Michael Carey: A Seahawk flying under the radar no longer

Now out of the shadows, Michael Carey is legitimate NEC Player of the Year contender for a Wagner team projected near top of conference. (Photo by Bob Dea/Blackbirds Hoops Journal)

By Jonathan Reyes (@werdynerdy)

“No limits, I don’t want any limits. When you limit yourself, you fall short. I want no limits, so I’m going to go hard and keep praying to God for no limits at all.” 

- Michael Carey, Wagner Seahawks senior guard, on what legacy he wants to leave behind as a player

TO BE CONSIDERED FAMILY, TRUST
Wagner head coach Bashir Mason called Michael Carey on the phone during his recruitment to see if he’d fit the team’s brand. That identity he was looking for is synonymous with Mason’s play as a former Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year at Drexel as a freshman in 2003-04, just that: Defense. And it’s not only play on the court he keys in on, it’s how you conduct yourself off it around people on a daily basis and, of course, your teammates.

The thought behind it is simple: “Attitude next play.” What that phrase means is all the minute parts of the game that don’t appear on the back of a player card. It’s defensive deflections, offensive rebounds, taking charges, diving on the floor and assists. Also, it’s coupling the physical with the mental side of not becoming overly caught up in either a positive or negative way and moving on.

With all this in mind, Carey sold Mason on adding him to the roster by saying the following: “If I trust you, I’ll run through a wall for you. And if I don’t know why I’m running through a wall, I’m going to keep running until you tell me to stop.” After hearing that, Mason knew in that very moment Carey was the kind of player he wanted and one he’d like to coach because of the level of seriousness he gave off.

“Mike has probably been one of the most important recruits that we’ve been able to land,” Mason said.” We knew we needed him as a player, but more importantly, we knew we needed him as a person with his maturity on how he goes about his day-to-day business. Outside of his stats, he’s probably one of the best kids that we’ve ever had come through the program, and it’s carrying over on the court. He puts work into his game because of how serious he is about it.”

When Carey was asked about what he meant by what he told Mason and why, Carey said it was to let Mason know that the team is his family. Back home in Nassau, Bahamas, he always protected anyone under the umbrella of that word. He even compared himself to an offensive lineman in football, the player whose job it is to protect the quarterback, in this case Mason and his fellow Seahawks.

“They’re my home,” Carey added. “I’m always in the office, whether we go at it on the court or have a disagreement. I’m trying to figure it out and pick his brain, because he makes the calls and I’m supposed to be one of the guys who's going to help us win.”

“I take that seriously knowing that he has the trust in me, with his job on the line, to give me the ball and be like, ‘Yo, go make a decision.’ My trust is in him telling me to go do it, so I do it every day.”

STRIVING TO BE MORE THAN AN UNDERDOG
Ever since Carey can remember, he’s been an underdog. It started when he arrived in the United States at 13 years old. Then, it was at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas, where it hadn’t made a National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Championship appearance in ten years. The 2014-15 season, Carey’s sophomore year, changed that for the San Jacs when Carey helped lead them to a 28-6 record and a chance at the title.

For his junior campaign, Carey transferred from San Jacinto to Wagner, another program that was yet to push past what it had already accomplished. In Mason’s three years, before Carey came along for his fourth, his Seahawks couldn’t crack 20 wins. In 2012-13, they won 19 games; in 2013-14, 19 again; and 2014-15, 10. When Carey joined in 2015-16, Wagner won 20 games, and earned the first-ever postseason win in school history by defeating St. Bonaventure in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament.

“It’s hard not to [elevate your game] when you’ve got someone like Bashir Mason,” Carey said of why he chose to continue his journey from the Bahamas and San Jacinto to Wagner. “People undermine what he does. He coaches me harder than when I first got here. He said, ‘When I get on you for something that this other guy did, you know why, it’s because you have a certain level of seriousness about you and aspect from other guys. So I can’t coach you how I coach other guys.’ I know where he’s coming from, I understand him. That’s why we click so much as a player and coach. It’s all him, him and God, literally. He’s a motivator. Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali had their guys in the corner, Mike Carey has Bashir Mason.”

