Seton Hall vs. Providence Photo Gallery

Photos from Seton Hall's 65-63 win over Providence on January 30, 2019:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

JP's 5 Thoughts: Seton Hall ends losing streak in must-win over Providence

Myles Powell was fired up after steal and dunk late in second half put exclamation point on resonating win over Providence in which Seton Hall's junior superstar led all scorers with 31 points. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEWARK, NJ -- Going into halftime with a seven-point lead over Providence at home after playing great defense in the first half, it looked like Seton Hall would get the victory it so desperately needed to avoid a five-game slide in Big East play.

But a 15-0 Providence run changed the narrative in the early second half, and behind 31 points from Myles Powell and some great defense down the stretch, the Pirates pulled it out, 65-63, to put an end to a four-game losing skid in a game they had to have at home in frigid Newark.

Here are the Thoughts:

1. Powell Possessed

When big games arrive, particularly must-win games as tonight's was, coaches need stars to be stars, and that's what Myles Powell was tonight. Scoring 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting is great no matter what, but tonight, only seven of those 23 shots came from long range. The junior guard had a look in his eye, and drove the ball hard to the basket, showing a stout determination to win.

"I was just in attack mode today," Powell said. "I told my teammates coming in that I was locked in and I was going to do whatever it takes for us to win. My shot hasn't been falling, I've been in a slump, so I took it upon myself and told myself that I was going to get to the rack today."  

But he also did it on the other end, finishing with four steals, the last of which was a heady play to jump a passing lane and dunk it on the other end. Put simply, Powell wasn't about to let the ship drift further off course tonight, and head coach Kevin Willard urged the Pirates to re-focus and get his star the rock.

"I told the team the other day we can't go five minutes without Myles Powell touching the ball," Willard said. "We got here riding his back. Let's not play make-believe. This is the guy that got us here. And I thought he came out being aggressive, and I thought that really set the tone."

A rising tide lifts all boats, so the saying goes. And when Powell gets going, it elevates everyone else.

"When you see one player just going out there and scoring the ball at all three levels, it's amazing to see," point guard Quincy McKnight said. "When we go out there and we see him doing it against other teams, it definitely gets us hyped up. When he gets a bucket and we get back on defense, he's juiced up, and I'm juiced up for him. I'm his number one fan. If you put a mic on me on the court when he shoots it, all you hear is me screaming."  

It sounds cliched, but sometimes, as has been the case several times this year, one team has Myles Powell, and the other team doesn't. But basketball is a team sport, and Powell had some critical help in crucial junctures.

2. Big Guys

Let's start with the literal big guys off the bench. For Taurean Thompson and Romaro Gill this year, there have been huge performances and then there have been other games where they don't make nearly as much of an impact.

Tonight was the former. While Gill still isn't at 100 percent physically after returning from an ankle injury, his defensive presence was still as it's ever been. He grabbed seven big rebounds, and altered possessions with his 7'2" length. The most obvious of these trips was the very end of the game, when with Seton Hall up only two and Isaiah Jackson on the block with a mismatch against Powell, Gill got to the spot as Jackson turned towards the hoop and smothered his potential game-tying layup against the glass, effectively ending the game as time ran out.

Then there was the enigmatic Thompson, who has skills for days but who hasn't always put them to the best of use. Tonight was his best game since the December win over Kentucky, as he finished with eight points, a team-best nine rebounds, and four blocked shots for good measure. 

"Taurean was terrific," Willard said. "The thing I was really happy with with 'T' is he rebounded the basketball. He went in there and got dirty, came up with some big rebounds, kept some balls alive, came up with a big block on a three-point shot, just played really well."

3. The 'Q' Factor

The bigs were big, no doubt, but there was also a valuable leadership moment for McKnight: Seton Hall was down seven at 47-40, its largest deficit of the game, and in the huddle, it was the junior guard that essentially told everyone to snap out of it.

"I saw it on our faces," McKnight said. "We were back in the same position as the last couple games when we were losing, so I told them 'get the look off your face and let's keep fighting.'"  

"We're battle-tested, and we've been in in that situation before," Powell added. "We got down seven and our heads kind of dropped. Quincy got the huddle together and said 'get these negative faces of your face.' After he said that, we came out and we fought back."

To show what kind of leader and player he is, consider this: He was on the bench for most of the Pirates' run that allowed them to come back in the middle of the second half. But instead of being rusty when he did get back out there, he made an immediate impact with a big steal and layup, plus a foul for a three-point play that ended up giving Seton Hall the lead for good. 

"At my old school, I was a scorer, so there were times when I wasn't scoring the ball, and I was on the bench watching my team play without me," McKnight said. "Sitting out last year changed my whole mindset on getting subbed out. (Instead of) pouting, being upset at myself, now I stay in tune with the game."

4. Meet & Greet

After getting trounced by Villanova for their fourth-straight loss on Sunday, it was clear the Pirates needed to get back to the drawing board. And it was the players that took that responsibility, calling a players-only meeting when they returned from Philadelphia on Sunday night.

But the difference between this meeting and most such gatherings? They brought the game tape with them.

"They called a meeting to watch film," Willard said. "They didn't really call a meeting just to have a meeting, and to me, that was more important than anything else. Because you can talk all you want, but when you sit there and watch yourself, you have to be honest with your teammates about how you're playing."

"We got back, we watched the Villanova game," Powell added. "We sat down, everyone talked on the team, and we said we have to get back to (being) ourselves. Mike (Nzei) ran the meeting, and I feel that it really helped us."

The thing that's interesting about this year's Seton Hall team is that they are at the same time young, with only Nzei and Powell returning who played major minutes the year before, and mature in that they give consistent effort and also aren't above hashing things out that need to be done with each other.

"Monday was great," Willard said of how his team responded to the blowout loss at Villanova. "No matter what happened tonight, or going forward, this team showed up Monday, and we practiced for a good hour and 45 minutes, hard. They got after it, had a great attitude. Yesterday's practice was great, they were into it. To me, that's what I was looking for. It's not the win today -- we could have been blown out today, but they showed me what they're all about on Monday and Tuesday."

