Lou Carnesecca, beloved St. John’s coach and patron saint, dies at 99

Lou Carnesecca poses with former players in 2021 at statue dedication in Carnesecca Arena lobby. The beloved St. John’s coach died Saturday, weeks before his 100th birthday. (Photo by Corey Sipkin/New York Post)

Mention Lou Carnesecca to any New York sports fan, and you will receive a response that is equal tones reverent and awe-inspiring. Mention him to St. John’s fans—or especially alumni—and each one will line up to defend his honor like any man or woman would for the patriarch of his own family. Regardless, each reaction elicited at the drop of Carnesecca’s name would be warm, heartfelt and welcoming, much like the legendary coach of the then-Redmen was throughout his life, whether he was on the sideline or at his regular table down the street from the St. John’s campus at the old Dante’s on Union Turnpike.

Carnesecca, the affable and beloved icon who took an already successful St. John’s program to new heights over his 24-year career, died Saturday at the age of 99, a mere 36 days before he would have turned 100 on January 5.

The patron saint of St. John’s basketball, Looie—as he was often and lovably dubbed—was truly a saint in life as well. The son of blue-collar Italian immigrants who owned a Manhattan grocery store, Carnesecca instilled the same work ethic into his own career, and by extension, his players. It began in 1950 at the old St. Ann’s Academy, now Archbishop Molloy, where he preceded a fellow member of New York City hoops royalty, Jack Curran. After serving as Joe Lapchick’s assistant coach at St. John’s for seven years, Carnesecca replaced him when a university policy forced Lapchick into retirement at age 65. A three-year run as head coach of the New York Nets interrupted Carnesecca’s time in Queens, but after Frank Mulzoff was released from his contract in 1973, Looie returned to the one place he truly called home.

It was that run that was the most memorable for fans of the Johnnies and for Carnesecca as well. Mullin. Jackson. Berry. Wennington. Glass. Russell. Sealy. All of those legendary names, and countless others, spent time under his learning tree. And through it all, from the iconic sweaters to the 1985 Final Four run that St. John’s fans wax poetic and nostalgic about on an everyday basis with good reason, Looie remained true to who and what he was, the Everyman who represented the people who made the city go.

There was a reason St. John’s became known as New York’s team, and it was due to Carnesecca’s effervescent personality and warm-hearted, but determined and tough, street-smart persona. In an era where the Red Holzman Knicks, Bronx Zoo Yankees, and 1986 with both the Mets and Giants competed for headlines in the local papers, Looie didn’t just carve out his own niche, he held court and made a college team relevant in a pro market in a way very few coaches could. Moreover, he did it by being himself and not a replica of someone else, which garnered him more respect in a town synonymous with being able to spot a fake a mile away.

Even after he retired in 1992, Carnesecca’s legend only grew exponentially thereafter. No matter who you were, what you did, or where you came from, if you sought him out for just a moment, Looie made time for you. He made you feel special, like you were his own. Even a 10-second encounter would last several minutes, a testament to the grandfatherly aura Carnesecca carried with him and endeared him to so many.

Growing up in an Italian family myself, the only child of a mother whose father emigrated from a small village outside of Naples in 1927, I was taught two things first and foremost: To always treat those you encounter the way you would want them to treat you, and to always conduct yourself with honor and respect, especially around those who came before you. Lou Carnesecca was undoubtedly instructed the same way, and never compromised his integrity or credibility in his century on this earth.

It’s hard to pay a proper tribute to a man who had so many words for so many moments, but one particular quote from Carnesecca always resonates with me, especially working in an unforgiving business where one’s job security is not always guaranteed.

Today a peacock, tomorrow a feather duster.

For those unfamiliar, it essentially means you should never take anything in life for granted, for you could be on top of the world right now, but be stripped of it at a moment’s notice. Today, Lou Carnesecca is neither a peacock nor a feather duster, he is now an immortal, an angel who receives his wings and now reigns on the hardwood up above.

In 2004, Alumni Hall was renamed in his honor, in 2021, a statue dedicated in the lobby of what is now Carnesecca Arena. On a wall behind the statue reads a quote that says the following:

To all the players that made my life a wonderful dream, I thank you.

St. John’s fans and New York sports fans alike have Lou Carnesecca to thank for not only a charmed existence, but for making their own lives so colorful, memorable, and enriched with the love and compassion of someone who—at his core—was a part of the family, no matter how small.

As we say in Italian, a buonamina (God rest his soul), Looie.

UConn gets six in double figures as Huskies pick up much-needed win after Maui disaster

Jaylin Stewart led six UConn players in double figures with 16 points as Huskies put Maui Invitational struggles to rest with commanding win over Maryland Eastern Shore. (Photo by UConn Men’s Basketball)

By Connor Wilson (@Conman_815)

HARTFORD, Conn. — If the last time you consumed UConn content was more than five days ago, then last you knew the Huskies were off to a 4-0 start with four blowout wins. Everything was business as usual for the reigning back-to-back national champions so far in 2024-25. 

Then, the Maui Invitational happened.

The Huskies went winless at the Lahaina Civic Center, dropping three games in three days to unranked opponents in Memphis by two in overtime, Colorado by one, and Dayton by 18 to finish in last place in the 8-team event.

“It was a jarring week, it was a humbling week,” Dan Hurley said. “It knocked us on our butt really good.”

“Shocking” or “stunning” are just two of the words that could be used to describe UConn’s Maui trip. The Huskies just looked a step behind in every game, especially on the defensive end. Whether it be missed assignments or, just plainly lackadaisical efforts, the defense looked nothing like any Hurley team we’ve seen, at least over the past handful of years.

The best way to flush the o-fer in the Aloha State is to simply get back on the court. Less than 65 hours later, the Huskies did just that.

Second-ranked UConn defeated Maryland Eastern Shore, 99-45, on Saturday evening at the XL Center to snap its three-game losing streak.