When Carey walked over for an interview during Wagner’s “Madness Before Midnight,” the music was blaring and the crowd was cheering loudly as the Seahawks participated in a three-point and dunk contest. Words spoken by anyone were all but inaudible. Carey is soft-spoken and mild-mannered, but what he said that night had a lasting impression. He said he doesn’t become excited for many things, meanwhile his teammates were crawling out of their skin itching for the season to start right then and there.

How he carries himself, Carey said, goes back to when he was growing up in the Bahamas looking to make his way to the U.S., a place he actually calls “the land of milk and honey.” To him, it’s no cliché because of how much harder he had to work to earn his welcome and eventual stay.

“You know how great you have it. You don’t how important we take it when we come here. You can’t blame me. You can’t, especially with what I’ve been through,” Carey said about his humble beginnings and being unexcitable. “You can’t get excited. You have to stay even-keel, professionals will tell you that too. You can’t get overexcited because it doesn’t mean anything and doesn’t win games. You can’t take anything for granted.”

Now younger and remade, Seton Hall again looks for consistency

Three years and two NCAA Tournament appearances later, Tony Bozzella starts again with a younger Seton Hall team, one he hopes will develop Pirates' trademark consistent success. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Tony Bozzella is no stranger to turning a program around, having done it at three different places before his latest reclamation project at Seton Hall has resulted in 71 wins and three postseason appearances in as many seasons, including a pair of NCAA Tournament berths in the past two.

But one thing the charismatic coach also is reputed for is being an optimistic realist, one who is always hopeful for the best possible outcome for his team, yet simultaneously recognizing the work that needs to be done to improve in several key areas.

Such is the case this season as Bozzella's Pirates prepare to open the curtain on the 2016-17 campaign Friday morning, welcoming Savannah State to Walsh Gymnasium for an 11 a.m. tipoff. This year's Seton Hall team loses four starters and all-time leading scorer Tabatha Richardson-Smith, so while the new faces will be noticed quickly, the goal in South Orange is to maintain the same level of consistency to mitigate the roster makeover.

"We need consistency," Bozzella adamantly stated, similar to his offseason assessment a year ago before Seton Hall embarked upon their third consecutive 20-win season. "We'll have half a practice and be great, and then another half look like high school kids. I don't mean that as a negative, we just haven't played up to the speed and the toughness and the level we have to play in any Division I game."

"Savannah State, although they're not a big name, they return four of their starters and they played us well here a couple of years ago," he elaborated. "We're going to have to really get consistent, otherwise we're going to struggle."

Picked seventh in the Big East preseason coaches' poll, a standing Bozzella openly admitted may have been enhanced by the reputation he and his staff have developed for being instant winners, the retooled Seton Hall squad had the benefit of an August trip to Canada; which was not only vital for getting game experience for a number of the younger players, but also a journey that expedited the need to put together a steady 40 minutes.

"It was very important, it was very good," he said of the trek north of the border. "We needed it. We played an offense there that we found wasn't conducive to the players we have. We had to change it, and it was great because if not, we'd be running that old offense here and we'd be dead. I think we're going to have a little more success this year, and that's really helped us."

At the center of the efforts for the Pirates this year will be the latest in what has become a rich line of transfers, guard JaQuan Jackson. The Louisiana Tech expatriate, who possesses the dynamic scoring ability Richardson-Smith demonstrated the past four years, stole the show with 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting in Seton Hall's 80-54 exhibition victory last Saturday, and comes into game competition lauded for her pure offensive prowess.

"She brings so much," said Bozzella of Jackson, a Texas native. "She's really taken the challenge of playing against Shakena (Richardson) and Aleesha (Powell) every day and seeing what they bring in practice, and she's been not only our best player, but our hardest worker and when that happens, you're going to have a lot of success. I think she's going to have a very good year."

The pressure to succeed is magnified considering how the injury bug has ravaged Seton Hall leading up to the opener. While forward Lubirdia Gordon is starting to return to form after missing some of the offseason, sophomore Martha Kuderer; the Pirates' second-leading scorer in Canada who was expected to be an integral part of the offense, is out indefinitely with a foot injury, forcing Bozzella to be more creative in the early part of the season. In addition to playing through adversity, the fourth-year coach has some other basic goals for his team through the non-conference portion of the schedule.