5. Boards And Blunders

For the first 27 or so minutes of the game, Seton Hall struggled with turnovers again, ending up with 19 for the game, their sixth Big East game out of nine with 15 or more after it was one of their greatest strengths in non-conference play. They have also struggled at times with rebounding the basketball, and the combination of the two reared its ugly head in the losing streak. 

Willard knows this, and offered some thoughts postgame.

"I went back and I watched the first half at Villanova," he said after the game. "The only thing we did (wrong) was throw it around, but our intensity was great, we defended at a high level. And I went back and said 'guys, the only difference between us now and us in December is we're getting killed on the glass and we're not taking care of the ball.'"

"We did 30 minutes of box-out drills (Monday)," Willard added. "I just had to remind them that if we rebound the basketball, we have a chance to win, but we can't not rebound and turn the ball over. We turned it over again tonight- I know why we're doing it, it's just that one of these days, guys are just going to have to relax."

The Pirates were plus-10 on the glass tonight, their best showing in conference play, so they certainly corrected that aspect of their game. We'll see if the Hall can turn the turnover issue around in the coming games. As of now, it's a work in progress.

Nevertheless, sometimes just the win itself can be a turning point, a chance to once again feel good about yourself as a team. Seton Hall will see that newfound resolve tested next at Butler on Saturday.

Kevin Willard quote book: Providence

On Seton Hall fighting through adversity:
"We got down seven. and Mike Nzei and Myles Powell were very vocal about how it's not now or never, but it's a pretty important time. They were both extremely vocal in the last -- I think we called the under-16 timeout -- I think I called timeout at 17 -- they were just kind of extremely vocal about it, and they stayed vocal throughout the whole game."

On Myles Powell's 31 points:
"I think the biggest thing is I told the team the other day, I'm like, 'Guys, we can't go five minutes without Myles Powell touching the ball.' I said we got here riding his back. I said, 'Let's not play make-believe. This is the guy that's gotten us here,' and there were times where we were going too long without him touching the basketball. And I thought he came out from the start being aggressive, and I thought that really set the tone. I just thought it was big the way he set the tone coming out and being aggressive."

On Powell's anticipation during his steal-dunk sequence that swung momentum late in the game:
"Again, I just think his sense of urgency tonight on both ends was great. I thought playing the 39 minutes he played, at the level that he played, just showed how much this meant to him."

On Seton Hall's response to Sunday's loss at Villanova:
"I let these guys understand -- I think they were all petrified about what was coming on Monday -- and I had a long conversation with someone that's much smarter than me, and he reminded me that I have five kids that are playing 30-plus minutes a game who are giving it their all, are playing their hearts out, and three of them have no experience. I went back and watched the first half of Villanova, and the only thing we did was just throw it around, but our intensity was great, we defended at a high level, and I just came in and I said, 'Guys, the only difference between us now and us in December is the fact that we're getting killed on the glass and we're not taking care of the ball.' We did 30 minutes of box-out drills, and I told them how proud I am of them at the time. I thought we were way -- for a team no one thought can be in the position that we're in -- I just had to remind them that if we rebound the basketball, we have a chance to win, but we can't not rebound and turn the ball over. We turned it over again tonight, I know why we're doing it, and one of these days, guys are going to have to just relax."

On Romaro Gill and Seton Hall's defense on the final possession:
"Once we get Ro back, I think he'll be a difference-maker for us. We've missed him. He just gives us a presence -- even two possessions before that, I think Maliek White was driving -- and then he stopped and pivoted, and realized he was down there. He doesn't have his timing back yet, he doesn't know the offenses, but as he continues to kind of get his sea legs back, as I say, he's going to be a big boost for us."

On Taurean Thompson and his second-half effort:
"Taurean was terrific. The thing I was really happy with T was he rebounded the basketball. He went in there and he got dirty, came up with some big rebounds, kept some balls alive, had a big block on a three-point shot. He just played really well."

On Seton Hall's second-half defense and its galvanizing potential:
"It's one of those things that -- the second half at 'Nova -- that's happened to me enough. I told the guys I think Isaiah's team his first two years, they went in there and they got blasted every year until they figured out how to play them. The old guys last year could have -- they knew how to play, they knew what was coming when you play Villanova -- the other day was their first experience of playing that style. The biggest thing was us kind of just getting back to playing defense. We have to not take the basketball out of the net every time. If we take the basketball out of the net, it's hard to score with a young team."

On Seton Hall's response following the Villanova loss:
"Monday was great. No matter what happened tonight or going forward, this team -- the way they showed up Monday -- we practiced for a good hour and 45 minutes hard, and they got after it, they had a great attitude. Yesterday's practice was great, we practiced for two hours yesterday. They were into it, their attitudes were great. To me, that's what I was looking for. It's not the win today -- we could have got blown out today -- but they had shown me what they're all about on Monday and Tuesday."

On Michael Nzei calling a players-only meeting after the Villanova loss:
"Everyone always makes big deals of players' meetings. It happens a whole lot more than you would actually imagine. I think this is probably their fourth one that they've had, believe it or not. Mike has called a couple, I know Myles Powell has called a couple. It happens a lot during the year. The ones that get publicly noticed are after you get your butt whipped by 'Nova, but for the most part, it's a mature -- they called a meeting to watch film. They didn't really call a meeting to have a meeting, they called a meeting to watch film, and to me, that was more important than anything else. It just shows 'let's watch what we're doing, let's watch how we're playing.' You can talk all you want, but when you watch yourself, you're going to have to be honest with your teammates about how you're playing."

On Butler and Hinkle Fieldhouse, plus taking part in Fox's All-Access game:
"I'm just looking forward to seeing the bulldog. I think I am (ready for all-access), maybe not, I don't know. That's hard, because I think they mike you up the whole time, so you don't even have a few seconds. I think I'm bringing my kids on the trip, which will help. When they sit on the bench, they make me calm down just a little bit, but it's going to be interesting. I love Hinkle, I think the fans there are knowledgeable, they get there and it's a great, historic place, plus they've got the bulldog that runs across the floor. I just think that's awesome, and I'm a fan of that."