“It’s nice to put this incredibly long week finally behind us,” Hurley said.

A big emphasis for Hurley early on after the struggles was figuring out a firm rotation of players. He substituted Hassan Diarra for Aidan Mahaney in the starting lineup after the Memphis loss, and players like Ahmad Nowell are now getting more run than ever before.

When tinkering with rotations, it doesn’t help if you’re down a player for a game. Unfortunately for Hurley, he was missing Alex Karaban for the win over the Hawks as the star forward hit his head on the hardwood late in the loss to Dayton.

“I think Alex is pretty good, it’s a pretty mild concussion, I think,” Hurley said. “All of his tests were really clean.”

In his place, sophomore Jaylin Stewart registered the first start of his UConn career. He registered his best overall game of his career, matching his personal high with 16 points to go along with seven rebounds, showing confidence he lacked earlier in the year.

“Jaylin Stewart has flashed,” Hurley said. “He showed flashes in that Memphis game, he showed flashes tonight.”

“You have to uphold the standards for the players that came before us,” Stewart added.

Even in the big win, the offense struggled a bit for the Huskies (5-3). They had a stretch late in the first half where they didn’t score a point for well over six minutes, and missed a bunch of wide-open jump shots.

“The half-court execution, even though we’re not shooting right now, has been solid,” Hurley said. “A lot of things could be better. I think we’ll get that squared away.”

Liam McNeeley had a great bounceback game after putting up a goose egg in the finale against the Flyers. He scored 16 points and got to the free throw line seven times, but shot just 1-of-8 from deep.

“The whole team was excited to get back on the court and get back in the right direction,” McNeeley said.

The center play was below par in Maui, specifically from a foul perspective. Both Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed, Jr. fouled out of each of the first two games. The duo stayed out of foul trouble on Saturday and had a solid night from a production standpoint. Johnson had seven points, while Reed had his fourth double-double of the year with 10 points and 12 rebounds. They also combined for eight “stocks” on the defensive end.

Maryland Eastern Shore came into the day ranked 361st on KenPom, good for fourth-lowest in the country. Having lost by 47 to Illinois and 74 to Arkansas in the past week alone, the outcome was no surprise.

“Competition wise it was a little different (tonight),” Jayden Ross said. “But we still have some things to work on.”

With an opponent on the weaker side, to say the least, it allowed Hurley to let some of his younger players see more court time and develop. Ross had the first double-double of his career off the bench, with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and was very active on the defensive end. Ahmad Nowell played a career-high 17 minutes with five points and five assists. Even Isaiah Abraham chipped in a career-best six points late.

“We need Ahmad,” Hurley said. “That position is a spot where we’re searching, and we need Ahmad to grow up quickly.”

Perhaps most importantly, Mahaney had a great bounce-back game after a rough Maui trip. The Saint Mary’s transfer scored 11 points coming off of back-to-back games where he was a non-factor in the rotation.

At the end of the day, the Huskies picked up a much, much needed win over an inferior opponent, but the schedule picks up from here for good. The defensive effort shown on Saturday against the Hawks is one that is good to build off of with the upcoming two-week stretch of Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga.

“The competition here on out is going to get much harder, which is exciting,” Hurley said.

The 17th-ranked Bears come to Storrs as a part of the Big East/Big 12 Challenge on Wednesday. From there, the games only get harder.

“I don’t look at it as a must-win game in game nine of the season, but it’s a great opportunity,” Hurley said. “We know we’re playing a top level team. You see the way people celebrate when they beat us.”

5 Thoughts: Seton Hall stumbles again, loses to Monmouth

By Jason Guerette (@JPGuerette)

NEWARK, N.J. — The entire Big East Conference has struggled this season with the non-conference schedule.

Seton Hall is no exception, losing at Walsh Gym to Fordham and on Long Island to Hofstra. In both of those games, The Hall was beaten late, with the free throw line the main culprit for the defeats against the local mid-majors.

Today in Newark, it wasn’t close. The Pirates yet again struggled at the line, but their trademark defense was absent in the second half as 0-8 Monmouth beat them for the first time ever, 63-51, at the Prudential Center for the Hawks’ first win of the season.

Here are the Thoughts from a rough day at the office for The Hall:

1. Hard Times in Babylon

Seton Hall played this game without Dylan Addae-Wusu, who had the flu, so the Pirates were without one of their top individual defenders. Nevertheless, they defended well in the first half, sticking in front of their men, and giving the type of effort we’ve been accustomed to seeing this year.

The second half was a different story. Seton Hall left shooters wide open, was a bit chaotic in its rotations, and as a result, Monmouth opened the second stanza on fire, shooting upwards of 60 percent in the first 10 minutes and 4-for-6 from downtown. In the end, the Pirates dug a hole that was too big to get out of. Overall, the tally read 54 percent shooting for the visitors after halftime, and 6-for-11 from deep.

“Today was a bad game for us,” head coach Shaheen Holloway said. “It sucks because we're at home, you kind of want to build off of last week in Charleston, but I thought it was a total letdown. Not good.”

Lapses on that end of the floor are just not something Seton Hall can afford this season, and today showed why. Down the stretch, buoyed by their efforts, it was Monmouth that was playing the type of scrappy defense that Seton Hall is known for. The Hawks were the team getting deflections, and diving on loose balls, a bitter dose of The Hall's own medicine to rub in the defeat, and an illustration of needing to get back to the drawing board.

“We can’t back down,” Holloway said. “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We just have to keep fighting, keep building. As the head coach, I’ve got to find a way to get us ready. I thought we didn't have a great week of practice, a lot of guys were banged up and tired from the trip, so I tried to save guys’ legs. But we just have to get back to being who we are. That’s it.”