"I just want them to play together and get some confidence," he revealed. "Not just confidence, but also understanding the way we want to play. Now for the first six or seven games, we're not going to play with a full team, let alone a team that's inexperienced. I want us just to learn to play together, and learn play the Seton Hall way."

MAAC to move to 18-game schedule in 2017-18

While the country at large is faced with the decision of electing its next leader, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference today elected to revert to an 18-game conference schedule for both men's and women's basketball, effective with the 2017-18 season.

MAAC commissioner Rich Ensor announced the changes late Tuesday afternoon, returning to 18 games after using a 20-game league slate since Monmouth and Quinnipiac joined the MAAC from the Northeast Conference in 2013. The move to 18 eliminates the double round-robin format wherein each team played its conference brethren twice, but at the same time, allows for stronger non-conference games that can boost the league RPI as a whole.

The MAAC schedule format will now include three different groups: Group A, comprised of the projected top four teams in the preseason; Group B, consisting of the next three teams, and Group C, which includes the remaining four. These groups will be determined on June 1 of each year by MAAC staff, and will be influenced by a combination of projected polls from both media and coaches, as well as input from each institution's athletic administration. Should no consensus be reached, Ensor will have the final decision as commissioner.

Each team will still have an equal number of home and away matchups, and the top seven ranked teams must schedule non-conference games within the top 250 RPI rankings. The bottom four teams will have no such restrictions in how they develop their non-league ledgers.

In addition, conference members who seek to bid on hosting the MAAC Tournament must also play at least one game for two years in the facility they hope to host the tournament in, in order for the MAAC to develop a proper gauge in the fitness of the site to serve as an effective tournament venue.

Manhattan throttles Nyack in exhibition tuneup, 99-70

Zane Waterman's 20 points led five Jaspers in double figures as Manhattan defeated Nyack in Saturday's exhibition at Draddy Gymnasium. (Photo by Kevin Fuhrmann/Manhattan Quadrangle)

RIVERDALE, NY -- Manhattan's exhibition contest last season proved to be one to forget for the Jaspers, who suffered a buzzer-beating loss to Adelphi while being limited to eight players due to the lack of depth that would ultimately prove to be a harbinger of what lied ahead.

Twelve months later, their effort in the precursor to Friday's season opener at Bucknell was a performance that could best be described as a textbook result from a Steve Masiello-coached team.

Every Jasper to see the floor on Saturday scored at least two points and recorded at least one rebound, while five players ended the evening in double figures as Manhattan coasted to a 99-70 victory over Division II foe Nyack College at Draddy Gymnasium. Zane Waterman led the way with 20 points and six rebounds on 7-of-11 shooting, while guard Robert Tyler paced the Warriors and all scorers with 26 markers in the losing effort.

As Manhattan gears up for its official commencement to the season at the Sojka Pavilion in six days, we leave you with six observations from the preseason affair:

1) Rich Williams did not play, but don't read too much into it.

In the stead of the preseason second team all-MAAC honoree, his teammates had no problem holding down the fort; particularly in the backcourt, where freshman Aaron Walker contributed 14 points and five rebounds off the bench while Zavier Turner added 10 of his own. Na'Quan Council and Tom Capuano poured in nine and eight, respectively, making it a well-rounded effort from the Jasper guards. In particular, Walker demonstrated an ability to handle both guard positions, pushing the ball up fast at the point before transitioning off the ball, even adding a highlight-reel dunk in the second half.

As far as Williams is concerned, it seems as though he will make a return in the near future. 

"Nothing major," said Masiello of his senior leader's absence, "and I think this team could handle it with our depth. He'll be fine."

2) Speaking of the depth, it has returned in full force.

Masiello played nearly his entire roster, and ten players saw at least 12 minutes of action in a system that predicates itself on rotating fresh bodies in and out on a nightly basis. Ideally, Manhattan's starters play around 30 minutes per game, but with the added personnel this season, minutes carried a wide distribution Saturday night, as Capuano logged the most with 23. "I like our depth," Masiello said after the game. "I think it's one of the strengths we have, we can get deep into the bench and do things, but we've got to play much smarter basketball. We're fouling too much, committing careless turnovers, things we've got to get better at quickly."