On putting the rest of the season in perspective:
"We've had some tough Januaries, and the one thing I've learned from those is to just be positive. There's so many -- like I said, after the Villanova game, I watched the first half and I was -- there are so many good things that I picked up on, that I was like, 'These kids have never been in this situation before.' They've never had this pressure before. This team wasn't supposed to be here, and for me, it was just kind of reminding them -- and we're not back yet to where we're playing -- just kind of who we are, and don't lose sight of the fact that we've got a long journey ahead, and you can't get down just because some things don't go your way. Sandro's a sophomore, didn't play, Quincy's never played at this level, didn't play last year. Myles Cale didn't play last year, he's a sophomore. Romaro Gill didn't play last year, Anthony Nelson, Taurean didn't play last year, Jared didn't play last year, Shavar was a walk-on. Mike Nzei's the only guy, and Myles Powell, so where this team is, it's phenomenal. You can get beat down in this league, and we've had a tough run at it, but I have confidence in these guys and they showed me a lot the way they practiced Monday and Tuesday."

MAAC Monday: Battle of the Bridge primer, stat leaders, power rankings

By Jaden Daly (@jadendaly) and Vincent Simone (@VTSimone)

MAAC Monday returns today with its usual updated list of stat leaders and power rankings within the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, but with a different twist to lead things off. With no game on the schedule until Wednesday's Battle of the Bridge between Canisius and Niagara, we'll devote the opening segment to the two Western New York programs, which normally don't get enough of a spotlight in our New York metropolitan area base.

Winners of three straight and in an upward groove after a decidedly difficult non-conference schedule, Canisius enters its crosstown showdown with its oldest and fiercest rival in second place in the MAAC standings, the Golden Griffins' 5-2 record one game back of first-place Rider and a half-game clear of the third-place tie between Iona and Quinnipiac. Junior Isaiah Reese has not lit up the scoreboard as much as he did a year ago, but the Preseason Player of the Year in the conference continues to make an impact when the basketball is not in his hands, ranking within the top ten in both rebounds and assists per game, with teammate Malik Johnson also placing among the league leaders in the latter category. Takal Molson, the MAAC's Rookie of the Year last season, is fifth in the conference in scoring, and seems to have taken a greater leap forward after testing the NBA Draft waters last summer. As is usually the case with Reggie Witherspoon's teams, there is usually one player to come up and become a major contributor, and this year's iteration of such a role belongs to Scott Hitchon. Recruited by Siena before signing with the Griffs, the Canadian sophomore is averaging eight points per game in his first season as a starter, but shooting an efficient 49 percent from the floor to provide an underrated boost to a potent lineup that becomes even stronger with Jibreel Faulkner and Jonathan Sanks combining to average nearly 13 points per game off the bench.

Chris Casey and Niagara may not have gotten off to the start that both the coach and players desired to begin MAAC play, but the Purple Eagles are firmly positioned in the mix for what would be a second consecutive first-round bye in Albany. Losing Matt Scott and Kahlil Dukes was going to be hard for any team to overcome, but in the absence of the two seniors, Marvin Prochet has stepped up to become the first team all-MAAC talent Casey believed the senior big man could be entering the year. With averages of nearly 18 points and eight rebounds per contest, Prochet is in the top three of both categories among MAAC leaders, while point guard James Towns has stepped into the shoes vacated by Dukes without missing a beat. Towns' four assists per game rank fifth in the MAAC, and his scoring average is just outside the top ten, with teammate Dominic Robb making a case for MAAC Defensive Player of the Year honors by virtue of his commanding lead in blocked shots and near-six-rebound-per-game average. Niagara's bench needs to be more productive if the Purple Eagles are to threaten the top of the leaderboard, but in a season where there were more question marks than solutions, it seems to be coming together at the right time on Monteagle Ridge.

Scoring Leaders
1) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (20.8 PPG)
2) Davauhnte Turner, Saint Peter's (18.1)
3) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (17.8)
4) E.J. Crawford, Iona (17.4)
5) Takal Molson, Canisius (16.7)
6) Rickey McGill, Iona (15.9)
7) Evan Fisher, Siena (15.7)
8) Jalen Pickett, Siena (15.3)
9) Brian Parker, Marist (15.0)
10) Asante Gist, Iona (12.7)

Rebounding Leaders
1) Jonathan Kasibabu, Fairfield (8.0 RPG)
2) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (7.9)
3) Tajuan Agee, Iona (7.2)
4) Evan Fisher, Siena (6.5)
5) Tyere Marshall, Rider (6.3)
6) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (6.0)
7) Frederick Scott, Rider (5.9)
8) Dominic Robb, Niagara (5.8)
9) Kevin Degnan, Siena (5.7)
10) Quinn Taylor, Saint Peter's (5.6)

Assist Leaders
1) Jalen Pickett, Siena (6.8 APG)
2) Rickey McGill, Iona (5.3)
3) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (4.6)
4) Stevie Jordan, Rider (4.4)
5) James Towns, Niagara (4.0)
6) Brian Parker, Marist (3.6)
7) Malik Johnson, Canisius (3.3)
8) Neftali Alvarez, Fairfield (3.3)
9) Davauhnte Turner, Saint Peter's (2.9)
T-10) Aidas Kavaliauskas, Fairfield (2.9)
T-10) Kimar Williams, Rider (2.9)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Jonathan Kasibabu, Fairfield (.596)
2) Samuel Idowu, Saint Peter's (.531)
3) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.528)
4) Dominic Robb, Niagara (.521)
5) Evan Fisher, Siena (.515)
6) Stevie Jordan, Rider (.506)
7) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.502)
8) Rickey McGill, Iona (.495)
9) Frederick Scott, Rider (.491)
10) Jesus Cruz, Fairfield (.481)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders
1) James Towns, Niagara (.827)
2) Deion Hammond, Monmouth (.824)
3) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.805)
4) Davauhnte Turner, Saint Peter's (.802)
5) Quinn Taylor, Saint Peter's (.779)
6) Rickey McGill, Iona (.769)
7) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (.768)
8) Asante Gist, Iona (.746)
9) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (.744)
10) Takal Molson, Canisius (.726)