2. Free Throws

The Pirates’ difficulties at the charity stripe have been well-documented, coming into this game hitting on just 60 percent of their attempts on the year. As I mentioned, both of their previous losses outside of Charleston essentially came down to the free throw line

In the second half, they hit just one of their first six attempts, drawing boos from the crowd. When Manny Okorafor hit one on their next trip, the fans responded with a Bronx cheer.

“We’ve just got to keep working on them,” Holloway said of the free throws. “We work on them a lot. Guys make them in practice. But we just have to keep working at it.”

Again, for a team that struggles to score consistently, they simply cannot afford to throw away easy opportunities to get points at the line, especially because they tend to get fouled due to how hard they play on a regular basis.

3. Bashir Bashes the Hall

Abdi Bashir came in as Monmouth’s clear alpha dog on paper, averaging a shade under 20 points per game this season. Notably, he dropped 38 on Rutgers at the RAC to keep Monmouth in that contest. And in the first half today, he lived up to the billing, scoring 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including 4-for-5 from three-point range. The tough part about it for Seton Hall is the Pirates defended him well. Not many of his makes were open. 

There’s no doubt that Addae-Wusu would have been the primary defender on Bashir had he played, but I'm not sure how much of a difference he would have made given the difficulty of the shots that he was able to make in the first half. Bashir continued his strong play in the second half, finishing with 28 points on 11-for-19 shooting and 6-for-9 from deep, a very impressive line for someone who should be one of the top scorers in the CAA this season.

4. Second Efforts

A couple of positives now. Seton Hall trailed at the half of this game by two points, but it could have been worse if not for the Pirates’ effort on the offensive glass, turning six offensive rebounds into 12 points. It was a team effort that was sorely needed to stay with Bashir’s hot shooting. In true Holloway fashion, the production was spread out evenly, with five different players recording those second chances. Efforts like that will certainly help The Hall’s cause offensively. 

But as we have said, the Pirates will need more than just that. Case in point, Monmouth played a zone defense today that had great effect on the Pirates, a defense that, by Hawks head coach King Rice’s own admission, his team hasn’t played very often in the past. Holloway said after the game, however, that Seton Hall was prepared to play against it, but the ball didn’t move enough. It goes to further illustrate how it must be a team effort on a nightly basis for the Pirates to have success, both in preparation and execution.

5. The Book of Isaiah

Isaiah Coleman came alive down in Charleston, as the sophomore guard scored in double figures in two of the three contests, setting a career-best with 20 points against Vanderbilt. Today, he led the Pirates with 20 points on a pretty efficient 8-for-13 shooting overall. 

He was also in foul trouble in this game, picking up his third personal foul just 90 seconds into the second half, but Holloway showed trust in him, keeping him on the floor anyway, and Coleman rewarded his head coach's confidence, scoring 14 of his 20 points after halftime while not picking up a single additional foul the rest of the game. 

Hopefully for the Pirates, he can emerge as a consistent second scorer alongside Chaunce Jenkins, because the team could certainly use the production.

Sha Sounds Off: Monmouth

On how to re-energize the backcourt:

“We gotta keep fighting. We can’t put our head down, nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us. We just gotta keep fighting and keep building, keep going in, and me as a head coach, I gotta find ways to get us ready. I thought we didn’t have a great week of practice, a lot of guys were really banged up and tired from the trip, so I was trying to save guys’ legs and stuff like that, but we just gotta get back to being who we are. That’s it.”

On Monmouth’s Abdi Bashir:

“He made some tough shots. He’s a good basketball player, best player on the court today. He made a lot of tough shots, we knew he would, we watched a lot of film on him and to take some of the shots he took and make them, it’s contagious. And the other kid, (Jack) Collins, to start making shots, he was struggling a little bit and he started making shots, and that was that.”

On getting more at the point guard position:

“I want to get more out of everybody, not just the point guard spot. The whole team. We gotta get more from everybody. Today was a very bad game for us, it sucks because we’re home and you want to come out at home and kind of do what you did last week in Charleston. And I thought today was a total letdown. It’s not good.”

On the absence of Dylan Addae-Wusu:

“I’m different, man. I’m not giving this excuse. Monmouth beat us, they came out and beat us. I thought they were the hungrier team. I watched a lot of film, they lost a lot of tough games down the stretch and they just came out and beat us. Does Dylan not being here hurt us? Yeah, of course, he’s one of our guards, he’s one of our leaders, one of the guys that I trust out there. But what (are) you gonna do? You gotta play, and I thought they just outplayed us, and that’s sad. As the coach, that’s on me. The one thing I’ll do, I’ll never throw my players under the bus, so anything that happens is on me, period.”

On Seton Hall’s lack of energy:

“I thought they slowed us down playing the zone, and I don’t know why because I was prepared for it. We did a lot of zone offense this week, so we were prepared for it. The ball just didn’t move, it stuck, and when the ball sticks in one person’s hand and doesn’t move, it gave them a chance to stay in it. And I thought we made some plays early and made some shots to work out of it. It just slowed us down and got us to thinking, and that’s not really good for our team right now.”

On what could be done about missed free throws:

“Nothing, man. We just gotta continue working on them. We work on them a lot, guys make them in practice, we just gotta keep working on it.”

On how to reverse the mentality in the locker room:

“We just gotta play, man. We gotta play, Jerry. I can’t just have a magic wand. We just gotta continue to keep fighting. It’s a long season still, right? I know we lost some games and it’s early, but it’s a long season and listen: I’m a fighter. I’m not giving up, my team’s not gonna give up. We just didn’t play well this afternoon, they made some tough shots, played well, and they won the game.”

On Chaunce Jenkins:

“Everybody gotta step up. This is part of basketball. Chaunce was on a team last year where I’m sure he was at the top of the scouting report as well. We just gotta step up. We didn’t look like us today, we didn’t build on what we did the two games down in Charleston and come here and have that killer instinct. We understand that we started a three-game homestand, and this was the way to start it off good. Monmouth came in, and like I said, was the hungrier team—which sucks because I can’t believe I’m saying that—but they were. They were hungrier than us, and King did a good job of getting them ready.”