On the bright side, Samson Usilo made his long-awaited debut Saturday night. Precluded from competing in each of the past two years due to knee injuries, the product of Nazareth High School in Brooklyn scored three points and pulled down six rebounds in 18 minutes, a very solid showing in his first real game action. "He's got a lot of upside with his physicality, his ability to get above the rim," Masiello revealed. "He's got to now work on his timing, his rhythm, all the little things."

3) Zane Waterman, quarterback?
The 6-foot-9 junior ran the floor like a point guard through the majority of the first half, showcasing a new facet to his game that was seldom seen through his initial two seasons in Riverdale. Waterman's hustle and ability to facilitate while being a productive scorer is a trait similar to the floor game that Manhattan competed against for three years when facing Iona's David Laury, and can be a very potent weapon in the Jasper arsenal. "He's doing a great job," said Masiello of Waterman's exploits. "He's playing like an upperclassman, doing a lot of things you'd expect from a leader. I'm very happy with it."

4) Manhattan's calling card is already in midseason form.

The transition defense that is arguably the biggest and most noticeable hallmark of Masiello's teams was on full display Saturday, forcing 25 turnovers against Nyack and turning them into 40 points while registering 16 steals in the process. This part of the game will be critical in the Jaspers' opener, coming against a Bucknell team that is reputed for its fundamentally sound basketball, one of the many factors that earned them a regular season championship in the Patriot League last year.

5) Ahmed Ismail was more than serviceable in the post.

The 7-foot-2 junior college transfer conjured up memories of Rhamel Brown and Ashton Pankey with his size and rim protection, and amassed 10 points in 21 minutes. As always, though, exhibition statistics should be taken with a grain of salt, and Jasper fans will certainly need to develop patience as one of their new prospects finds his way at the Division I level. But as far as first impressions go, this one provided more positives than negatives. "He was nervous," Masiello admitted. "He didn't get to play in our scrimmage, (against Georgetown) this was his first time actually playing live competition. He's going to be much better later on and it's going to take some time, but his attitude is terrific. I'm very optimistic about that."

6) Could Calvin Crawford be the new Rich Williams?

When Williams returns, he will almost undoubtedly occupy a spot in the starting lineup, leaving his former sixth man role vacant. Crawford took a big step toward filling that void, tallying 15 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes to supplement three blocked shots on the defensive end. Crawford provided a similar spark for the Jaspers last season upon his return from an early wrist injury, and began to blossom into the player Masiello envisioned when he recruited him two years ago down the stretch. With a full season on the horizon, it will be interesting to see not only how Crawford will be utilized, but also the impact he makes upon his insertion into each contest.

FDU 77, Merrimack 62: Ray Floriani's Photo Essay

TEANECK, NJ - The exhibition games are a test.

The opportunity to get on the floor against an opponent and put the offensive and defensive principles into practice. Scrimmages can also satisfy that need. There is no substitute, though, to face an opponent under game situations.

Exhibitions can also be a bit unnerving for the Division I host. The opposition, usually a Division II or III opponent, comes in with nothing to lose and would like nothing better than to exit the building with a highlight-reel win. LeMoyne over Syracuse a few years ago was enough to see the former sell commemorative t-shirts.

On Thursday, FDU hosted Merrimack, a Division II school from Massachusetts. It happens to be coach Greg Herenda’s alma mater. For the first 29 minutes, the defending Northeast Conference champions trailed. They were down four at the break. The second half saw the host Knights come out strong. They regained the lead at the 16-minute mark and built on that to earn a  77-62 victory.

Herenda was able to take away a number of points from this game. His team attacked the Merrimack 2-3 zone well, especially in the second half. They defended in their man-to-man in an impressive fashion during that same time frame. The game showed the Knights having some  good young talent on board, but the most important thing was the resiliency. Down at halftime with a threat of being upset victims, FDU responded to the challenge by realizing what had to be done and going out to dominate those final 20 minutes.