Three-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (.471)
2) Kevin Degnan, Siena (.434)
3) David Knudsen, Marist (.434)
4) Rich Kelly, Quinnipiac (.433)
5) Landon Taliaferro, Fairfield (.428)
6) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (.423)
7) Isaiah Lamb, Marist (.422)
8) Ben Perez, Iona (.400)
T-9) JIbreel Faulkner, Canisius (.396)
T-9) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (.396)

Steal Leaders
1) Rickey McGill, Iona (2.3 SPG)
2) Jalen Pickett, Siena (2.2)
3) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (2.1)
4) Stevie Jordan, Rider (1.8)
5) Nick Rutherford, Monmouth (1.8)

Blocked Shot Leaders
1) Dominic Robb, Niagara (2.4 BPG)
2) Samuel Idowu, Saint Peter's (1.5)
3) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter's (1.1)
4) Kevin Degnan, Siena (0.8)
5) Niksa Nikolic, Iona (0.8)

Power Rankings
1) Rider (11-8, 6-1 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Sunday 1/27 vs. Marist (W 86-85)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 vs. Saint Peter's, 7 p.m.

2) Canisius (8-11, 5-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Thursday 1/24 vs. Monmouth (W 80-66)
Next Game: Wednesday 1/30 at Niagara, 7 p.m.

T-3) Iona (7-12, 5-3 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Sunday 1/27 at Fairfield (L 80-68)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 at Marist, 7 p.m.

T-3) Quinnipiac (10-9, 5-3 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Sunday 1/27 vs. Saint Peter's (W 77-58)
Next Game: Friday 2/1 at Canisius, 7 p.m.

5) Monmouth (6-16, 5-4 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Saturday 1/26 at Niagara (L 75-48)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 vs. Siena, 7 p.m.

6) Siena (9-11, 4-3 MAAC)
Last Week: 6
Last Game: Saturday 1/26 vs. Manhattan (W 53-40)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 at Monmouth, 7 p.m.

7) Fairfield (6-15, 3-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Sunday 1/27 vs. Iona (W 80-68)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 at Manhattan, 7 p.m.

8) Niagara (10-11, 3-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 7
Last Game: Saturday 1/26 vs. Monmouth (L 75-48)
Next Game: Wednesday 1/30 vs. Canisius, 7 p.m.

9) Saint Peter's (6-13, 3-4 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Sunday 1/27 at Quinnipiac (L 77-58)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 at Rider, 7 p.m.

10) Marist (7-13, 2-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Sunday 1/27 at Rider (L 86-85)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 vs. Iona, 7 p.m.

11) Manhattan (4-16, 2-6 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Saturday 1/26 at Siena (L 53-40)
Next Game: Thursday 1/31 vs. Fairfield, 7 p.m.

St. John's enigma of a season rages on after potentially disastrous loss to Georgetown

Skepticism has heated up as St. John's has now dropped five of eight since starting 12-0, but Chris Mullin insists Red Storm still has NCAA Tournament potential. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

NEW YORK -- You say that I'm the boy who could make it all come true

Well, I'm tellin' you that I don't know if I know what to do

- John Mellencamp, "Ain't Even Done With The Night"

Four years ago, with its program heading toward a state of disarray following the departure of Steve Lavin and imminent exits for both Chris Obekpa and Rysheed Jordan, St. John's -- as it has been apt to do many times over its storied history -- turned to beloved son Chris Mullin to extinguish whatever slivers of flame remained before they could escalate into a full-scale blaze.

A humbling first season in which the Red Storm lost all but one of its Big East Conference games was a foundation campaign upon which a 14-win season -- and soon after, a 16-win effort the following year -- was built in the hope that year four, this current season, would be the breakthrough for a talented roster boasting the likes of Shamorie Ponds, Justin Simon and Marvin Clark, and that was before adding Mustapha Heron from Auburn over the summer.

A 12-0 start only stoked the long-raging inferno on the corner of Union and Utopia, with a last-second officiating gaffe ending the unbeaten streak against Seton Hall. A 20-point blowout over a Marquette team that today looks like the potential team to beat in the Big East silenced the critics. Two weeks later, a similarly-styled win over Creighton quelled the cynics that emerged from the woodwork following an uncharacteristic home loss to DePaul. Now, with a make-or-break three-game road trip looming larger and more ominously than ever after Sunday's 89-78 loss to Georgetown, a game in which the Red Storm had multiple chances to ensnare throughout the afternoon, the skeptics that linger now have a larger -- and more audible -- voice as the hand-wringing and disappointment has reached yet another unforeseen and unwanted crescendo.

"I think we gotta regroup and get back to our winning ways," Ponds assessed as St. John's (15-5, 3-5 Big East) looked engaged in the opening minutes, feeding off Clark and LJ Figueroa, the latter in his latest revelation as the most valuable player in the Red Storm arsenal, to hang with the Hoyas until -- as has been the case far too often since the schedule shifted to conference play and the quality of opponents ramped up exponentially for a team whose best non-league win was an overtime victory over VCU that may or may not have been aided by questionable officiating -- the ball stopped moving, the defense grew stagnant, and Georgetown simply out-hustled St. John's when it mattered most. And to make matters worse, perhaps the most scathing criticism of the effort presented Sunday may have come from its star player.

"I feel like, as a team, we're all parting ways," Ponds matter-of-factly revealed. "It's not as together as it was in the beginning."

Naturally, blame for the chasm within the locker room walls has been placed upon Mullin, whose job as head coach is to maximize the talent he has -- and this roster, on paper, can rival any of its contemporaries in the Big East -- and further develop it into a winning outfit. But far too often, the Hall of Famer and two-time Olympic gold medalist has become nonchalant himself, and the activity in huddles and timeouts has been spearheaded by assistant coach Greg St. Jean more frequently than by the man commanding a million-dollar-plus salary to lead his alma mater. So how, then, does Mullin take command of a team that, in the words of Heron, was "going through the motions" in the first half of a game that could very easily be considered a must-win given the names of Creighton, Duke and Marquette appearing in succession in the next three games on the Red Storm ledger?

