St. John’s late rally and latest near-miss leaves more questions in sea of recycled answers

St. John’s still has upside and talent, but Mike Anderson has presided over inconsistent results with Red Storm this season. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK — Maybe this game should have been played six days prior. 

After all, Groundhog Day has been, more often than not, an apt description of the proceedings on the corner of Union and Utopia long enough for even the most rabid of St. John’s fans to possibly not remember any other way.

And for those who live vicariously through the Red Storm, this year’s bottom line — now sitting at 13-10 and 5-7 within the Big East Conference after Tuesday's 75-69 loss to Villanova — projects another dose of disappointment for a team thought to have legitimate NCAA Tournament aspirations when reconvening for the first official practice of the season four months ago. But despite the consternation in the stands, the man trusted to lead the program back to its once-proud perch as a contender is conveying optimism in a field of slowly dissipating promise.

“I just think the energy’s gotta be there from the start,” Mike Anderson said Tuesday night. “The guys have got to play with the same mindset early on. I thought Villanova was very comfortable in doing what they’re doing, and the press is not designed to steal the basketball. But I thought the energy level just triggered our offense. All of a sudden, you saw us attacking the lanes, the lanes were opening up. That’s what I’m looking for with our basketball team.”

Anderson did not go to his trademark pressure defense until late in the second half Tuesday, when St. John’s was already down 20 points in a game where it was without the services of point guard Posh Alexander due to a sprained ankle, and saw Julian Champagnie banged up for stretches of the final stanza. Still, the emergence of Aaron Wheeler as a clutch shooter — the Purdue transfer poured in a career-best 31 points — sparked a valiant 23-6 run to give the Red Storm a chance to tie the game in the final seconds before a Tareq Coburn 3-pointer fell off the mark. Anderson admitted he was content with how the possession ultimately played out, and cited his role players’ increasing contributions as a point of deflection from the criticism of not being able to play a complete game, which appears to have only taken place three times in the conference season, at Seton Hall and in both meetings with Georgetown.

“I think if you how look at how we’ve been playing, you’ve been seeing that,” he said, pointing to player development from the Johnnies’ supporting cast. “You’ve been seeing different guys come off the bench and give us some quality minutes, and sometimes it’s not even in scoring. You think about Esahia (Nyiwe), you think about O’Mar (Stanley), and Tareq. They played to win. They didn’t want to go down like that, and you saw the fire that I’m looking for, that we gotta have for 40 minutes. So again, I think it’s just a continuation of what has been taking place with this basketball team.”

“I think in this particular game, obviously, we ran out of time. We mounted a really concentrated effort without two of our better players, and I was proud of our guys that were out there on the floor. They played with a fire in their bellies, and we gotta do that for 40 minutes. That’s what I’ve been looking for. Let’s be real, Villanova is a very good basketball team, but we had such a huge deficit to kind of overcome. The way our guys were ignited on defense, they were out there giving everything they had.”

Those last quotes come off as a hybrid of a coach strongly convinced his team will turn the proverbial corner — with seven games remaining on the schedule assuming the postponed home game against Marquette is not made up, time is of the essence as we reach mid-February — and, most notably in the last statement, a reflection of Norm Roberts and his “give (insert team here) a lot of credit” postgame platitudes. Again, Anderson was adamant that the light has gone on and the best is yet to come, but progress gets increasingly harder to justify with setbacks against a team like Villanova that played far from its A-game Tuesday.

“I think we have,” he said when asked if St. John’s had played with confidence and a killer instinct. “You saw it at Seton Hall. I think we have it, but what I’m describing is now we’re adding another element with those guys that are coming off. Obviously with Posh and Jules, those are guys that have been here, but when you get guys — Stef and Tareq and those guys — involved, that makes our team even more, I think, dangerous. So the sense of urgency, you could see it, and I think you’ll see it from here on out. I really do. This team is going to be playing some of its best basketball right now.”

A fan base desperate to embrace a winner has run. It has crawled. It has scaled the proverbial city walls, only to be with a winner.

But it still hasn’t found what it’s looking for.

MAAC Monday: Team stat supplement

This supplement to MAAC Monday focuses on team stats and where each Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference program ranks collectively within the conference. Both basic and advanced stats will be taken into account, and MAAC rankings for basic stats in parentheses.

Canisius

Points per game: 69.2 (7th)

Points allowed: 72.1 (9th)

Field goal percentage: .401 (10th)

Field goal percentage defense: .463 (11th)

Free throw percentage: .690 (11th)

3-point field goal percentage: .311 (11th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .300 (1st)

Points per possession: 0.98

Defensive points per possession: 1.02

Effective field goal percentage: .466

Offensive rebound percentage: 32.1

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 25.1

Turnover percentage: 17.5

Forced turnover percentage: 18.9

Fairfield

Points per game: 69.8 (5th)

Points allowed: 66.1 (2nd)

Field goal percentage: .446 (4th)

Field goal percentage defense: .427 (7th)

Free throw percentage: .705 (7th)

3-point field goal percentage: .338 (5th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .320 (5th)

Points per possession: 1.05

Defensive points per possession: 0.99

Effective field goal percentage: .514

Offensive rebound percentage: 27.1

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 27.9

Turnover percentage: 16.6

Forced turnover percentage: 16.5

Iona

Points per game: 76.9 (1st)

Points allowed: 69.7 (7th)

Field goal percentage: .447 (3rd)

Field goal percentage defense: .422 (6th)

Free throw percentage: .699 (10th)

3-point field goal percentage: .333 (7th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .304 (3rd)

Points per possession: 1.07

Defensive points per possession: 0.97

Effective field goal percentage: .505

Offensive rebound percentage: 31.1

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 29.3

Turnover percentage: 17.6

Forced turnover percentage: 18.7

Manhattan

Points per game: 72.2 (3rd)

Points allowed: 72.7 (11th)

Field goal percentage: .453 (1st)

Field goal percentage defense: .463 (10th)

Free throw percentage: .747 (2nd)

3-point field goal percentage: .318 (9th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .355 (11th)

Points per possession: 1.02

Defensive points per possession: 1.03

Effective field goal percentage: .504

Offensive rebound percentage: 29.3

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 31.0

Turnover percentage: 20.7

Forced turnover percentage: 21.4

Marist

Points per game: 69.4 (6th)

Points allowed: 68.3 (5th)

Field goal percentage: .443 (5th)

Field goal percentage defense: .421 (5th)

Free throw percentage: .702 (9th)

3-point field goal percentage: .337 (6th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .335 (8th)

Points per possession: 1.01

Defensive points per possession: 1.01

Effective field goal percentage: .510

Offensive rebound percentage: 27.0

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 27.3

Turnover percentage: 18.8

Forced turnover percentage: 17.9

Monmouth

Points per game: 70.7 (4th)