Saint Peter’s wins third straight, steals victory at buzzer over FDU

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

TEANECK, N.J. — The 63rd meeting between Saint Peter’s and FDU came down to the last second. 

Bryce Eaton’s coast-to-coast layup swished through the net at the buzzer, sending the Peacocks to a 78-76 victory

over their in-state rival Knights, and their third straight since a November 11 loss at Rutgers.

Points of Emphasis

Series numbers are deceptive: Coming into the game, Saint Peter’s owned a 45-17 advantage in the series. In recent years, it has been anything but one-sided. The two New Jersey schools had split their last four meetings. In addition, this was the second straight meeting decided in the final possession, as FDU earned a 71-70 victory by virtue of a pair of free throws with two seconds last year.

The final play: Jo’el Emanuel converted on an FDU miss with three seconds remaining to tie the score at 76. Saint Peter’s inbounded, getting the ball into the hands of Eaton. The 6-foot guard raced down the floor, converting

a layup at the buzzer. The three officials went to the monitor to review the play and see if Eaton released the last shot before the buzzer. After a lengthy review that seemed like an eternity to both sides, the decision was made, upholding the winning bucket.

“He is an offensive talent,” Saint Peter’s coach Bashir Mason said of Eaton. “He gives us a different dynamic.” 

Eaton, a redshirt freshman, recalled that this was his first game-winning shot since he was in the sixth grade.

“We needed a bucket,” he said. “I just wanted to use my speed and get up the court and to the basket before the defense set up.”

What Brown does for FDU: Terrence Brown, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard, leads the Northeast Conference in scoring at 23.1 points per game. In addition, he is FDU’s top rebounder as well, pulling down 6.6 caroms per contest. Brown utilizes 30 percent of the Knights’ possessions while attempting 33 percent of their shots. Simply, he’s the go-to guy for head coach Jack Castleberry, and the focal point of opposing defenses.

“Watching him, you’re reminded of a Russell Westbrook with his speed and ability to go downhill,” Mason said. “I thought we did a better job of slowing him down the second half.”

Brown finished with a game-high 23 points, but was limited to seven free throws after halftime.

Stepping up: With Brown being kept fairly well in check in the second half, FDU had other contributors respond, an encouraging sign despite the setback. Bismarck Nsaih, a 6-foot-8 forward, was effective inside, scoring 13 points with a game-high 12 rebounds on the night. Tyree Barba-Bey added 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers following the break.

Strong start: Saint Peter’s came out attacking the basket in the second half. The Peacocks scored on their first four possessions en route to tying the score at 48 after connecting on four threes in the latter portion of the first half. The second half opened with the Peacocks making a concerted effort to attack the basket.

“It’s something we talked about at the half,” Mason said. “We were getting beat badly on points in the paint, so we emphasized that.” 

For the game, FDU enjoyed a 38-32 advantage on points in the paint. Saint Peter’s, though, held a 20-10 edge after halftime.

Notes: Saint Peter's was led in scoring by Eaton’s 21 points. Armoni Zeigler added 14 and Zaakir Williamson

13. In a 67-possession game the Peacocks held a 116-113 edge in offensive efficiency.

FDU shot 53 percent in the first half, but was limited to 39 percent in the final stanza. For the game, the Knights shot 46 percent while Saint Peter’s shot 51, with a 59 percent mark following halftime.

FDU opened the contest on a 10-0 run. No one on either side was surprised that this affair went on to be a hotly contested game, with seven ties and three lead changes.

“FDU is tough and physical,” Mason praised. “We had to dig down deep to get this one.”

Scoring is up for Saint Peter’s. Mason, who recently earned his 200th career win, admitted that he went out to recruit several players with the ability to get out and help put points on the board.

“But not at the expense of defense,” the coach added. “Defense is the priority.”

In these NIL and transfer portal times, we are aware of roster turnover. Mason has seven new players, as well as three new assistant coaches. Redshirt juniors Brent Bland and Mouhamed Sow are the only remaining Saint Peter’s players from the 2022 Elite Eight squad.

Columbia’s undefeated start a credit to Lions’ veteran core overseeing revival

Columbia celebrates 8-0 start after defeating New Hampshire Monday. (Photo by Josh Wang/Columbia Athletics)

NEW YORK — The best college basketball team in the state currently does not belong to the program whose once-ubiquitous advertisements promoted itself as such in a now-bygone era. Nor is it the one-time regional power attempting to recapture its past glory under the watchful eye of a Hall of Fame coach.

It is, however, a longtime academic power whose football team tasted championship glory for the first time since the John F. Kennedy administration, a success story that is being replicated on the hardwood.

At 8-0, Columbia is in the midst of its best start since 1969, a stretch headlined by the Lions’ upset victory at Villanova on November 6. And with the majority of last year’s roster back in Morningside Heights—only two players graduated this past May—the already strong team chemistry has now given way to more tangible results.

“I thought last year, we made some dramatic strides but ended the year on a poor note,” head coach Jim Engles recalled. “I thought we did some good stuff in the spring that carried over, and obviously, to win a couple of games on the road to start the season really gave us some mental momentum. I think, now with some home games, you’re starting to see a little bit of it come out.”

“We’re getting it now to the point where we’re starting to win and we’re getting momentum in a positive fashion. I think the guys have really been responding very well, and when you win, practices just have a different feel to them and you’re able to work on more stuff. I think that’s what we’re doing.”