That last point was arguably the most satisfying to Herenda and his staff. It is a trait any contending team needs to show over the course of the long season.

Guard play off the screen, with FDU defending:

Merrimack in the huddle during a timeout:

With three former St. Anthony players on the rosters, it's no surprise that Bob Hurley and his staff were in attendance:

The legendary Burt Shoobs, who will carry a streak of 878 consecutive games worked as FDU's public address announcer into the new season:

Greg Herenda surveying the action:

Winning brings out the fans, and this was part of a solid turnout at the Rothman Center:

Malik Miller of FDU lining up before a free throw:

Wagner sticking together to win it all through attitude

Wagner's banner season should carry over in minds of opposing coaches, who tabbed Seahawks second in Northeast Conference preseason poll. (Photo by Vincent Simone/NYC Buckets)

By Jonathan Reyes (@werdynerdy)

Former four-year Wagner veteran forward Josh Thompson remembered one experience at Wagner right away that he sees as shared with his teammates and family in being a part of something bigger than anyone: beating the Pitt Panthers in their own Petersen Events Center, who Thompson recalled being ranked No. 15 in the country at the time.

What it took to achieve what seemed prior to that game as a daunting task was Thompson and his fellow Seahawks knowing they had to go onto the Panthers’ home court and believe in each other. By doing just that, they made it come true through playing the game the way they always did.

Despite finishing up his Wagner career, three years later Thompson said he still follows the team. Aside from being a proud alum, his reasoning is fifth-year head coach Bashir Mason. Thompson played under Mason in his final season in 2012-13, Mason’s first at the helm, and had him as an assistant coach under Dan Hurley from 2010-11 through 2011-12; Thompson’s sophomore and junior years, before Hurley departed for Rhode Island and left the program in the care of Mason, who at 28 was the youngest head coach in the nation upon his hire.

Why Thompson’s relationship with Mason has clung to him to this day is Mason’s pushing of Thompson to live up to what his expectations were of him and their shared mindset of passion, grit, mental toughness and winning. So all Thompson could feel last season when he saw his Seahawks win the Northeast Conference regular season championship, despite losing in the championship game to the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, was “extremely proud of the program.”

“I felt just as a part of it watching as much as if I was a player,” he added, “because of knowing and having a close relationship with Bashir, Mike [Carey], Marquis [Salmon], Scotty [Smith, assistant coach] and a few other players I’ve actually had the opportunity to do some coaching and be on the court with. Happy to see the guys playing the right way and accomplishing what they did.”

Looking at the team he has in front of him for the new season, Mason said becoming better defensively and in rebounding is a current issue, but as with anything else, practice will shore that up. There’s another part that can’t be coached: “Leadership and buying into the implemented system,” as Thompson put it.

He said how that comes together is if the older players hold themselves accountable to play the right way and help the younger ones toward taking their individual game to the next level. Overall, it’s about making sacrifices.

“Chemistry and understanding each other,” Mason said, “especially in some really difficult moments during games and at the end of the season is going to determine us making it back to the final game again and winning it. If there’s growth in these guys as individuals and us as a team, then we’ll be okay.”

“Relentless, relentless, going after it every day,” Carey said. “Our non-conference schedule is going to help us. You have to, again, be relentless and also very detail-oriented. Being a professional athlete isn’t just hoisting up shots and getting buckets. Everybody has a role and you do yours well, it’s a team aspect by moving the ball well. It all equates to winning.”

That’s when Mason’s mantra of attitude comes into play. Yes, it’s a word, but to the fan it is. To Mason and his Seahawks, it’s “everything,” Thompson said. Specifically, it’s five executions that can be made on the court: Defensive deflections, offensive rebounds, taking charges, diving on the floor and assists, according to Mason.

“It’s the intangibles that equate to winning,” Carey said.

With a week left until tipoff at UConn Huskies in the November 11 season opener, Mason said his Seahawks aren’t focused on just the word of attitude. He said they’ve now added two more words to it: “Attitude next play.” He explained it as whatever happens during a game the distraction is being excited to win and losing confidence in actually pulling one off. Instead all thoughts should be toward “the next play and being better in the next situation.”