Points allowed: 67.4 (4th)

Field goal percentage: .427 (8th)

Field goal percentage defense: .397 (1st)

Free throw percentage: .757 (1st)

3-point field goal percentage: .332 (8th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .319 (4th)

Points per possession: 1.02

Defensive points per possession: 0.98

Effective field goal percentage: .484

Offensive rebound percentage: 27.1

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 28.6

Turnover percentage: 18.2

Forced turnover percentage: 17.9

Niagara

Points per game: 68.9 (8th)

Points allowed: 66.5 (3rd)

Field goal percentage: .450 (2nd)

Field goal percentage defense: .410 (3rd)

Free throw percentage: .731 (5th)

3-point field goal percentage: .359 (2nd)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .325 (2nd)

Points per possession: 1.03

Defensive points per possession: 0.99

Effective field goal percentage: .517

Offensive rebound percentage: 22.2

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 27.8

Turnover percentage: 17.1

Forced turnover percentage: 17.6

Quinnipiac

Points per game: 73.7 (2nd)

Points allowed: 72.1 (10th)

Field goal percentage: .441 (6th)

Field goal percentage defense: .432 (8th)

Free throw percentage: .745 (4th)

3-point field goal percentage: .347 (4th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .354 (10th)

Points per possession: 1.04

Defensive points per possession: 1.01

Effective field goal percentage: .548

Offensive rebound percentage: 28.0

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 28.1

Turnover percentage: 18.8

Forced turnover percentage: 18.3

Rider

Points per game: 67.1 (10th)

Points allowed: 70.3 (8th)

Field goal percentage: .398 (11th)

Field goal percentage defense: .417 (4th)

Free throw percentage: .746 (3rd)

3-point field goal percentage: .318 (10th)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .342 (9th)

Points per possession: 0.95

Defensive points per possession: 1.00

Effective field goal percentage: .444

Offensive rebound percentage: 29.7

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 26.9

Turnover percentage: 16.9

Forced turnover percentage: 19.3

Saint Peter’s

Points per game: 68.0 (9th)

Points allowed: 64.2 (1st)

Field goal percentage: .423 (9th)

Field goal percentage defense: .406 (2nd)

Free throw percentage: .702 (8th)

3-point field goal percentage: .366 (1st)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .303 (2nd)

Points per possession: 0.99

Defensive points per possession: 0.94

Effective field goal percentage: .481

Offensive rebound percentage: 31.7

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 28.1

Turnover percentage: 20.9

Forced turnover percentage: 21.9

Siena

Points per game: 65.5 (11th)

Points allowed: 69.3 (6th)

Field goal percentage: .433 (7th)

Field goal percentage defense: .442 (9th)

Free throw percentage: .717 (6th)

3-point field goal percentage: .354 (3rd)

3-point field goal percentage defense: .327 (7th)

Points per possession: 0.96

Defensive points per possession: 1.01

Effective field goal percentage: .491

Offensive rebound percentage: 25.0

Opposing offensive rebound percentage: 27.6

Turnover percentage: 19.6

Forced turnover percentage: 17.4

MAAC Monday: Sizing up Fairfield and Siena, stat leaders, power rankings

Despite inconsistent first half of MAAC play, Jay Young believes Fairfield can still salvage season if Stags can make plays on both ends and play a complete game. (Photo by the Connecticut Post)

MAAC Monday enters the month of February with a closer look at one of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's stronger outfits of the last two seasons, as well as last year’s tournament runner-up, in a dual team spotlight this week. From there, the stat leader section will include updates of the individual standard-bearers in the MAAC, as well as power rankings to set the stage for the second half of league play, which has already begun.

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — It was in late February last year that it started to click and fortunes started to turn for Fairfield.

The Stags, runner-up to Iona in the MAAC tournament championship game last March, used their suffocating defense to create offense, and thereby spring upsets of Monmouth and Saint Peter's once in Atlantic City. But in head coach Jay Young’s third season, the consistency has yet to take root through a 4-7 MAAC record to date, leading the former Steve Pikiell assistant to find a recipe for success with four weeks left in the regular season.

“We just can’t complete a game,” Young lamented after Sunday’s 62-56 loss to Siena, one in which Fairfield battled back to tie the Saints late before losing the game at the foul line. “It’s been the story of our season, and we just can’t get out of it right now. We’re going to have to, obviously, down the stretch.”

That is not to say the Stags lack capable offensive options. In fact, Young presided over a balanced attack Sunday, with Taj Benning and Supreme Cook taking on the majority of the load while Jake Wojcik and Jesus Cruz chipped in as well. Chris Maidoh’s productivity has increased this year, too, and the return of Jalen Leach on Sunday for the first time since November 28 offers yet another glimmer of hope for Fairfield to return to the stage it reached only 11 months ago.

“We’ve got to be way more consistent,” Young reiterated. “We got 40 from Woj and Taj against Rider, and they’ve struggled the last two games. It’s tough to win games when you score 56 and put so much pressure on your defense, so we’ve just got to do a better job on both ends, for that matter.”

“Around the basket, (Maidoh’s) been great. If we can get him in that five, six-foot area, he’s as good as anybody. That five spot has been very good all year for us with him and Supreme, but again, we need more consistency from some of the other positions. I’m hoping (Leach) can help us, it’s been so long since he’s done anything. He’s an offensive guy who can certainly help us, but we’ve got to get him a few more minutes and get him ready.”

Fairfield still has a somewhat favorable finish to the regular season on the horizon, and is still only one game out of the No. 5 seed, which carries the final first-round bye in the MAAC tournament. When informed that the wheels were set in motion late last season, Young’s optimism was on full display as he continues to search for a winning formula.

“We’re right there in every single game,” he said. “We just cannot make a play on either end of the floor that helps us in big moments, and unless that changes, we’re going to have the same result. But I’m confident we can get better on the defensive end. There’s room for improvement there, and there’s certainly tons of room for improvement on the offensive end, too.”

Fairfield’s opponent Sunday went through a similar revelatory moment two weeks ago following a loss to Iona, and has since reeled off four wins in its last five contests to once again join the list of challengers to the aforementioned Gaels.

“We’re growing,” Anthony Gaines declared on the heels of a 15-point, 8-rebound outing that solidified his own personal development. “I’m just being comfortable and adjusting to my new role. Yeah, I came from a different program — Big Ten, whatever — but my role here for this team is different, some of the things I’ve been asked to do are a little different. To find a way to do that and still contribute in other ways, whatever my team needs me to do to win, that’s what I’m trying to do.”