"We're 15-5," he reiterated, glossing over the marked difference between St. John's conference record and non-league start. "Quite frankly, I thought Georgetown played a hell of a game. They made some tough shots, I think they got their confidence up and it kind of carried them. We played great, complementary, unselfish, hustling defense, we had a bunch of tip-ins that could have tied it or taken the lead. Would we have liked to play better in the first half. Yeah, but these games are tight. All these Big East games come down to one, two possessions, but to me, it's more playing through those times where maybe it looks like it's not coming, but we're still trying hard and playing hard. The flow of the game's going to come and go."

"I just think they're kind of down because they missed an opportunity to get a win," Mullin continued when questioned about the lack of commitment to the greater good voiced by his players, who shared the same press room dais he did Sunday afternoon. "I thought they played hard, but I think you've got to give the other team credit, too."

Sounding much more morose Sunday than he did two weeks prior after losing to DePaul, where Mullin declared St. John's would go for the jugular against Creighton, the coach faces yet another crisis beginning Wednesday, when the Red Storm takes to the road to visit Creighton in what may just be the Big East's most intimidating home court. Add to that Duke and its cadre of NBA Draft picks on Saturday, then a Marquette team who could conceivably be ranked inside the Top 10 by the time it welcomes the Johnnies to Milwaukee, and the bottom may be falling out faster than Mullin or his players can save it. But be that as it may, both players and coach are ready for the opportunity that awaits.

"I wouldn't say we're desperate," said Ponds. "Like Mustapha said, we just gotta take it one game at a time. We know that coming up, we've got a three-game stretch, three tough games, we've got to take it one game at a time. We know we can win, we've just got to get back to those ways."

"What else would you rather do?" Mullin said of the high-reward stretch his team is about to face head-on. "We're going to go to Creighton, it's going to be a packed house, we're going to go to Duke -- I haven't been there since 1981 -- then we play at Marquette, the best offensive team. What else would you rather do in life? If you're not excited about that, then, jeez. Every day is an opportunity."

Stony Brook vs. Vermont Photo Gallery

Photos from Stony Brook's 73-52 loss to Vermont on January 26, 2019:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)




Duncan dominant over Stony Brook again as Vermont regains America East lead

Ernie Duncan led Vermont with 25 points as Catamounts routed Stony Brook to retake first place in America East Conference standings. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

STONY BROOK, NY -- As a freshman in the 2016 America East Conference championship game, Ernie Duncan scored 11 points against Stony Brook. Overshadowed by the heroic performance of Jameel Warney as the Seawolves reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level that afternoon, Duncan still offered a glimpse of what was to come over the course of his time in a Vermont uniform.

And if Saturday evening were the beginning of a triumphant coda to his career, the senior could not have scripted its opening verse any better.

Duncan led all scorers with 25 points, needing only 14 shots to reach that threshold as the Catamounts -- hungry for a victory after a surprising loss to UMBC Wednesday -- put the clamps on Stony Brook to regain the top spot in the America East standings with a commanding 73-52 demolition at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.

"I think the atmosphere just kind of gets to me every time I come here," he said of his proficiency on Long Island as Vermont (16-5, 6-1 America East) won its 22nd-straight regular season road game in league play while handing Stony Brook its first defeat of the conference slate. "It's a feeling I get when I step in the gym. I feel like it's a place I love to play at."

"He just had that look in his eye like he wasn't going to be denied," head coach John Becker concurred as Duncan's proficient night was supplemented by 20 points and seven rebounds from his younger brother, Everett. "He led us the whole way."

Playing without the services of leading scorer Anthony Lamb, who missed his second consecutive game while recovering from a concussion, the Catamounts played with an added motivation as their junior forward did not travel with the team. After forging a brief lead in the opening minutes, Vermont navigated the waters with trepidation as Stony Brook (17-4, 5-1 America East) began to seize control midway through the first half with a 15-2 run that put the Seawolves ahead by eight points with just over eight minutes remaining before halftime. But the prosperity on the part of the hosts was short lived, as the Catamounts became more assertive over the next 13 minutes, turning the game on its head with a 34-7 run that bridged the end of the opening stanza with the first four minutes after the intermission, forcing seven Stony Brook turnovers in that stretch and conceding only three field goals of the 17 that the Seawolves attempted.

"I just challenged the guys to be tougher," Becker said as Vermont held its opponent under 60 points for the fifth time in seven conference games this season. "We just weren't playing tough enough. They didn't get many, but they got some offensive rebounds early and we weren't scoring, we just weren't tough enough with the ball."

"That was the thing: Could we score enough tonight? We couldn't score enough against UMBC. After that (media) timeout, we started to play better offense, which always helps your defense. We had to be tough enough to play through their physicality and their athleticism, and once we kind of did that, things opened up for us."

For Stony Brook, the sight of leading scorer Akwasi Yeboah and rim protector Jeff Otchere hampered by foul trouble throughout the night -- the two eventually fouled out late in the second half -- ultimately proved to be its downfall as its head coach assessed the damage.

"I thought that turned the tide," Jeff Boals lamented. "They went up ten at halftime and we talked about coming out with a sense of urgency in the second half, and we didn't do that. The foul trouble kind of swung it, and then to start the second half, we made some mental mistakes. You can't do that against a good team."

Now looking down upon the rest of the America East from its perch atop the standings, Vermont looks to extend its road winning streak Saturday, when the Catamounts visit UMass Lowell, doing so with newfound confidence and an education in how to win without the most integral piece of the puzzle.

"We were very composed, where we weren't against UMBC the other night," Becker surmised. "We've done a good job after losses -- I don't think we've lost a game after having a loss -- we've bounced back really well. We got the film of the UMBC game, and figured out a little bit better how to play without Anthony. I thought the guys really responded to the things we didn't do in the UMBC game, so yeah, it was a motivated group tonight for sure."