“I want us to really, in the non-conference, commit a bunch of upsets,” Carey said of his expectations for the early part of the season. “I want to show people that the NEC is really underrated, I kind of thrive off of that. When I go into those teams’ gyms, I don’t care if you’re UConn or Providence, those programs are built on past guys. So they’re going to have to prove themselves.”

FDU 77, Merrimack 62: Thoughts, Numbers, Quotes

FDU and Merrimack meet for postgame handshake after Knights' 77-62 exhibition win. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

TEANECK, NJ - A few advantages of hosting an exhibition contest are a chance to work on offense, execution and spacing, plus recognition of what the defense is doing and how to adjust. On defense, teams want to work on closing on perimeter shooters and stopping dribble penetration. These ideas are important whether you are in man or zone, full or half-court.

At halftime of their exhibition game, Merrimack led FDU 39-35. Now another potential advantage loomed for FDU: How the team would respond trailing at home in their initial test  of the new season.

Trailing 39-35 at intermission, Greg Herenda’s Knights opened the second half outscoring the Warriors 9-4 over the first four minutes to take a 44-43 lead. The Knights didn’t let up. Showing a strong inside game on offense and tightening up on the defensive end, FDU went on to post a  77-62 victory at the Rothman Center.

Balance was the order. Mike Holloway led FDU with 16 points as the Knights had four players in double figures. Tyrone O’Garro (14), Darian Anderson, (13) and Darnell Edge (10) were the others in scoring doubles.

Merrimack shot 46 percent en route to their 39-35 halftime lead. The final twenty minutes belonged to FDU, as the Knights’ offense began to jell and defense tightened. Merrimack could only put up 23 second half points as they cooled off with a 36 percent field goal percentage.

Three observations:

1) Two Big Rs  

FDU was resilient and responded. The Knights trailed most of the first half and were down four at the break. Merrimack proved over those first 20 minutes to be a worthy test. Following the break, FDU won the first four minutes as noted, a significant start to the half. It was an opportunity they exploited from the 16-minute mark on. The Knights continued to build on that momentum of the first four minutes to dominate the final half.

2) Mike Holloway is a force.

Herenda noted at NEC media day that the 6-foot-7 sophomore operated out of the high or low post and was very active off the glass. Kaleb Bishop, a 6-foot-8 freshman out of Jersey City’s St. Anthony, was active inside while showing some nice moves in the paint. Malik Miller, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Troy, NY, also showed promise during his minutes.

3) Perimeter shooting

The Knights did a nice job in the second half against the Merrimack zone. Making the extra pass often afforded opportunities in the lane. Down the road, a consistent perimeter game must emerge. Darnell Edge, another talented sophomore, could be the answer, showing a nice touch beyond the arc.

Numbers of Note:

Possessions: 73

Offensive efficiency: FDU 106, Merrimack 85

eFG Percentage: FDU 50, Merrimack 44

Free Throw Rate: FDU 13, Merrimack 28

Offensive Rebound Percentage: FDU 44, Merrimack 21

Turnover Rate: FDU 21, Merrimack 15

FDU shot better due to their inside game. While Merrimack showed the ability to care for the ball, FDU wiped the glass clean. The offensive rebound percentage saw the Knights grab 18 offensive boards compared to the eight posted by the visitors.

Leading scorers and EF:

FDU: Mike Holloway 16 points, EF 28. In 21 minutes, that computes to an outstanding 1.33 per minute. Holloway also led the way with 13 rebounds.

Merrimack: Ryan Boulter 16 points, EF 18

Final thoughts:

“We had a good second half, but credit Merrimack. They played that Robert Morris-style zone we always have had trouble with and to date, 99 percent of our practice work is against man-to-man. We struggled with their zone the first half. The second half, we were better offensively, but the key was defense. We guarded people and played much better defense.”