“That’s what it’s all about,” head coach Carmen Maciariello echoed. “I’m just really excited. I think these guys know how much we really care about them and are excited for the journey to come. I love Anthony Gaines. I think the biggest thing is him just staying with it. I’ve never wavered with Anthony or with my belief in him. When he shows how tough he is and what he can do to help us win — whether it’s getting a timely rebound or a deflection — at the end of the day, I thought his ability to play him in different positions has really helped us.”

Halfway through its recently concluded four-game homestand, it was noted that Siena was in a similar position two years ago when it came from the middle of the pack to win the MAAC regular season crown, and would likely have been the tournament champion if not for COVID-19. As a veteran who has been around to see Siena at its peak, Jackson Stormo had a unique perspective on his role helping the newer Saints acclimate to the program, and believes the fruits of their labor are paying off.

“It’s funny that you say that,” he said. “I can view that as either having experience and having new guys come in, or I can view myself as a senior on the team. We had a good year last year, this year, we had to rebuild. We basically have a whole new team, but everyone’s come to put in the work — especially the freshmen — and we’ve seen a lot of good things from all of them, so it’s coming along.”

“A lot can be said for the fact that we didn’t have too much time as a whole team, so it was definitely a process. It started out slow, not how we wanted it to, but we just kept working every day and putting it together piece-by-piece. Now, we’ve got to keep building on this into March.”

Maciariello concurred, citing further common threads between his first team and his current one.

“It’s really interesting,” he admitted. “I think it tells a little bit about me and how I coach, and maybe my demeanor’s changed a little bit as the season goes on. But I just think these guys are understanding what Siena basketball is. Sometimes it takes a little longer, and we also had guys get healthy then, right? Elijah Burns finally got healthy and that helped a ton. I think it helps these guys, now they see the light.”

“Nick Hopkins only has so many games left in his college career, so maybe the light bulb goes on for some of these guys to realize, hey, every single second matters. When you want to win a championship, it has to be done in every second of your life, it has to seep through your DNA. Everything has to be a championship mentality.”

Scoring Leaders

1) Jose Perez, Manhattan (19.0 PPG)

2) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (18.3)

3) George Papas, Monmouth (16.1)

4) Walker Miller, Monmouth (15.1)

5) Colby Rogers, Siena (14.6)

6) Tyson Jolly, Iona (14.6)

7) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (14.5)

8) Shavar Reynolds, Monmouth (14.4)

9) Jao Ituka, Marist (14.3)

10) Ricardo Wright, Marist (14.0)

Rebounding Leaders

1) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (10.7 RPG)

2) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (7.9)

3) Supreme Cook, Fairfield (7.9)

4) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (7.7)

5) Fousseyni Drame, Saint Peter’s (7.1)

6) Jackson Stormo, Siena (7.0)

7) Nikkei Rutty, Monmouth (7.0)

8) Anthony Gaines, Siena (6.8)

9) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (6.8)

10) Walker Miller, Monmouth (6.4)

Assist Leaders

1) Jose Perez, Manhattan (4.6 APG)

2) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (4.4)

3) Kevin Marfo, Quinnipiac (4.0)

4) Noah Thomasson, Niagara (3.6)

5) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (3.3)

6) Ahamadou Fofana, Canisius (3.3)

7) George Papas, Monmouth (3.0)

T-8) Elijah Joiner, Iona (3.0)

T-8) Matthew Lee, Saint Peter’s (3.0)

10) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (3.0)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Jordan Jones, Marist (.684)

2) Josh Roberts, Manhattan (.683)

3) Dylan van Eyck, Iona (.595)

4) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.561)

5) Supreme Cook, Fairfield (.552)

6) Jordan Cintron, Niagara (.549)

7) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (.548)

8) Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, Rider (.545)

9) Jao Ituka, Marist (.544)

10) Jackson Stormo, Siena (.537)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders

1) Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s (.912)

2) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.867)

3) Shavar Reynolds, Monmouth (.865)

4) Matt Balanc, Quinnipiac (.836)

5) George Papas, Monmouth (.829)

6) Quinn Slazinski, Iona (.828)

7) Jose Perez, Manhattan (.820)

8) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.814)

9) Mervin James, Rider (.804)

10) Dwight Murray, Jr., Rider (.796)

3-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders

1) Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s (.460)

2) Colby Rogers, Siena (.425)

3) Nick Hopkins, Siena (.414)

4) Marcus Hammond, Niagara (.404)

5) Daryl Banks III, Saint Peter’s (.403)

6) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (.400)

7) Tyrese Williams, Quinnipiac (.398)

8) Walter Clayton, Jr., Iona (.397)

9) Samir Stewart, Manhattan (.394)

10) Ricardo Wright, Marist (.388)

Steal Leaders

1) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (1.8 SPG)

2) Nick Hopkins, Siena (1.7)

3) Jordan Cintron, Niagara (1.6)

4) Anthony Nelson, Manhattan (1.5)

5) Elijah Buchanan, Manhattan (1.5)

Blocked Shot Leaders

1) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter’s (2.5 BPG)

2) Nelly Junior Joseph, Iona (1.8)

3) Jackson Stormo, Siena (1.3)

4) Jordan Jones, Marist (1.1)

5) Josh Roberts, Manhattan (1.1)

Power Rankings

1) Iona (19-4, 11-1 MAAC)

Last Week: 1

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 at Niagara (L 80-71)

Next Game: Friday 2/11 at Siena, 9 p.m.

2) Saint Peter’s (11-8, 9-3 MAAC)

Last Week: 2

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 vs. Marist (W 66-50)

Next Game: Friday 2/11 vs. Rider, 7 p.m.

3) Monmouth (15-7, 7-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 5

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 at Quinnipiac (W 76-63)

Next Game: Tuesday 2/8 vs. Marist, 7 p.m.

4) Siena (10-9, 7-4 MAAC)

Last Week: 3

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 at Fairfield (W 62-56)

Next Game: Friday 2/11 vs. Iona, 9 p.m.

5) Niagara (11-11, 6-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 8

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 vs. Iona (W 80-71)

Next Game: Saturday 2/12 at Fairfield, 1 p.m.

6) Quinnipiac (11-10, 6-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 4

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 vs. Monmouth (L 76-63)

Next Game: Wednesday 2/9 at Fairfield, 7 p.m.

7) Manhattan (11-9, 4-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 7

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 at Canisius (L 77-70)

Next Game: Tuesday 2/8 at Rider, 7 p.m.

8) Fairfield (10-12, 4-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 6

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 vs. Siena (L 62-56)

Next Game: Wednesday 2/9 vs. Quinnipiac, 7 p.m.

9) Rider (8-13, 4-7 MAAC)

Last Week: 9

Last Game: Friday 2/4 at Siena (W 74-60)

Next Game: Tuesday 2/8 vs. Manhattan, 7 p.m.