Now in his ninth year at Columbia, Jim Engles is reversing fortunes for Lions in similar vein to how he built NJIT program into a winner. (Photo by Josh Wang/Columbia Athletics)

Engles is no stranger to building a winner, having taken over an NJIT program mired in a losing streak that eventually reached 51 games before it was broken in his first season at the helm, then building the Highlanders into a unit that won 20 games in back-to-back seasons and reached the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments in each of those years while upsetting a nationally-ranked Michigan team in 2014. While the success in the Garden State may be an inaccurate comparison, the commitment to turning it around has manifested in both places.

“It’s just a different environment,” Engles said of the parallels between NJIT and Columbia. “We weren’t in a league at NJIT, so there’s a lot of things that we’ve had to go through with development here over the past couple of years. The guys, just a credit to them, they’ve really stuck together. It happens over time when you have guys who stay together—when you watch NCAA Tournament games, the mid-major teams who have seniors wind up beating these teams because they stick around and they develop a chemistry—and I think you’re starting to see that chemistry come out with us. It’s taken a long time, but I’m just proud of the way the guys have stuck with it. They’re really starting to click now, and we have to continue to sort of push forward with it.”

“I think it helped tremendously,” senior guard Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa added. “I think everyone on our team just has great chemistry in the sense that we know where guys are gonna be, what they want to do. I think it’s really benefited us for sure.”

Rubio De La Rosa has become an intriguing phenomenon, still unknown in some circles due to the lack of attention the Lions receive both on a local and national level. But the native of the Dominican Republic is averaging nearly 23 points per game—just outside the top 10 in the nation—while shooting a blistering 56 percent from the floor and 52 from 3-point range. A selfless, tireless worker, Rubio De La Rosa was hesitant to compliment his offensive explosion, but a change in tactics in the offseason has been responsible for the development.

“Coach Engles was the one who told me that I need to be more aggressive,” he said. “So far, it’s working. That’s what I’ve been trying to do during the season. I had to earn it.”

“He was in a different situation when he was here,” Engles said of Rubio De La Rosa’s work ethic upon his arrival. “He was a kid who was still not proficient in English, it’s legitimately his second language. To get thrown into an environment like Columbia—which is good mid-major basketball and then you’re talking about one of the best academic schools in the world—that just gives you an idea. He’s had to do a lot on his own just to be able to sort of survive in the way that he’s able to be consistent. It’s really his super talent. He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low, and his leadership has become prominent now that he’s become more comfortable with speaking. A lot of that development has shown up, too. That’s why I think you’re seeing a completely different player as a senior.”

Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa has overcome language barriers to emerge as explosive scorer, averaging nearly 23 points per game for Lions. (Photo by Josh Wang/Columbia Athletics)

“When he stepped on campus, he was our best player. We lost everybody from COVID, so he was literally our best player and had to do everything. Now, you’re starting to see the other guys give back a little bit, and I think because of that, you’re starting to see a lot of the talents that Geronimo has. The game is becoming a lot easier for him, he’s not working as hard, but he’s working more efficiently. I think it has a lot to do with his mindset. He comes in, he’s never frustrated. Honestly, he’s never had a bad practice, he always gives his best and always gives us a solid effort. Now you see the guys that are starting to mature around him, and I think that’s a big reason why he’s started to play the way he’s playing.”

Rubio De La Rosa is one of three seniors in Columbia’s rotation—swingman Noah Robledo and forward Jake Tavroff are the others—that has seen the ascent of junior guards Kenny Noland and Avery Brown in the backcourt, while fellow juniors Blair Thompson and Zine Eddine Bedri man the paint. Freshman Mason Ritter has also produced more recently, including an eight-point, eight-rebound outing Monday against New Hampshire, prompting Engles to laud the strength of his collective squad.

“It’s not one guy,” he said. “Everybody’s contributing to everybody else. To me, that’s a sign of a really healthy, selfless team that understands. That’s the thing that makes me most proud. With Zino, with Mason and with Jake, it’s like a Frankenstein five. When you put all their stats together, you have like, an all-league five man, and they’ve really played tremendously. When one guy gets in foul trouble, the next guy comes in and it allows us to do some different things. Everyone has a little bit of a different strength, and it’s really maximized. We’re getting some really quality minutes out of that position right now.”

“That’s what’s special about our team,” Noland echoed. “We have a lot of guys who can score. So G, as talented as he is, he might have one night where he’s not (scoring), so I think it’s extremely important for everybody else to try to share the load a little bit.”

Noland is also an integral piece to the puzzle, a pure point guard who is finding a rhythm as a second scorer behind Rubio De La Rosa. The North Carolina native is averaging over 14 points per game in Columbia’s eight contests thus far, but has supplemented those numbers with over four rebounds and 3.5 assists per night as well for a floor general who has been a natural fit to drive the proverbial car for the Lions on offense.

“Kenny’s really somebody who sacrificed a lot for the program,” Engles said. “He’s somebody who probably could have started as a freshman and been more of a focal point for our team. Over his first two years, he really sacrificed in order to keep everybody together, and accepted a role that really helped out the rest of the program. When Zavian (McLean) left, I think it was just natural for Kenny to move into the spot. We really knew he was capable of doing this, so he’s just making it a lot easier for everybody.”

With two home games against Division III opponents sandwiching a road trip to Albany and a post-Christmas soiree against Fairfield, it is safe to assume Columbia will have 10 wins before the new year, perhaps possibly start 12-0 before visiting Rutgers on December 30 in what will undoubtedly be the biggest game of the Lions’ season to date. And regardless of what Ivy League play has in store, the morale on Broadway and 120th Street may be at its highest since Kyle Smith’s 2015-16 outfit won the CIT shortly before Engles returned to continue the winning tradition.

“They’re a confident group,” Engles said of this Lion team. “They’ve been through a lot, and this group has been together for a long time. The confidence is something that’s always been there, and there’s been a belief. Even when we’ve had some down, there’s still that belief that they’ve had. They believe in the program and they believe in what Columbia is. It’s really just a good team environment, and they really enjoy the situation, they enjoy what the challenges are. I’m just really happy that we’ve been able to see some progress and some wins on the other end.”