”We shot 6-of-21 from three. Our perimeter has to improve, but tonight, they guarded us and the outside shots did not fall. I did think (Darnell) Edge showed something from outside. Happy we eventually figured it out. We have some good players and a few that are still out with injuries. It was a nice win, as we regrouped and played a good second half. The last two seasons, we had tough exhibition games with Georgian Court and Felician. These (Division II) teams come in ready to play and give it all. It’s a test. Merrimack is coached by a New Jersey guy, Joey Gallo. As an alum, I am proud of the job he is doing with that program. But my home is FDU, and I am pleased with what we were able to do.” - FDU coach Greg Herenda

Pink Whistle: Hoop Heaven League

Coach Frank Muggeo with his Hoop Dreamz team. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

WALDWICK, NJ - After several months and a fairly light schedule that yielded no girls games, there was an assignment with the ladies. Sundays in the fall have been reserved, following the NFL pregame show, for the Hoop Heaven League. Each time until October 23, the schedule called for a boys’ game or two, but it was back to the ladies this past Sunday.

Cresskill 35, Morris Magic 21

A fifth-grade contest with some of the better traits of the girls/women’s game evident: Running an offense, looking for teammates and screening to get shooters free. Ah, yes, those screens. We are in a two-man officiating game and my partner is a good friend and excellent official, Ken Wilson. Our game is going well, but if there is anything to take from it, it is the vigilance of catching illegal screens. It is tougher in the two-man game, as a lot of screening may happen off the ball. Being alert for that is paramount and something to store for future reference.  

The Magic trailed early and struggled on offense. In the second half, they had success on guard penetration against the Cresskill man-to-man. Cresskill then went zone and the Magic did not have an answer. Not an uncommon scenario, especially on this level.

The day before Halloween, I had two games in the league being contested at Brookside School in Allendale. Game one is a girls’ contest, and entering the gym early affords a chance to chat with a coach and good basketball friend (yes, we officials have some coaches as hoop friends). Frank Muggeo assists former Davidson standout Billy Armstrong at Bergen Catholic High School. On the side, both Armstrong and Muggeo exemplify their love of the game, coaching several girls’ travel teams. Today, Frank has the fifth-graders and will fill in for a fourth-grade coach in game two, heading to Waldwick High School thereafter for another game. “On weekends in the fall, it is gym-to-gym coaching,” he says, not with an air of complaint, mind you. We discuss related aspects regarding the game in general, and Frank tells me about his son trying to walk on in Phil Martelli’s tryouts at Saint Joseph’s. Invariably, my alma mater comes up.

“So you’re a St. Bonaventure guy,” Frank says. He goes on to say how many college coaches visit Bergen to recruit their players. “The college coaches are friendly and cooperative,” Muggeo said, “but Mark Schmidt of St. Bonaventure was outstanding.” Frank went on to say how he discussed the game and specific sets with Schmidt. “Coach Schmidt even brought me to his car, showed me his notebook, gave me material and gave me his cell phone number to reach out to him. He was great.” Schmidt did not get the player he was recruiting. It didn’t alter the situation, though, as Muggeo or Armstrong still have a respected coach to reach out to should a question arise.   

Hoop Dreamz 28, Bergen Basketball Academy 8

The game sees Frank’s Hoop Dreamz sixth-grade team get out to an early lead and never look back. The halftime lead is 11-1. My partner was delayed coming from another game, so an official from the prior game stayed. At the half, he had to leave for another assignment, so yours truly worked the final half solo. This is not difficult to work alone from a running standpoint. On this level, though, the kids can be ‘all over the place’ and their orientation (or lack of it) on spacing really necessitates two pairs of eyes.

The second half goes smooth. I am sure on a few occasions that I miss things being screened by other players. To their credit, no one on either side complains about a missed call.

The Dreamz pressure was too much too handle. In addition, the axiom you ‘can’t teach height’ was in force. Dreamz had a few big girls that cleaned up on the offensive boards. A tough outing for Bergen. To their credit, they stayed with it, running their stuff and competing to the end. To her credit, the head coach stayed in a positive teaching mode, giving the girls something to take away and build on. That is coaching that the win-loss ledger fails to capture.    