10) Canisius (8-16, 4-9 MAAC)

Last Week: 10

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 vs. Manhattan (W 77-70)

Next Game: Saturday 2/12 at Marist, 7 p.m.

11) Marist (8-13, 3-9 MAAC)

Last Week: 11

Last Game: Sunday 2/6 at Saint Peter’s (L 66-50)

Next Game: Tuesday 2/8 at Monmouth, 7 p.m.

Hofstra survives JMU rally, prevails in OT

By Jason Dimaio (@JasonDimaio1)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Always a straight shooter, Speedy Claxton was not one to mince words after Hofstra’s win over James Madison Saturday. 

“Does anybody have any vodka?” Claxton quipped after a wild game that saw the Pride head to overtime for the first time this season to secure the win, defeating the Dukes in an 85-78 decision. “This says a lot about our team. We could have easily folded. We should have won this game in regulation, but we didn’t and that’s why I’m so proud of these guys.”

In front of a packed Mack Complex Center for Hofstra's homecoming, by far the best crowd Hofstra has had all year, the Pride didn’t make it easy on fans early. James Madison never seriously threatened the hosts throughout this game, but Hofstra (14-9, 6-4 CAA) left the door open on several occasions before putting the game away. After a first half in which Hofstra got out to a 10-point lead early, the Dukes fought back and only trailed by one at halftime. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Hofstra extended the lead back up to 10, but again James Madison had an answer by breaking off an 11-3 run to only trail by two with five minutes left.

In the following three minutes, Aaron Estrada, who topped his career high yet again with 35 points, would score seven of the next nine points — including what seemed to be the final 3-point dagger — as The Pride went up by a 71-64 count with 2:48 remaining, but a meltdown was what would follow. 

Hofstra went scoreless the rest of regulation. The Pride’s lack of attacking the basket enabled James Madison to stay out of foul trouble, combined with back-to-back turnovers in the final 30 seconds and a game-tying basket by Vado Morse with eight seconds left, those in attendance were stunned.

As overtime commenced, Hofstra made sure that it would not break. The Pride clamped down defensively and Estrada hit big shot after big shot. He scored nine points in the extra stanza and had the near-capacity crowd on its feet chanting “MVP” as Hofstra salvaged the middle game of its three-game homestand. Zach Cooks’ impact did not go unnoticed either, as he contributed 16 points working his way back off an injury, and helped space the floor for Estrada.

“We missed him, we missed his points and if we don’t have those points we probably lose and he is still trying to get back into form so lets hope it continues” Claxton on Cooks.

“It’s all thanks to my coaching staff,” Estrada said, giving credit to Claxton and his assistants for his resurgence. “I wouldn’t hit threes in practice and I would lose some confidence, but they’re always there for me to tell me keep shooting.”

Rutgers gets back on track with demolition of Michigan State

Cliff Omoruyi (11) exhorts crowd as Rutgers dominated Michigan State Saturday. (Photo by Rutgers Athletics)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — After losses to Maryland and Northwestern, with a desperate win over Nebraska sandwiched between them, hardly anyone expected Rutgers to play itself back into contention Saturday against a Michigan State team coming into Jersey Mike’s Arena off an all-out victory of its own.

After all, lackluster efforts preceding the clash with the notoriously physical Spartans are usually not a recipe for victory, at least not on paper, prompting Steve Pikiell to tell the Scarlet Knights to pick up the intensity.

Message received.

Only leading by two points after allowing Gabe Brown to beat the first-half buzzer on a 3-pointer at the horn, Rutgers put Michigan State in a vise over the final 20 minutes, limiting the 13th-ranked Spartans to 25 points after halftime and raising the levels of physicality in an 84-63 rout for a second straight win over Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo, whose program scored only 37 points in its first game back from a COVID pause in January 2021 in the last meeting between the two schools.

“Well, that was an old-fashioned butt-kicking,” Izzo said, pulling zero punches as Geo Baker and Paul Mulcahy led a half-dozen Rutgers players with double-figure point totals. “It doesn’t surprise me, to be honest with you. As dumb as it sounds, I thought the game was lost early. We gave up some things to Baker early, we didn’t handle the screen-and-rolls very well, and we got our butts kicked on the boards.”

“I thought it was one of the more physical games I’ve been in since the Mateen Cleaves days, and I love the way Steve coached them. I love that brand of basketball, we just didn’t match it. Mulcahy just bully-balled us, and we knew he was going to do that. We didn’t handle it very well with our help.”

Michigan State’s rough-and-tumble reputation was a focal point during the week as the Scarlet Knights (13-9, 7-5 Big Ten) prepared for Saturday’s heavyweight fight, with an assist from one of the team’s unsung heroes.

“We don’t talk about it a lot, but Luke Nathan was kicking our butt this whole week, so I think we were prepared,” Mulcahy recalled. “We matched it all week.”

“That means a lot,” Caleb McConnell said when briefed of Izzo commending Rutgers for its fight and hustle. “The last few games, we haven’t been so physical and Coach Pike kept preaching to us to match the intensity. If we do that consistently every night, I feel like we could play with anybody.”

Rutgers did exactly that, beginning both halves with jarring body blows as Baker began the proceedings with his patented clutch shot making, only for Mulcahy, McConnell and Dean Reiber — the latter of whom posted 12 points in just over 11 minutes — to effectively shut the lights with an 8-0 run that also saw Izzo pick up a technical foul as he seemed to be at a loss for counterpunching the hosts, who coasted to victory from there.

“We dribbled the ball in the post and they were there, they dribbled the ball in the post and they were nowhere,” Izzo lamented. “We looked two steps slow. You can’t let a team get going that hasn’t been going really well, and we let them get going. I’m very disappointed that someone would take it to us like that and I didn’t see us retaliate in any way.”

“I wasn’t in love with the first half as far as our defense was concerned, but I thought we played really good defense in the second half,” said Pikiell. “We didn’t turn the ball over like we did in the past, and rebounding’s always something we emphasize, so plus-10 was a big part of that. We shared the game, 22 assists is hard to do in a game like this. We had a lot of timely baskets, but our defense and our rebounding carried us in the second half.”

On top of the defensive shutdown, Rutgers controlled the glass to a 31-20 margin against the Spartans, and tallied 22 assists in the process, with Mulcahy responsible for 12 of those helpers.

“It takes two, and I’m just trying to get guys the ball,” he assessed of his progression as a point guard. “We’ve got some really talented guys that make it really easy for that to happen.”

“He’s just been locked in,” McConnell opined. “He shows up every day, he’s a leader every day, and I feel like that’s what it takes to play on the level he’s playing at.”