Winthrop turns in dominant defensive effort in convincing victory over LIU

 

Winthrop forward Kelton Talford scored 18 and pulled down 13 boards in the Eagles' Monday win.  (Photo:  Tim Cowie/Winthrop Athletics)

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ROCK HILL, S.C. – Winthrop star forward Kelton Talford knows a thing or two about winning basketball.

Talford played at Great Falls High School in Chester County – Winthrop public address announcer Brian Rushing refers to him as “The Great Four from The Falls” in pre-game introductions – a half-hour or so south of Winthrop Coliseum. The Red Devils are steeped in basketball tradition, and Talford’s family has played a significant role in that tradition. Now, though his family has relocated nearer to Kelton in his final collegiate season, Great Falls basketball and the lessons he learned in that historic high school gym off Sunset Avenue stay with him.

One of those lessons helped Talford and his teammates get a much-needed win Monday night over a tough opponent.

Talford was one of three Eagles in double figures, scoring 18 points and procuring 13 boards, in a dominant, 87-65 victory over LIU in Winthrop Coliseum.

“Where I’m from, you’re taught that defense wins championships,” Talford said. “I think that’s the key focus. When you get stops, you get points.”

The need for those stops came into even clearer focus about 48 hours before the game tipped. The visiting Sharks took down Charlotte of the American Athletic Conference, 79-76, Saturday afternoon just up the road at Halton Arena. LIU guard Malachi Davis had a monster game in conquering the 49ers, scoring 31 points and hoisting 18 shots in the contest. Davis would never get the chance to dominate that way Monday night.

LIU (3-4) raced out to a rapid 7-2 lead in the game’s first two-plus minutes, with a dunk and three from Blake Lander precluding a Jalen Fuller dunk to get the Sharks started early. As quickly as that lead opened, though, it evaporated. Winthrop wrested the control it would never yield by virtue of an 8-0 burst of its own, with a Talford bucket keying the run.

The visitors briefly recaptured the lead on back-to-back buckets from Davis and Terell Strickland, but a 9-2 Eagle charge staggered LIU. Winthrop (5-3) got two more Talford buckets in the stretch.

“I think we needed it, because I think it got us going a little bit offensively. I think we created some offense from our defense,” Winthrop coach Mark Prosser said. “They did a really good job. They have really good guards. To play those guys and accept that challenge, I thought everybody had to do it with the way that we switch. I’m really pleased with our defensive effort.”

That defensive effort helped key the run that knocked out the visiting Sharks. Winthrop tore off a 9-0 burst late in the first that stretched a tense, one-bucket advantage into an 11-point Eagle lead. The home side enjoyed a 13-point margin at the interval, buoyed by an effort that held LIU to just 38.2 percent from the deck in the opening stanza and spun nine Shark turnovers into 13 points.

When the Eagles were not fiercely contesting shots on the defensive end, they were playing with two feet in the paint on the offensive end. Winthrop scored well over half its points in the lane, working its way downhill as part of its trademark offensive strategy.

“We played hard defensively and I think that helped our offense,” Prosser said.

The Eagles distributed the ball well, assisting 16 times on 31 buckets while committing just 10 miscues. Winthrop compelled 17 Shark turnovers against just nine assists on 26 baskets.

“That was a testament to how hard our kids played defensively. That was them,” Prosser said. “They did a good job. They deflected. We had a lot of hard plays on the ball.”

Limiting the production offered by Davis was a clear focus. Following that 31-point effort at Charlotte, the Eagles locked down the Toronto native and held him to just eight points on 4-for-9 shooting.

“They’ve got a good coach (former NBA guard Rod Strickland),” Talford said. “We just focused on their two – (Davis) gets a lot of shots up, so we just tried to contain him the best we could and crowded the floor.”

Davis and Strickland contributed just 14 points two days after combining for 44 two days prior. The Sharks got double-figure efforts from just two scorers. Forward Jalen Fuller finished a board shy of his own double-double, pouring in 13 and snaring nine caroms. Tre’shawn Sheppard also neared a double-double in reserve duty, booking 10 and grabbing eight misses. The Sharks hit 40.6 percent (26-for-64) of their tries but managed just 20 percent (3-for-15) from distance. LIU struggled from the line, hitting just 10-of-21 (47.6 percent).

Talford led the Eagles and all scorers with his 18. The fifth-year senior played just 27 minutes, but grabbed six offensive misses, blocked two shots, and notched a steal.

“We knew coming in that they might switch one through four or one through five,” Talford said. “My teammates being able to generate those open looks that I got, those switches, and their finding me (in the paint) – I give all the thanks to them and Coach Prosser for the gameplan that we had.”

Forward K.J. Doucet added 17, hitting 6-of-10 from the floor. Guard Nick Johnson contributed 11 on a 5-for-8 effort. The Eagles shot 50.8 percent (31-for-61) from the field, blocked 10 shots, and pilfered 12 Shark passes. Winthrop continued its struggles from beyond the arc, hitting just 6-of-20 from deep. The season-long troubles Winthrop has experienced from the line also continued, as just 59.4 percent (19-for-32) of the Eagle tries from the stripe fell.

LIU now travels to Easton, Pa., to compete in an MTE at Lafayette. The Sharks take on the host Leopards on Friday afternoon in the Kirby Sports Center. Game time is set for 4:30 (Eastern). Winthrop welcomes Division III Averett University of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) for a Wednesday night contest. Game time is set for 6:30 (Eastern) in the Winthrop Coliseum. The game will feature streaming coverage over ESPN+.

