounder, and NEC Most Improved Player of the Year, unexpectedly transferred to Northeastern University a few weeks after Krimmel’s hiring.

“I was a little surprised, but it wasn’t out of the blue,” said Krimmel. “It was really bigger than basketball, [Eatherton] wanted something a little different then what St. Francis had to offer.  St. Francis is a great place; it’s a beautiful school, great tradition, great academic reputation, but like a lot of other schools, it’s not for everybody.”

Eatherton’s departure leaves the Red Flash rife with inexperience in the frontcourt, but there’s now plenty of opportunity for the incumbent players to step up.  Krimmel is particularly excited about 6-foot-11, 270 pound Storm Stanley, who enters his junior season as a relative unknown.  Despite limited playing time last season, Storm has progressed nicely this offseason in the coach’s eyes.

“He’s come a long way from where he was a year ago from the injury” said Krimmel. “His development has more so been in between the ears.  He’s a talented kid, but we’re trying to get him to play with a little more confidence.  He’s benefitting tremendously from working with Eric.”

The Eric being referred to is St. Francis alum Eric Taylor, who after a 13 year professional career, joins Krimmel’s staff as a first time assistant coach.  Taylor was selected to three All-NEC teams as a member of the Red Flash, and he currently has the 4th most rebounds in school history.  His presence on Krimmel’s staff could very well pay dividends for the frontcourt in the long run.

Those also expected to benefit from Taylor’s instruction is senior tri-captain Tony Peters, sophomore Earl Brown, and incoming freshmen Ronnie Drinnon and Stephon Mosley.  Both freshmen come into Loretto as moderately hyped recruits, with Drinnon expected to eventually mature into one of the better big men of the NEC.  For now, Krimmel is cautious about projecting Drinnon’s immediate future, even though he’s been practicing with the team since January.

“Ronnie will be one of the guys that competes for [Eatheron’s] minutes,” said Krimmel. “Ronnie is a guy who brings a ruggedness, a physicality, he’s probably our best passer as a power forward.  He brings a lot of things to the table, but he’s still going to be a freshman.”

One bright spot in a tough offseason has been the progression of junior tri-captain Umar Shannon, who returns after tearing his ACL last November.  Now healthy, Shannon will be leaned upon to score for a team that averaged a meager 0.93 points per possession last season.  The 5-foot-11 playmaker averaged 15.8 points per game, with solid shooting percentages of 0.410/0.380/0.803 in his sophomore campaign.  Shannon will feature as the Red Flash’s shooting guard, but he could certainly run the point if needed.

Besides Shannon, Krimmel has a number of versatile combo guards and wings that will be asked to contribute.  Senior Anthony Ervin was the second most valuable player last season behind Eatherton, based on win shares.  Stephon Whyatt, perhaps one of the fastest guards in the NEC, will man the point more often than not this season.   Kameron Ritter isn’t much of a scorer, but his defense (he was 7th in the NEC in steal rate at 3.28%) and ability to share the basketball (assist rate of 19.5%) should make him a mainstay on the floor.  Freshmen guards Greg Brown and Ben Millaud-Meunier could serve as nice scoring options off the bench, with the former making an impact with his defense and ball handling skills.

It’s a bevy of guards at his disposal, and with this roster Krimmel will implement a more up-tempo offense.  Then again, it won’t take much for the St. Francis to play at a faster pace.  Last year, the Don Friday coached Red Flash averaged 64 possessions per game.

What you have is multiple players competing for minutes at almost every position, with the exception of Shannon.  And that’s exactly what Krimmel wants to see. “If an experienced player isn’t bringing it, we have a couple of guys biting at his heels ready to take his minutes.  As a competitor, as an athlete, that’s what makes you better.”

It will be a rebuilding year, but at the very least the St. Francis faithful will have the energy of their head coach to look forward to.  Krimmel refuses to let his team settle for modest goals, even though St. Francis will probably finish 11th or 12th in the NEC preseason poll.

When asked what his team’s goals are for this season, Krimmel said, “I hope I don’t come across as being arrogant, but our goal is to win the Northeast Conference championship.  Why put the uniform on if everything you do isn’t geared toward winning a championship?  Why try to finish 4th, or 7th, or why try to finish just to make the playoffs?  I know we have a little bit more to prove than the next team, but everything we do on and off the court is geared toward winning a Northeast Conference championship.”

Maybe Krimmel’s confidence and optimism will finally push St. Francis out of a decade long slump.  This coach is just too proud to let his alma mater fall into Division I irrelevancy, although it will take quite an effort to lead St. Francis back to its glory days.

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