With Mulcahy and Baker in a synergy in the backcourt, Rutgers has already shown it could play the two-man game. Now, with Reiber’s emergence alongside Cliff Omoruyi, the Scarlet Knights have an interior dynamic to join the guards, with McConnell bridging the two tandems.

“You guys haven’t seen the half of Dean yet,” McConnell gushed, effusive in his praise of Reiber. “Dean has a whole other side you guys have never even seen. He’s way athletic, he can finish way above the rim, he can make plays, he can pass, shoot and dribble as a big, and that’s awesome being in this league. Once he puts it together, Dean’s ceiling is through the roof, man. He played 11 minutes and he had 12 points, so that shows you what kind of a player he is. Cliff is super athletic, he can throw the ball almost anywhere and get it into the paint, and Dean can step out and shoot it, he can also pass the ball very well. It just spaces the floor out and we’re giving you a one-two punch, especially when they’re both on the same page.”

“Our team flows better when everybody’s on the same page, defending, really locked in and sharing the game. Nobody can really stop us when we’re doing that, especially when everybody in the starting five’s in double digits, Paul’s in double digits in assists. If we could use this momentum to really get together and set that bar every game, I feel like we’ll be fine.”

With eight games remaining in the regular season, Rutgers can still get back onto the good side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, beginning Wednesday against Ohio State, who now faces a Scarlet Knight team that might be at its most connected after Saturday’s rout.

“We can do it,” McConnell proclaimed, ever the optimist. “Today’s February 5, we have a good schedule left, plenty of opportunity. If we could get things back rolling and get things back on the right page every night, this team has no ceiling, especially when we’re all locked in. We’re going to finish this season out how we started.”

But regardless of how the season ends, the dean of Big Ten coaches has given Pikiell a vote of confidence.

“When I first met Steve, I didn’t know him at all,” Izzo said. “After working at Connecticut for my crazy friend there (Jim Calhoun), he just had such a good demeanor about him, he’s got some toughness to him. I think he’s done a hell of a job. I’m a Steve Pikiell fan. I hate him today, but as far as overall, I really think he’s done a hell of a job.”

Kevin Willard quote book: Creighton

On Seton Hall’s defensive performance:

“I thought it was excellent, Jerry. That was our main focus coming into the game. We didn’t get back from Georgetown until about 4:00 in the morning, but we practiced on Wednesday and we got after it Wednesday, which we usually don’t do because this team is so good offensively. We just wanted to come out and jump on them, and make sure they didn’t make any threes early, didn’t get any confidence early. And I thought we were really locked in on trying to get (Alex) O’Connell and (Ryan) Hawkins off the 3-point line.”

On Kadary Richmond:

“I think you’re starting to see the evolution of a really, really good player. It’s hard playing 24 minutes a game and sharing time with a guy to now all of a sudden having to play 38 minutes a game and play three games in five days, so I think he’s handled the responsibility phenomenally. I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence, and I think he’s just starting to evolve into that really, really good point guard.”

On Jamir Harris:

“I think the biggest thing is having time to practice with Jamir. Being able to put him out there when Kooks is not out there has given me confidence in putting him out there. I think that’s the biggest thing for me. When Bryce went down and having those three games in five days, I just didn’t have time to do anything. The fact that we’ve had two weeks, we’ve had a lot of practice — these guys have practiced phenomenal — has given me a chance to kind of do some things with Jamir to give me confidence in Jamir, and I think at the same time, trying to give Jamir confidence in what we’re trying to do with him.”

On Tyrese Samuel:

“I’m starting to see the kid that was averaging 26 minutes a game in December. He’s finally getting out of the funk of COVID.”

On defensive catalysts:

“It’s Myles Cale. It’s been that way…how long has Myles been in college? Five years? It’s been that since he was a freshman. He’s one of the most underrated players in the country and there’s nothing flashy about him, but I would take him every day of the week.”

On maintaining momentum:

“I think if we — obviously we have a very, very tough battle Wednesday night, I love the way Xavier’s playing, they’re using (Jack) Nunge great, they’re using (Zach) Freemantle really well in the post, they’re really spacing those two guys out — if we can get back to 6-6 after really gifting the league two losses, I’d be thrilled.”

On Bryce Aiken:

“Bryce is doing good. Physically, he looks better. I think he’s feeling better, I think he’s progressing in a way that’s positive, but again, there’s still no timetable.”

On adjusting to life without Aiken:

“I just think the biggest thing was we had to get through those three games in five days, to me. That’s really all it was. I had a lot of confidence in this group, we have some older guys. Getting Tyrese back to the way Tyrese was playing, to me, was probably the biggest thing just because he gives us such a different look than Ikey, he gives us really a scoring option off it. So it’s a resilient group, it’s a great group to coach. They’ve come with a great attitude, they’ve practiced great over the last two weeks…I mean, I practiced hard yesterday, I went two hours and almost 30 minutes yesterday, which, like I said, we have four guys out with injuries. Donald Copeland had to practice for an hour and a half of that. I know how good this team can be. We were 9-1 and the 15th-ranked team in the country. It’s my job to get them back to that, and the only way we’re going to get back to that is getting into a good rhythm, and that’s through practice. It’s not through games.”

On Alexis Yetna:

“I think the same thing. Lex has been one of the most consistent guys I’ve ever coached. If you need a rebound, you get it. You need a shot, you need a pass, you get it. He’s played terrific all year.”

Hofstra unable to avoid sweep, falls to Towson

By Jason Dimaio (@JasonDimaio1)

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — In what seemed like a game of constant catch-up, Hofstra looked to avoid a season sweep of Towson, but fell short Thursday in a 78-68 defeat to the Tigers in what was the Pride’s first loss on its home court at the Mack Sports Complex this season.

“If we played the first half like we did the second half, we win this game,” head coach Speedy Claxton said as Hofstra (13-9, 5-4 CAA) battled back to tie the score in the second half, but was done in by Towson shooting 61 percent from the floor despite a gallant 22-point effort from Aaron Estrada. “But you can't spot teams in this league. Teams are too good.”

Hofstra started the game with momentum, jumping out to an early eight-point lead in the first half, but what would follow for the Pride in closing out the first stanza of the game was a nightmare. Poor shot selection, combined with a minimal effort on the defensive end, led to a 30-12 run for Towson as the Tigers took a 10-point lead into the break behind an astounding 70 percent shooting display from the field and an equally scorching 8-of-11 from beyond the arc. Hofstra seemed to be a half-step behind in fighting through ball screens and rotations, and the results were evident to Claxton. 

“We didn’t play any defense, it was a lack thereof,” he conceded. “We needed to pressure the basketball, we didn’t until the second half, and we spotted them a 10-point lead at halftime.”