WINTHROP 87, LIU 65

LIU (3-4)

Davis 4-9 0-2 8, Lander 2-8 1-2 6, Strickland 2-4 2-3 6, Lasu 2-4 2-5 6, Fuller 4-10 5-8 13, Sheppard 5-8 0-1 10, Steele 0-4 0-0 0, Lee 4-12 0-0 9, Pendergast 0-0 0-0 0, Li 3-5 0-0 7. Totals 26-64 10-21 65.

WINTHROP (5-3)

Jones 1-5 0-0 2, Talford 7-10 4-6 18, Johnson 5-8 1-3 11, K. Harrison 2-6 2-6 6, Doucet 6-10 4-4 17, Wilson 0-0 5-6 5, Jolly 2-2 1-2 6, Diallo 1-2 0-0 2, Christy 0-1 0-0 0, Van Bibber 1-4 0-0 3, Kamarad 2-4 2-5 7, Hamilton 1-1 0-0 2, H. Harrison 0-0 0-0, Baker 3-8 0-0 8. Totals 26-54 19-26 77.

Halftime:  Winthrop 44-31. 3-Point goals:  Winthrop 6-20 (Jones 0-3, Johnson 0-2, K. Harrison 0-1, Doucet 1-2, Jolly 1-1, Van Bibber 1-3, Kamarad 1-3, Baker 2-5), LIU 3-15 (Davis 0-2, Lander 1-4, Lasu 0-1, Fuller 0-1, Sheppard 0-2, Lee 1-4, Li 1-1). Fouled out:  Steele (LIU)  Rebounds:  LIU 42 (Fuller 9), Winthrop 40 (Talford 13). Total fouls:  LIU 27, Winthrop 20. Technicals:  Davis (LIU), Steele (LIU).

Points off turnovers:  Winthrop 23, LIU 9.  Points in the paint:  Winthrop 50, LIU 40.  Second-chance points:  LIU 20, Winthrop 15.  Fast-break points:  Winthrop 16, LIU 6.  Bench points:  Winthrop 33, LIU 26.

 

 

FDU gets off schneid with resilient second half to repel Saint Peter’s

Freshman guard Ava Renninger runs FDU’s offense in Saturday’s win over Saint Peter’s. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

TEANECK, N.J. — A strong second half allowed FDU to get back on track.

The Knights snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday, posting a 67-50 victory over Saint Peter’s at the Bogota Savings Bank Center to improve their record to 5-2. The Peacocks remain winless, dropping to 0-5.

Points of Emphasis

A tale of two halves: At halftime, FDU held a 26-24 lead. Coach Stephanie Gaitley was not upset so much with the score as she was with how her team was playing.

“I told them that was the worst half of basketball,” Gaitley said. “I reminded them how we started last season losing our first five and how we were hungry for that first win. (Saint Peter’s) plays hard and are well-coached. The second half, we came out much better.”

The efficiency (points per possession x 100) numbers show the contrast of halves.

First half: FDU 81, Saint Peter’s 75

Second half: FDU 146, Saint Peter’s 93

Beyond the numbers, the Knights came out with a

sense of urgency on the defensive end. Teneisia

Brown struggled in the first 20 minutes. Following the break, the fifth-year senior was more assertive. Brown finished with six points, but added a game-high 11 rebounds.

“I emphasize the details,” Gaitley added. “It’s still a

learning experience, but I really thought in the second half, we handled the details and little things, playing much better.”

Freshman orientation: Ava Renninger has been the Knights’ leading scorer to date, checking in at 14 points per game. The freshman guard from Yardley, Pennsylvania gained added attention with her 16-point performance this past Wednesday at UConn.

“She has been solid for us,” Gaitley praised.

The coach noted Renninger has been prone to have a defensive lapse here or there. Early in the game, Gaitley took her out to talk to her about it. Upon returning, her defense improved. She got the message.

Saint Peter’s: The Peacocks are winless, but did give Fordham a battle on Friday, dropping a 64-56 decision at Rose Hill Gymnasium.

“We are a young team and still learning,” Saint Peter’s coach Jen Leedham said. “I thought (FDU) just had more experience than us.”

The season has started rough for the Peacocks. There has been improvement defensively, per Leedham, which should serve them well in MAAC play. A bright spot for Saint Peter’s was the play of Fatmata Janneh (a game-high 22 points) and Layla Laws (14 points), who were effective inside. Both players have been consistent contributors. The Peacocks, though, need a third scorer to step up on a steady basis.

A final note of encouragement was in the turnover department. Saint Peter’s entered the game with a 32 percent turnover rate. Saturday, the Peacocks showed an excellent 8 percent, committing just six miscues.

Plus/minus: This is a metric subscribed to by the NBA that is now gaining traction on the college level, as the stat sheets have the game total for plus-minus, which accounts for the points scored or given up by your team when you are on the floor. If you enter with the game tied and you exit with your team ahead by seven, you are a plus-7. Yours truly does not follow it religiously, but sometimes the result makes you look closely at a player.

In the Saint Peter’s game the plus-minus leader for FDU was Abaigeal Babore, who checked in with a plus-19. The graduate student guard scored seven points, grabbed five rebounds while having an assist and a steal against one turnover in 34 minutes of action, a consistent all-around effort definitely contributing to the win.

“She is our X-factor,” Gaitley said of Babore. “She sets the screen, takes the charge and does every little thing well.”

UConn: Gaitley spoke about Wednesday’s game, when the Huskies defeated FDU in Geno Auriemma’s record 1,217th victory.

“We did not go in scared or intimidated,” Gaitley said. “We played our game. If a few of our shots we normally hit fell, we could have hung in there a little longer. They are so talented and the atmosphere was incredible that night.”

Renninger, playing in just her sixth collegiate game, felt that while the whole setting at Gampel Pavilion was unbelievable, “we all came out and played with a lot of energy that night.”

Notes: Abby Conklin led FDU with 19 points, shooting 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. FDU shot 43 percent inside the arc while connecting on nine of its 17 three-point attempts. The Knights shot 46 percent overall while limiting Saint Peter’s to 32 percent.