Crawford's evolution into a more complete player may be biggest key in Iona's latest title defense

Now a junior, E.J. Crawford's transformation into more than just a scorer has been most integral part of Iona's hot start to MAAC play as Gaels seek fourth consecutive conference tournament championship. (Photo by Vincent Simone/NYC Buckets)

NEW ROCHELLE, NY -- From the moment he arrived at Iona in 2016, E.J. Crawford served notice that he would be making his presence known and felt in each game over the next four years in New Rochelle.

A go-ahead basket that turned out to be the game-winning shot in the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game was just one of many instances in which the Hartford, Connecticut native would be counted upon to provide a lift for the Gaels, and he continued his prowess for clutch heroics into his sophomore year, when he and his Iona teammates defended their conference crown yet again. Now in his third campaign wearing maroon and gold, his role took on a seismic shift just days before the season began, as the dismissal of Roland Griffin -- thought of to be a MAAC Player of the Year contender -- left a gaping hole in the Iona interior that Crawford, not necessarily a rebounder by trade his first two seasons, was left to take on the lion's share of filling.

"I think my role got a lot bigger without Roland," Crawford, fourth in the MAAC in scoring at 16.8 points per game, said of his increased responsibility. "That's a big piece we're missing. He probably would have been the best player on the team, so I gotta step up and do more than score this year. This summer, I put a lot of time in diversifying my game."

Averaging nearly five rebounds per contest -- second on the team behind Tajuan Agee -- to supplement his dynamic offense, Crawford has done exactly that for Iona, and has become more well-rounded in lockstep with the Gaels' improved team chemistry, the product of a long non-conference road trip that has fused team camaraderie with a common goal of becoming the first school in MAAC history to win four consecutive league tournaments, something he and his teammates will be trying to do this March.

"Oh, man!" Rickey McGill proclaimed when asked of Crawford's evolution. "This kid right here? I've seen him grow from a little kid to somebody that's being tougher. I told him he had to change it up in his game, that he had to stop crying and be a little tougher. That's what he's doing, and I'm proud of him. He's going to keep it rolling."

Crawford's head coach was even more effusive in his praise of the one-time shooter who has now become an all-around threat, highlighting his growth in all facets of his game.

"He's been really important," Tim Cluess gushed. "And he's scoring in some other ways. He's not as athletically explosive as Roland to get to the rim, but he's just been able to get to the rim in a different way and get to the foul line, little post-up, little jump shot, a little in-between game. He's made big shots when we've needed him to, in parts of the game, kind of stem the tide of an opponent, and I think he's just growing and growing as a player."

And while Iona knew what it would get from McGill, its four-year bedrock of a point guard, and even to an extent with the junior college newcomer Agee, what the Gaels have received from Crawford transcends even the most optimistic of predictions.

"Pretty much everything he's doing," said Cluess when asked what had changed from Crawford's game that was not present his first two seasons. "In year one, he didn't do anything but take jump shots. Year two, he only began to actually drive the ball a little bit, he wanted nothing to do with the post. When we would work him in the post in practice, he didn't want to be there, and now, he's like, 'I want to go work half with the bigs, half with the guards,' because he wants to be an all-around player. Now when you're talking to him about it, he has comprehension of what you're talking about. For two years, it was kind of like a blank slate, in all fairness. So I've seen a lot of growth in him, and I'm really happy with his progress."

"He's transformed that, and I think he's transformed his body tremendously. I think (strength and conditioning coach) Kelly Shaver has done a great job with him in that area, and the two of them together are helping to bring his game to another level."

Iona hands Rider first MAAC loss with resilient comeback win

Rickey McGill flirted with triple-double as Iona battled back to hand Rider its first loss in MAAC play, defeating Broncs after losing 16-point lead in second half. (Photo by Iona College Athletics)

NEW ROCHELLE, NY -- In what could be a potential Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship preview, the consensus choice to win the regular season crown entered enemy territory undefeated in league play, and battled back from a 16-point deficit with timely shot making and strong three-point field goal defense.

Its opponent, however, winner of the last three conference championships, rose up yet again at the most opportune of times, serving notice that the road to the NCAA Tournament -- until proven otherwise -- is still paved with maroon and gold.

Leading 39-23 with just over one minute remaining in the first half, Iona seemed poised to outgun Rider on the way to what would be an emphatic statement victory in a battle of the top two teams in the MAAC standings. But after watching the visiting Broncs claw their way back and even forge two leads in the second half, the Gaels clamped down defensively, and with the help of a senior point guard who is no stranger to clutch moments, ripped off a game-changing 8-0 run to sink Rider by the final score of 77-71 Friday night at the Hynes Athletics Center.

"I loved the way our guys came out with their focus," head coach Tim Cluess said on a night where Iona (7-11, 5-2 MAAC) was undermanned with Ben Perez having suffered an ankle injury Wednesday in practice, yet still managed to fight back and hand Rider its first loss of the conference season, led by Rickey McGill’s near-triple-double of 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. "For a good deal of the game, we were really locked in well, and I was really proud of our guys. We knew we were shorthanded, and we found a way."

"It was a confidence game," E.J. Crawford said after scoring 20 points to continue his evolution into a take-charge player midway through his junior season. "They were No. 1, so yeah, I'd say it was the biggest game of the year, probably."

Iona started Friday's contest as if a championship were on the line, getting off to an 11-2 start and forcing Rider head coach Kevin Baggett into a timeout less than four minutes after the opening tip, feeding off a raucous home crowd and looking to atone for a road loss this past Sunday at Monmouth. Despite a 4-for-15 performance from behind the three-point line in the opening stanza, the Gaels managed to drive inside against the Broncs, as Tajuan Agee and Andrija Ristanovic -- the latter of whom returned to the starting lineup in place of the injured Perez to create a larger-than-usual opening quintet for the hosts -- engineered a 27-14 edge in first-half rebounding.

"I think we played a little bigger tonight," Cluess admitted as Iona also outscored Rider (10-8, 5-1 MAAC) by a 40-24 margin in the paint. "I thought (Ristanovic) and Tajuan were all over the place. I was impressed with our guys playing as big as they did and as physical as they did tonight in the paint."