The second half seemed to give Hofstra new life as the Pride came out with energy and poise, jumping the Tigers for a 14-2 run to start the half, led by Estrada drilling back to back threes. By the first media timeout of the half, the game was tied at 45, but that was as close as the hosts would get. It was all Towson from this point on, as Hofstra’s 3-point well dried up in a sea of open looks the Pride could not convert on, as well as a lack of free throw opportunities. Hofstra shot just two free throws in the second half and six total for the game. The end result was Towson cruising to a double-digit win, paced by 26 points from Nicolas Timberlake.

Next for Hofstra comes a James Madison team (13-7, 4-5 CAA) looking to get even with the Pride in the CAA win column and trying to win its second game in a row on Saturday. When asked if he likes the short turnaround on just one day of rest, Claxton was quick to flush Thursday's end result. 

“I love the fact we don’t have much time to rest,” he declared. “We need to have short term memory, and move on and start getting ready for JMU.”

Iona enters second half of MAAC play embracing pressure, camaraderie, and opportunity

Rick Pitino instructs Iona during a timeout during Gaels’ battle with Saint Peter’s. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

The three-letter acronym is almost ubiquitous in and around the Hynes Athletics Center. Be it in practice, the locker room, pregame warmups, or even in the crowd during a game, it can be seen in any given section of an arena where winning is a beverage as constantly imbibed as some of the more potent potables up the block at the Beechmont Tavern.

PHD.

Normally used to denote the highest possible degree in a particular field, this PHD is the process by which Rick Pitino is authoring his final chapters of an illustrious career, doing so by conferring a doctorate upon Iona College in the area of winning basketball programs.

Passionate. Hungry. Driven.

It is an axiom by which Pitino operates relentlessly, in even the most mundane tasks of life. And almost two years after arriving in New Rochelle, he has instilled the same credo in all who study under his learning tree, one that has bore 800 career wins, a pair of national championships, and countless professional testimonials over a tour of duty in the game that has lasted for parts of six decades, beginning when Jimmy Carter was President of the United States.

“I would say it’s been a process,” Tyson Jolly said of not only playing for Pitino, but learning the essence of his new head coach after transferring to Iona following stops at Baylor and SMU. “Being at other schools, you learn different techniques, different schemes, coaches coach different ways. Every day, you’re constantly learning and honestly, I feel like he just gives us the freedom to learn and make mistakes, and then he coaches us through the mistakes. He’s coaching to make us figure it out.”

“He was intense when I met him, and he’s just as intense now,” Elijah Joiner, Iona’s point guard who came to Pitino by way of Tulsa, added. “For us to be able to celebrate that with him after all the teams he’s coached in his career, he’s a legend, and we’re just glad to be a part of history.”

The history of which Joiner speaks added a new wrinkle less than a year ago, when Iona — in the throes of a 51-day pause after being sidelined by COVID-19 on multiple occasions last season — received a clean bill of health just in time for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament. Once the Gaels took the floor in Atlantic City, they left the rest of the MAAC in their wake again, winning four games in five days to claim yet another league championship, and with it, an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament that Pitino has attributed to his patented player development sessions and an ability to attract great talent based on his resume and his own gift that he continues to impart on anyone willing to put in the work to succeed at the highest level.

Tyson Jolly has used Rick Pitino’s guidance to fuel MAAC Player of the Year-caliber senior season at Iona. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

“Just being in his presence and being able to come into the gym every day, even days when we don’t feel like working out or practicing,” Jolly said of what helps motivate him as the fifth-year senior is in contention for MAAC Player of the Year honors. “Just seeing his face makes you want to go even harder, for him and for yourself.”

“The key is you go after players you think have great upside,” Pitino revealed. “We try to recruit people that the reason they’re coming here is they want to get better, and that’s what we do. Tyson wanted to get better, that’s why he came here. Elijah wanted to get better, that’s why he came here. Quinn (Slazinski, a transfer from Louisville) wanted to get better, that’s why he came here. Nelly (Junior Joseph, last year’s MAAC Rookie of the Year) listened to Gorgui Dieng, that’s why he came here. Dylan (van Eyck, a fifth-year senior who is one of only two holdovers recruited by Pitino’s predecessor, Tim Cluess) is a starter on our basketball team, but he’s a finisher. He changes the game.”

At 18-3, and a perfect 10-0 in MAAC play, Iona has a target squarely on its back, one that has magnified and widened through the program’s reputation, coupled with a desire for opposing teams to claim victory over a Hall of Fame architect in Pitino. But the heightened expectations have only raised the stakes and stoked even the smallest coals in the fire, one that is being willfully ignited on every possession.

Elijah Joiner drives inside for layup against Saint Peter’s. The Tulsa transfer runs Rick Pitino’s offense from point guard spot. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

“As a team, we look at pressure as a privilege,” Joiner opined. “When the pressure isn’t on you anymore, that means you’re not doing something good. We embrace the pressure every night being an undefeated team with teams wanting to beat us and most importantly, our coach, and we embody that. We really care for each other as teammates and as brothers. Eventually, if you have a team like that off the court, it’s going to translate on the court. That’s why when our backs are against the wall, we know that we’ve got everybody on the bench with us and all five guys out there working extremely hard to get us the win.”

The deep love and respect within the borders of the locker room actually developed overseas, as the Gaels traveled to Greece last summer for a five-game excursion against various professional teams, one of whom was the Panathinaikos outfit Pitino left to make his re-entry into the collegiate ranks in 2020. Iona may not have won each contest on paper, but the experience and intangibles gained along the way provided a greater reward and payoff than any win or loss ever could.

“I think it started in Greece when we played the national teams and actually competing,” Joiner said of when the Gaels found a rhythm. “Learning each other, figuring each other out and just seeing how hard we fought with each other and for each other during those times, and not even knowing each other. We just got here, (Pitino) was yelling and we didn’t know what he was yelling about, but we just bonded and gelled together. That’s when we had something special.”

That was also, as Jolly recalled, when the Iona players realized the celebrity stature their coach possessed.

“That’s when I knew Coach P was really Coach P,” he said with a laugh. “As soon as we got to Athens, he took us around and gave us a little tour. He was just dressed in street clothes, and these kids and parents coming from different stores and different shops were like, ‘Hey, Coach Pitino! Hey, Rick, come get a picture! Rick! Rick! Rick!’ It was cool to see how people embrace Coach, even way across the waters.”

Pitino’s reach and gravitas is well-documented, one of the many reasons why his name is mentioned for almost every high-major coaching vacancy that comes up. Time and again, he has dismissed thoughts of leaving Iona for places like Indiana, Maryland, or the same Louisville program that dismissed him acrimoniously in 2017, and has done so with a smile and a heartfelt gratitude for the situation he relishes with each passing day.