FDU won the rebounding battle, 41-29, with a 38-27 advantage on offensive rebound percentage. Saint Peter’s, largely due to the work of Janneh and Laws, outscored FDU in the paint, 30-24.

FDU is on the road until just before Christmas. The Knights will visit Lafayette, Rider and Rutgers before hosting Saint Michael’s on December 19.

Saint Peter’s has now played all five contests away

from home. The Peacocks are at Monmouth on Tuesday before their first home game the following Sunday against NJIT.

Among those in attendance were FDU men’s head coach Jack Castleberry, longtime Asbury Park Press sportswriter Tony Graham, Edona Thaqi; who played for Gaitley at Fordham and is now a freelance journalist, and Jon Levinson the NEC officiating supervisor, who took in the noon game before catching a flight en route to another observation.

FDU athletic director Brad Hurlbut and deputy AD Cathy Liggett honor head coach Stephanie Gaitley with commemorative ball marking her 700th career victory. (Photo by Ray Floriani/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

Fairfield still trying to find itself after decisive loss to Yale

By Ray Curren (@currenrr)

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — In the postgame press conference after Saturday’s 91-66 loss to Yale, Fairfield coach Chris Casey heard the question about who gave his Fairfield team unlikely quality minutes, but he didn’t hear the name, so needed a clarification.

That makes sense, as there were a few players it could have been. Casey used 12 in the first half alone as the Stags (2-5) tried in vain to contain the defending Ivy League champs.

“I thought for the last 30 minutes, we competed very well,” Casey said. “That’s a very good, well-coached team. Our guys are still trying to figure their way and learn what we’re doing. We have a lot of new guys. We’ll just keep working hard and trying to get better.”

But it’s also just a sign of the way it is in college basketball in the modern era, particularly at low-majors like the MAAC. By all accounts, Casey’s first season was a rousing success at Fairfield, taking over just a couple weeks before the campaign (after Jay Young resigned) and posting 24 wins, including having a 10-point lead in the MAAC final before eventually falling to Saint Peter’s.

In the old days, you could build on that with the same talent, but it’s a new era. Of the six players that got major minutes in that contest: Caleb Fields and Alexis Yetna graduated, Jasper Floyd is at North Texas, Jalen Leach is at Northwestern, and Brycen Goodine is at Oklahoma (his fourth school).

That leaves Louis Bleechmore and a cast of new characters for Casey to try to meld, and it’s been a bit of a struggle so far. The most highly acclaimed newcomer is Deon Perry, who led the Patriot League in scoring at Loyola last season and hit 147 three-pointers with the Greyhounds in two years. Perry was also named a second team All-MAAC honoree in the preseason.

But at just 5-foot-8, Perry has had trouble finding space to operate. Saturday against Yale marked his first start, and through six games, he is just 3-for-22 from behind the arc. He had just five points in 22 minutes and has yet to be in double figures.

Prophet Johnson (with one the best names in college basketball) comes from Southern Utah and has been a defensive presence, but has just six career threes. Jamie Bergens was on Oral Roberts’ Sweet Sixteen team in 2021, but moved on to Drexel and now Fairfield. He is also more of a defensive specialist, just a 29.7 percent career three-point shooter, but Casey thinks he has the ability to take some pressure off Perry.

Braden Sparks comes from Mercer, but does not have much game experience and looks to have potential, however it’s been tough to play Sparks (at just 6-feet) and Perry together. Kyle Jenkins—who does bring size at 6-foot-7–comes as a graduate transfer after a very successful career at Lafayette, but has not played since the opener against Rhode Island and is day-to-day.

Who returns? Other than Bleechmore, pretty much just center Peyton Smith, who did play in 33 games last season and started all seven this season, although he got just 10 minutes against Yale.

Still, in another sign of the times, even with all this turnover, Fairfield was picked fourth in the preseason MAAC poll and got a first-place vote. It’s also important to remember that the Stags started off 1-6 (0-6 against Division I teams) before putting everything together in 2023-24. 

“I don’t think you adjust, you just have to keep coaching and try to get your team better individually and collectively just like it’s always been,” Casey said. “You just have to control the things you can control.”

It does seem unlikely that—as it did last season— offense will be what propels Fairfield to the top of the MAAC. The Stags posted an amazing 1.142 points per possession in conference play in 2023-24, leading the conference by a wide margin. This season, they are currently 356th nationally in effective field goal percentage, 349th (24.8 percent) from three.

Which leads us to who Casey was asked about postgame Saturday. It was unheralded freshman Makuei Riek, who had eight minutes of Division I action prior to the Yale game, but posted 13 points in 22 minutes. Co-leading scorer Noah Best is a sophomore Fordham transfer who got his 13 points in just 14 minutes, more than doubling his point total in his entire season with the Rams.

It’s unlikely that any MAAC team will have a shooter like John Poulakidas, who buried Auburn in last year’s NCAA Tournament and hit his first five threes Saturday to get Yale to a big lead. When Fairfield tried to chase him around, it made it easier for the Bulldogs (who do have plenty of consistency in their roster) to dominate inside.

So where do the Stags, who have dropped 58 spots in KenPom, go from here? If you’re reading this, you’re probably well aware that the non-conference season means little in the MAAC, and Casey has been in the conference for a long time. The lack of offense is obviously concerning, but Perry didn’t score that many points at Loyola by accident, and Jenkins is a wild card that could improve things dramatically if healthy. And maybe Best is a guy that just needed to get on the court.

“We need to figure out combinations and who the best guys are out there, and I think we have some guys that are emerging that play consistently that will determine that,” Casey said. “We’ll just keep working on it as conference play approaches. We have to find the five guys that will be best for us.”

And then this entire article will be forgotten as Fairfield—who last went to the NCAA Tournament in 1997–rolls in Atlantic City again.