Yet for all the appearances of being overmatched, Rider uncorked a 14-3 run to pull within one point, then took its only two leads of the night thanks to sophomore Jordan Allen, who swung the pendulum the first time on a pair of free throws with the Broncs trailing 51-50 as he stepped to the line. The reigning MAAC All-Rookie selection then hit a three-pointer to regain the lead for the visitors after Iona answered the foul shots with a basket of its own, and the margin on the scoreboard remained within one possession for the next six minutes before a pivotal teardrop floater by McGill beat the shot clock after official Andrew Maira initially ruled that the basket was disallowed due to the senior not getting the shot off in time.

"That was huge," Rider head coach Kevin Baggett said of the reversal, which ignited an 8-0 run with which the Gaels were able to pull away and subsequently hold Rider at bay for the duration of the game, even as Stevie Jordan attempted to tie the game in the final seconds with a three-pointer that went awry moments before Baggett was whistled for a technical foul. "I still need to get a ruling on that, because I don't think he (McGill) had both feet in, first of all. I thought they could only go to the monitor two minutes and under, so I'm not really sure how they ended up doing that when the call was waved off. I don't have the ruling on that, so I don't know and I really don't want to speak on it, because I'm not totally clear on it."

With the win, Iona gains a critical victory to draw within a half-game of the Rider team it just defeated, with deceptively strong road games at Fairfield and Marist awaiting the Gaels next week. However, the battle-tested champion takes to the road with momentum squarely in its back pocket, a shot in the arm that certainly bolsters one of the more prolific starts to conference play in Cluess' nine seasons.

"That was our little spark right there," McGill said of his shot clock-beating basket. "Time was going down, so I just tried to get it up. For us to go on an 8-0 run, that's pretty big late in the game. That was our spark to get going, and we needed that one."

"They're getting better and better at that, and they're resilient," Cluess added. "They'll have moments where they play well, moments where they look like it's their first time together, but they keep on fighting. And today, we had enough fight in the tank, and we found a way."

LIU Brooklyn vs. St. Francis Brooklyn Photo Gallery

Photos from LIU Brooklyn's 79-70 loss to St. Francis Brooklyn on January 21, 2019:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

LIU Brooklyn WBB vs. St. Francis Brooklyn Photo Gallery

Photos from LIU Brooklyn's 79-67 loss to St. Francis Brooklyn on January 21, 2019:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

LIU Brooklyn vs. FDU Photo Gallery

Photos from LIU Brooklyn's 79-77 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on January 19, 2019:

(All photos by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

MAAC Monday: Crawford's maturation helping Iona back to top of league, stat leaders, power rankings

By Jaden Daly (@jadendaly) and Vincent Simone (@VTSimone)

MAAC Monday returns today with its usual three-segment look at the inner sanctum of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, but a different twist to open the curtain. Whereas stat leaders and power rankings will once again be refreshed in the second and third segments, we begin today with an individual player spotlight as opposed to the team profiles that have led off the past two weeks. Already proven to have a knack for big shots in big moments, this junior has been more vital in the first three months of the year than maybe even he thought possible, and is a significant reason why his team is once again forwardly placed in the MAAC standings.

From the moment he arrived at Iona in 2016, E.J. Crawford served notice that he would be making his presence known and felt in each game over the next four years in New Rochelle.

A go-ahead basket that turned out to be the game-winning shot in the 2017 MAAC championship game was just one of many instances in which the Hartford, Connecticut native would be counted upon to provide a lift for the Gaels, and he continued his prowess for clutch heroics into his sophomore year, when he and his Iona teammates defended their conference crown yet again. Now in his third campaign wearing maroon and gold, his role took on a seismic shift just days before the season began, as the dismissal of Roland Griffin -- thought of to be a MAAC Player of the Year contender -- left a gaping hole in the Iona interior that Crawford, not necessarily a rebounder by trade his first two seasons, was left to take on the lion's share of filling.

"I think my role got a lot bigger without Roland," Crawford, fifth in the MAAC in scoring at 16.6 points per game, said of his increased responsibility. "That's a big piece we're missing. He probably would have been the best player on the team, so I gotta step up and do more than score this year."

Averaging five rebounds per contest -- second on the team behind Tajuan Agee -- to supplement his dynamic offense, Crawford has done exactly that for Iona, and has become more well-rounded in lockstep with the Gaels' improved team chemistry, the product of a long non-conference road trip that has fused team camaraderie with a common goal of becoming the first school in MAAC history to win four consecutive league tournaments, something he and his teammates will be trying to do this March.

"Oh, man!" Rickey McGill proclaimed when asked of Crawford's evolution. "This kid right here? I've seen him grow from a little kid to somebody that's being tougher. I told him he had to change it up in his game, that he had to stop crying and be a little tougher. That's what he's doing, and I'm proud of him. He's going to keep it rolling."

Crawford's head coach was even more effusive in his praise of the one-time shooter who has now become an all-around threat, highlighting his growth in all facets of his game.

"He's been really important," Tim Cluess gushed. "And he's scoring in some other ways. He's not as athletically explosive as Roland to get to the rim, but he's just been able to get to the rim in a different way and get to the foul line, little post-up, little jump shot, a little in-between game. He's made big shots when we've needed him to, in parts of the game, kind of stem the tide of an opponent, and I think he's just growing and growing as a player."

And while Iona knew what it would get from McGill, its four-year bedrock of a point guard, and even to an extent with the junior college newcomer Agee, what the Gaels have received from Crawford transcends even the most optimistic of predictions.

"Pretty much everything he's doing," said Cluess when asked what had changed from Crawford's game that was not present his first two seasons. "In year one, he didn't do anything but take jump shots. Year two, he only began to actually drive the ball a little bit, he wanted nothing to do with the post. When we would work him in the post in practice, he didn't want to be there, and now, he's like, 'I want to go work half with the bigs, half with the guards,' because he wants to be an all-around player."

"He's transformed that, and I think he's transformed his body tremendously. I think (strength and conditioning coach) Kelly Shaver has done a great job with him in that area, and the two of them together are helping to bring his game to another level."