“I told the team that I’m glad that I got 800 here,” Pitino remarked after Iona defeated Saint Peter’s on January 30 to reach the aforementioned milestone. “But I want to get another 200 here. And God willing, if I don’t roll a seven anytime soon, hopefully it’ll happen. I’m real, real pleased coaching these guys, the school is a small school that you appreciate all the little things — you don’t have the bells and whistles like I had at Louisville or Kentucky — but none of that bothers me.”

“Coaching here, I think, is a great honor. It’s just an easy lifestyle to coach kids who really care, they’re not worried about, ‘let’s get an NIL for $150,000,’ nobody worries about that. You just worry about playing ball and getting better, so I’m happy I’m here. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve had, and at 69, the most important thing is my guys came here to play for me. So I don’t pay attention to any of that.”

What he — and by extension, his players — do pay attention to is the present moment. And beginning Friday against Canisius, Iona embarks on the second half of conference play looking to join La Salle as the only schools in MAAC history to complete the regular season undefeated. The Explorers did it twice, in 1987-88 and 1989-90 under the legendary Speedy Morris, and the Gaels are hoping to be the third entry in the history books. But win or lose, Pitino has already given his players and his program reason to believe, reason to dream big, and reassurance that such visions of grandeur will not be fleeting.

“I think we can do great things here because we can attract great players here,” he said. “I always tell my son (Richard) when you're going after a job: If you can recruit great players, it’s a great job. And we can recruit great players here.”

“My window is closing, so I want to get the most out of every single day in player development, I want to get the most out of every single game. I know when my time will be up, but fortunately for me, I’m not close to that.”

Iona players celebrate one of Gaels’ 18 wins to date this season. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

A-10 Tempo Thursday: February 3, 2022

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

Davidson suffered its first conference loss last Wednesday, falling to VCU. The Wildcats rebounded with a home win over La Salle on Saturday and a huge win at St. Bonaventure two nights ago. In Olean, Davidson opened an early second half lead of 16 points. The Bonnies battled back to get the deficit to one possession before Foster Loyer iced the game, hitting two free throws in the final seconds. Bob McKillop’s team has been outstanding on the offensive end, while a bit pedestrian defensively with a 107 defensive efficiency, ranking 12th in the conference.

Several teams are still very much in the hunt. One to watch closely is Saint Louis, standing in third at 6-2. In late October, the Billikens lost the services of Javonte Perkins, a preseason first team all-A-10 selection, to a torn ACL. Losing Perkins cast a shadow of uncertainty over what figured to be an A-10 contender. A lineup featuring two sophomores and two freshmen starters (KenPom has the Billikens in the bottom 20 nationally in experience) has risen to the occasion admirably.

Travis Ford’s roster has won five of its last six contests, including a significant 92-90, double-overtime decision last night at George Mason behind sophomore guard Yuri Collins’ 35 points and 13 assists. Saint Louis is among the conference leaders in both offensive (110) and defensive (93) efficiency. Saint Louis is limiting opponents to 32 percent shooting from beyond the arc, while crashing the boards with a league-best 35 percent offensive rebounding percentage. Those latter numbers fit the profile of a Ford team during his tenure at Saint Louis, tough defensively and on the glass, as the Billikens — given Perkins’ absence and their youth — have been a surprise to date, morphing into a team no one wants to face.

Efficiency and Records (courtesy of KenPom)

1) Dayton (+19, 7-2)

2) Saint Louis (+15, 6-2)

3) Davidson (+8, 8-1)

4) George Mason (+6, 4-2)

5) Richmond (+3, 5-4)

6) St. Bonaventure (+2, 4-3)

7) VCU (+2, 6-3)

8) Rhode Island (+1, 3-5)

9) Saint Joseph’s (-3, 3-6)

10) Fordham (-7, 3-5)

11) La Salle (-7, 1-8)

12) George Washington (-11, 4-4)

13) UMass (-12, 2-6)

14) Duquesne (-17, 1-6)

Offensive Efficiency:

1) Davidson 115 

2) Saint Louis 110 

3) George Mason 109 

4) St. Bonaventure 107 

5) Dayton 105

Davidson shoots an effective field goal percentage of 56, with a 3-point rate of 39 percent. The Wildcats have three individuals in the top ten in both 2-point and 3-point shooting. Topping it off is a better than average 17 percent turnover rate. It all adds up to a well oiled offensive machine.

Defensive Efficiency:

1) Dayton 85

2) Rhode Island 94

3) Saint Louis 95

4) VCU 97

5) Fordham 99

Saint Louis and Dayton are the only two teams among the leaders in both offensive and defensive efficiency. St. Bonaventure is very efficient on the offensive end. The defensive side is where Mark Schmidt’s Bonnies are struggling. A year ago, when they swept the A-10 regular season and postseason titles, the Bonnies sported a conference leading 93 efficiency. To date, the number on the defensive end is 105, putting them tenth in conference.

Fordham is effective at forcing turnovers. The Rams show a 22 percent defensive turnover rate, not far behind another group of Rams — league leader VCU — at 25 percent. Rhode Island has the second best defensive mark and a 3-5 conference record. The problem? An offense with an efficiency of 95, 12th-best in the A-10 in that category.

Pace — Fastest:

Saint Joseph’s: 70 possessions per game

Saint Louis, UMass, George Washington and Richmond: 69

Deliberate:

Dayton: 63 possessions per game

George Mason and St. Bonaventure 64

Duquesne and Davidson: 66

Billy Lange’s Saint Joseph’s Hawks keep pushing the ball and chugging along. At this point, it’s rather safe to say there should not be too much alteration in the order. The fastest teams might drop a possession or two given that the schedule is heading towards crunch time, where games take on an even greater importance and coaches are inclined to be more conservative. On the other side, several teams battling for the top spot in the A-10 race are already content to put on the brakes and grind it out.