Pink Whistle note from the recent past: The Northeast Conference media day gave the great opportunity to meet and talk with new Wagner coach Heather Jacobs. A few years ago officiating an AAU tournament at Bayonne, my timer was Tara Flynn, a former Bayonne star who was playing for Division II Adelphi. I quickly got out the pen and pad after my games were done. Interview time. The Swish Appeal article would focus on the difficulty of going from high school to Division I. Not many realize the Division II demands are tough as well.

A hard-working, well-conditioned athlete, Flynn told me the first week of practices were so tough, she would be crying on the phone to her father, saying she wanted to quit. She didn’t, and went on to enjoy a nice career at Adelphi.

Her coach at Adelphi was Heather Jacobs. Hearing the story, Jacobs knew it well. She also knew Flynn would hang in there, tough it out and emerge a solid player. Flynn was a Northeast-10 Conference Academic Honor Roll member in each of her eight semesters at Adelphi. Today, she is an assistant at Stevens Institute in Hoboken, NJ. She proved her coach right with her drive and persistence.

Getting to know new Wagner head coach Heather Jacobs

Wagner head coach Heather Jacobs and senior Jackie Dluhi represent Seahawks at Northeast Conference media day. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

A year ago, Wagner women’s basketball struggled through a 5-24 season, including just three wins in Northeast Conference play, another long year for a program that has seen a succession of hard times.

A change was made in the offseason, and Heather Jacobs was entrusted to reverse the fortunes at the Staten Island school, to get a program on track that has not enjoyed a winning season since 2002-03.   

Jacobs is known as an authoritarian type. Regardless, she is very personable and approachable. The authority label stems from her determination. When she sets out to do something, it is not about what ‘can be done,’ but what ‘will be done.’ In that regard, she has no doubt the tables will be turned at Wagner.

Jacobs has experienced championship head coaching success at both the Division III and Division II levels.  She turned around Division III Daniel Webster College in New Hampshire, leading then to two New England College Conference runner-up spots. From there, it was off to Adelphi to take over a four-win program. Jacobs quickly got things on track. In her fifth year (2014-15) at Adelphi, she led the Panthers to their initial Northeast-10 championship and an outstanding 28-4 overall record. Her playing days at Franklin Pierce saw her excel as a two time Northeast-10 All-Academic selection. Now, her newest challenge is Division I.   

The opening tip has yet to be tossed, yet Jacobs continues to make an impression. “It is a great change of pace with her on board,” said senior forward Jackie Dluhi. “We have worked hard, but enter the season so optimistic and excited.”

Optimism is a key word reverberating around the women’s program at Wagner these days. I had the opportunity for a question and answer session with Jacobs at the recent Northeast Conference media day, and the constant theme centered about what will transpire. As previously noted, not ‘if’ it will be done but ‘how and when’:

Ray Floriani: Your thoughts on assuming the position at Wagner?

Heather Jacobs: The academics, people and campus are just a few things at Wagner that are so positive. The minute I stepped on campus, that feeling was there. The people at Wagner want to win, and our goal is nothing short of (eventually) winning a Northeast Conference championship.

RF: You have varied experience at different levels of the game. How does that help you stepping up to Division I as a head coach?

HJ: The game doesn’t really change no matter what level you compete on. You deal with people, practices and academics. You are setting up a game plan to use against each opponent. Those things are evident on all levels of the game.

RF: What type style of play will you employ?

HJ: We want to defend and have discipline. Still, at the same time we want to push the ball. When you get up and down the floor, it is an attractive style for the players and it creates very good opportunities on the offensive end.

RF: Any surprises, individually or collectively,  in your early practices?

HJ: As a group, I am pleasantly surprised by their ability to bounce back. They have been resilient and done all we as a staff have asked. That is so important as you try to change a program’s culture.

RF: There have been struggles in the past at Wagner. How does that affect your approach stepping into the situation?

HJ: It is important to focus on what happened here in the past, to an extent, but realize that is all behind us. The past is not a priority. You have to look and move on ahead. That is so important in changing a culture.

RF: Your feelings on the NEC as a basketball league?

HJ: It is a great league. For the fans it is one of the most exciting leagues around. Just look at the different teams that won the conference in recent years. You do not have a conference where one team dominates and wins year in and year out. That’s exciting for me as a coach and our student-athletes.