Scoring Leaders
1) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (19.9 PPG)
2) Davauhnte Turner, Saint Peter's (17.5)
3) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (17.2)
4) Takal Molson, Canisius (16.7)
5) E.J. Crawford, Iona (16.6)
6) Evan Fisher, Siena (16.6)
7) Rickey McGill, Iona (15.6)
8) Brian Parker, Marist (14.9)
9) Jalen Pickett, Siena (14.8)
10) Ray Salnave, Monmouth (13.0)

Rebounding Leaders
1) Jonathan Kasibabu, Fairfield (8.2 RPG)
2) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (7.8)
3) Tajuan Agee, Iona (7.3)
4) Evan Fisher, Siena (6.8)
5) Tyere Marshall, Rider (6.2)
6) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (6.1)
7) Dominic Robb, Niagara (5.9)
8) Frederick Scott, Rider (5.9)
9) Kevin Degnan, Siena (5.7)
10) Quinn Taylor, Saint Peter's (5.6)

Assist Leaders
1) Jalen Pickett, Siena (7.3 APG)
2) Rickey McGill, Iona (5.3)
3) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (4.4)
4) Stevie Jordan, Rider (4.4)
5) James Towns, Niagara (4.1)
6) Brian Parker, Marist (3.8)
7) Neftali Alvarez, Fairfield (3.4)
8) Malik Johnson, Canisius (3.2)
T-9) Aidas Kavaliauskas, Fairfield (2.9)
T-9) Davauhnte Turner, Saint Peter's (2.9)
T-9) Kimar Williams, Rider (2.9)

Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Jonathan Kasibabu, Fairfield (.588)
2) Evan Fisher, Siena (.538)
3) Warren Williams, Manhattan (.532)
4) Dominic Robb, Niagara (.531)
5) Samuel Idowu, Saint Peter's (.522)
6) Stevie Jordan, Rider (.512)
7) Frederick Scott, Rider (.507)
8) Rickey McGill, Iona (.497)
9) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.488)
10) Jesus Cruz, Fairfield (.487)

Free Throw Percentage Leaders
1) James Towns, Niagara (.823)
2) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.808)
3) Davauhnte Turner, Saint Peter's (.781)
4) Rickey McGill, Iona (.778)
5) Cameron Young, Quinnipiac (.771)
6) Asante Gist, Iona (.768)
7) Tajuan Agee, Iona (.760)
T-8) Takal Molson, Canisius (.750)
T-8) Quinn Taylor, Saint Peter's (.750)
10) Stevie Jordan, Rider (.744)

Three-Point Field Goal Percentage Leaders
1) Andrija Ristanovic, Iona (.484)
T-2) Frederick Scott, Rider (.444)
T-2) Landon Taliaferro, Fairfield (.444)
4) Marvin Prochet, Niagara (.437)
5) Kevin Degnan, Siena (.432)
6) David Knudsen, Marist (.406)
7) Isaiah Lamb, Marist (.404)
T-8) E.J. Crawford, Iona (.400)
T-8) Jibreel Faulkner, Canisius (.400)
T-8) Felix Lemetti, Fairfield (.400)
T-8) Ben Perez, Iona (.400)

Steal Leaders
1) Rickey McGill, Iona (2.4 SPG)
2) Dimencio Vaughn, Rider (2.4)
3) Jalen Pickett, Siena (1.9)
4) Isaiah Reese, Canisius (1.8)
5) Stevie Jordan, Rider (1.8)

Blocked Shot Leaders
1) Dominic Robb, Niagara (2.6 BPG)
2) Samuel Idowu, Saint Peter's (1.5)
3) KC Ndefo, Saint Peter's (1.2)
4) Kevin Degnan, Siena (0.8)
5) Abdulai Bundu, Quinnipiac (0.8)

Power Rankings
1) Rider (10-7, 5-0 MAAC)
Last Week: 1
Last Game: Saturday 1/19 vs. Manhattan (W 60-47)
Next Game: Friday 1/25 at Iona, 7 p.m.

2) Monmouth (6-14, 5-2 MAAC)
Last Week: T-6
Last Game: Sunday 1/20 vs. Iona (W 83-81)
Next Game: Thursday 1/24 at Canisius, 7 p.m.

3) Iona (6-11, 4-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 2
Last Game: Sunday 1/20 at Monmouth (L 83-81)
Next Game: Friday 1/25 vs. Rider, 7 p.m. 

4) Canisius (7-11, 4-2 MAAC)
Last Week: 5
Last Game: Saturday 1/19 at Fairfield (W 73-68)
Next Game: Thursday 1/24 vs. Monmouth, 7 p.m.

5) Quinnipiac (8-9, 3-3 MAAC)
Last Week: 3
Last Game: Saturday 1/19 at Niagara (L 75-72)
Next Game: Friday 1/25 at Marist, 7 p.m.

6) Siena (7-11, 2-3 MAAC)
Last Week: 9
Last Game: Thursday 1/17 vs. Niagara (W 66-57)
Next Game: Thursday 1/24 at Fairfield, 7 p.m.

7) Niagara (9-10, 2-4 MAAC)
Last Week: 8
Last Game: Saturday 1/19 vs. Quinnipiac (W 75-72)
Next Game: Tuesday 1/22 vs. Saint Peter's, 8 p.m.

8) Fairfield (5-14, 2-5 MAAC)
Last Week: 4
Last Game: Saturday 1/19 vs. Canisius (L 73-68)
Next Game: Thursday 1/24 vs. Siena, 7 p.m.

9) Saint Peter's (5-12, 2-3 MAAC)
Last Week: T-6
Last Game: Thursday 1/17 vs. Manhattan (L 58-56)
Next Game: Tuesday 1/22 at Niagara, 8 p.m.

10) Marist (6-11, 1-4 MAAC)
Last Week: 10
Last Game: Friday 1/18 at Iona (L 90-77)
Next Game: Monday 1/21 at Manhattan, 7 p.m.

11) Manhattan (4-14, 2-4 MAAC)
Last Week: 11
Last Game: Saturday 1/19 at Rider (L 60-47)
Next Game: Monday 1/21 vs. Marist, 7 p.m.