Offensive Rebound Percentages:

1) Saint Louis 35

2) St. Bonaventure 33

3) La Salle 31

4) Duquesne, Dayton and UMass 30

Offensive rebounding percentage was mentioned early in discussing Saint Louis. The offensive rebounds aid efficiency by extending a possession. It also affords a closer shot that can lead to drawing a foul as well. It is interesting to note that the top two teams in offensive rebounding percentage also have the top two individuals in that category. Here’s a look at the top seven in A-10 play:

1) Francis Okoro, Saint Louis 14.4 

2) Osun Osunniyi, St. Bonaventure 12.8 

3) Davonte Gaines, George Mason 10.9 

4) Christian Ray, La Salle 10.7 

5) Chuba Ohams, Fordham 10.4 

6) Toumani Camara, Dayton 10.1

7) Ejike Obinna, Saint Joseph’s 10.0

Last week, we looked at the most proficient shooters beyond the arc. This week it’s time for a look at the top 10 shooters from 2-point range. Not all 2-pointers are attempted in the paint. With the mid-range shot going the way of the dinosaur, it’s safe to say, however, a good percentage of twos are taken in the lane. To qualify, an individual player had to play a minimum 40 percent of the minutes played and attempt at least two shots per game:

1) Antwan Walker, Rhode Island 68.5 

2) DaRon Holmes, Dayton 68.2 

3) Luka Brajkovic, Davidson 64.4 

4) Malik Martin, Rhode Island 62.5 

5) Makhel Mitchell, Rhode Island 62.5 

6) Josh Oduro, George Mason 62.4 

7) Elijah Weaver, Dayton 61.9 

8) Davonte Gaines, George Mason 61.0 

9) D’Shawn Schwartz, George Mason 60.2 10) Hyunjung Lee, Davidson 59.6

Upcoming Schedule:

February 4: St. Bonaventure at Richmond

February 5: Dayton at Saint Louis

UMass at Rhode Island

George Mason at LaSalle 

Davidson at George Washington 

Duquesne at VCU

Fordham at Saint Joseph’s

February 7: George Mason at Richmond

February 8: Rhode Island at VCU 

Fordham at St. Bonaventure 

Saint Louis at La Salle

February 9: Richmond at George Mason 

George Washington at UMass

Saint Joseph’s at Davidson

Duquesne at Dayton

All-KenPom:

Vince Wiliams, VCU

Luka Brajkovic, Davidson 

Josh Oduro, George Mason 

Grant Golden, Richmond 

Hyunjung Lee, Davidson

Conference Numbers:

Efficiency: 101

Tempo: 67 possessions per game

Effective field goal percentage: 50

Offensive rebound percentage: 28 

Turnover rate: 18 percent

3-point field goal percentage: 34

2-point field goal percentage: 48

Home court winning percentage: 51

Siena hopeful that rest of homestand can lift Saints back into MAAC contention

With his Siena team in a similar position to where it was on way to MAAC regular season title two years ago, Carmen Maciariello is optimistic in Saints’ potential to find another gear in stretch drive. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Two years ago today, Siena awakened to the afterglow of a resounding 23-point win over Iona, the Saints’ first road victory of the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season and one that set the wheels in motion for a winning streak and run through February and March that had all the makings of an unforgettable stretch before COVID-19 halted a potential coronation.

The Saints reloaded last year and repeated as regular season champions in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference before being upended by Iona in the MAAC tournament, and two years to the day of their season-changing win in New Rochelle, find themselves in a similar position to mount a rally Tuesday, when Siena resumes a four-game homestand that has already yielded a pair of wins by welcoming Canisius inside the newly christened MVP Arena, formerly known as Times Union Center.

“We’ve still got some work to do,” head coach Carmen Maciariello admitted after Siena lost to Iona last week, a defeat whose aftertaste dissipated with wins over Niagara and Quinnipiac. “I do think having guys in and out of the lineup, being able to get Jayce (Johnson) back to kind of who we knew he could be, I thought that was a positive. We’ve gotta have all our guys clicking on all cylinders. Not having Javian McCollum hurt us because he’s a guy that can make plays and get guys open, he can penetrate, he has good floor vision.”

“We have a high ceiling. I still think we have some way to go to be a finished product, but the good thing is we have a four-game homestand to get right.”

At 8-8 and 5-3 in MAAC play, Siena is almost exactly where it stood two years ago after losing to Saint Peter’s, a setback that dropped the Saints to 10-10 and 4-6 in league action. Maciariello has intimated a desire to play faster and with more of an uptempo style, but while that has still yet to manifest itself consistently, the emergence of junior sharpshooter Colby Rogers as a perimeter threat alongside the interior presence of Jackson Stormo has given the Saints two formidable focal points on offense similar to how Jalen Pickett and Manny Camper steered the ship in 2019-20. Guards Aidan Carpenter and Nick Hopkins have chipped in to offer indispensable production a la Donald Carey and Jordan King, while Anthony Gaines has developed into one of the premier two-way players in the conference. And when freshmen Jared Billups and Javian McCollum are added to the conversation, the prevailing opinion is that the early tribulations are merely teachable moments for a group poised to hit its best stride at the most opportune of times.

“We’re still pretty confident,” Rogers said. “I look at it like a learning step, learning a lesson. I think we can watch film of these games, go to practice, learn from it and continue to develop. There’s still quite a bit of season left, and we’re all just preparing for March. That three-game stretch is the most important stretch. I just look at it as a learning experience, and we just have to keep putting one foot forward.”

Johnnies’ hot start fizzles out on road at Villanova

By Jason Dimaio (@JasonDimaio1)

VILLANOVA, Pa. — In the blink of an eye, this college basketball season is entering February and if the season ended today, St. John’s would be on the outside looking in. That is not what fans were expecting, nor the team, but right now, that is the harsh reality.

The Red Storm fell to Villanova Saturday at a sold out Finneran Pavilion, 73-62, in a game whose final score masked the actual disparity between the two programs. St. John’s built a quick 10-4 advantage in the first half, but after a timeout and lineup change that saw head coach Mike Anderson go to a full bench rotation, the game soon turned on its head and Villanova did not look back from there. A 6-0 Wildcat run immediately followed, and St. John’s was outscored for the rest of the half by a commanding 36-16 margin. Long-distance shot after long-distance shot fell for Villanova as it barraged the Red Storm for a 9-of-12 clip from 3- point range in the first half. St. John’s (11-8, 3-5 Big East) had no answers, offensively or defensively.

The offensive woes continued for Julian Champagnie as he endured his third straight game failing to score double-digit points, going 4-of-12 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. 

“He’s getting opportunities, he just has to knock them down,” Anderson said of his all-conference superstar. “I have all the faith in him.”

It was not just Champgnie who had a night to forget, as Posh Alexander — who shut down Collin Gillespie in St. John’s upset of Villanova last season — was held scoreless in the first half, finishing with seven points total amid a 2-for-8 shooting day.

“It’s just something we have to work at,” a succinct Anderson said when asked about the Red Storm’s shooting woes, compounded by an abysmal 8-of-17 showing from the free throw line, a season-long malady that has continued to plague a team picked fourth in the Big East preseason poll and one with tremendous upside.

If St. John’s has any hope of playing in the NCAA Tournament, its season-saving run has to start at home Tuesday night against what could be a Top 10 team in Providence, followed by two road games at Georgetown and Butler. When asked how big of a game Tuesday is, Anderson dismissed the notion that one game was bigger than the other, but nonetheless suggested he and his program are up for the challenge.

“They’re all big,” he admitted. “I don’t put more emphasis on one game than I do all year long, but I’m looking forward to it. We have to defend the home court.”