Home of the A10 Bounce“Because there is always room for one more on the bench.”
and MAAC Press Break“No matter what sport you like these guys got it covered. ”
Ramone Moore, Bryan Smith, Kloof in his comfort zone and the A-10 Bounce
Ramone Moore (Courtesy of Temple athletics)
All the comings and goings of Atlantic 10 men’s basketball.
Moore, Smith named weekly award winners
NEWPORT NEWS, Va.—The Atlantic 10 has selected Temple senior guard Ramone Moore as its Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Fordham freshman guard Bryan Smith was chosen as the league’s Rookie of the Week. The duo earned the awards Monday for games played during the week of Jan. 30 – Feb. 5.
Moore averaged 23.5 points per game in two wins for the Owls last week. He scored 25 points against Fordham on 9-of-16 from the field (56.3 percent), including 6-of-8 (75 percent) from 3-point range. The Philadelphia, Pa., native also dished out five assists in the win. He followed that performance with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists at Rhode Island. He shot 9-of-20 (45 percent) from the field. For the week he committed just two turnovers, one in each game.
Smith averaged 18.5 points per game in Fordham’s two games last week. He scored 23 points at Temple, shooting 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from the field and 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) at the line. A Brooklyn, N.Y., native, Smith followed that performance by making three 3-pointers and 5-of-6 (83.3 percent) free throws for 14 points against Charlotte. He added three rebounds, three assists and two steals versus the 49ers.
Billikens top Dayton in defensive battle
ST. LOUIS - Brian Conklin scored a game-high-tying 16 points, and Saint Louis held off Dayton’s second-half rally to defeat the Flyers 58-50 Saturday in front of 10,414 fans at Chaifetz Arena, the largest home crowd of the season for the Billikens and second-largest attendance in the Arena’s four-year history.
With the victory, the Billikens (18-5, 6-3 Atlantic 10) remained one-half game behind conference leader Temple (6-2). Dayton fell to 14-9 overall and 4-5 in the league.
La Salle tops Charlotte, 85-72
PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men’s basketball team set a new Tom Gola single-season wins record, notching their 12th victory at home this season, and are alone in first place in the Atlantic 10 after dispatching Charlotte, 85-72, on Wednesday evening.
La Salle improves to 17-6 and 6-2 in Atlantic 10 play, while Charlotte, sitting at 10-11 and 2-6, drops its fourth straight game and fifth straight league contest.
“I’m just really pleased that we were able to win the game,” head coach Dr. John Giannini said. “I don’t think we played our best…. But I’m really pleased with the outcome.”
Sophomore Tyreek Duren added a game-high 22 points to go along with six assists, while freshman Jerrell Wright had a strong night for La Salle with 18 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field.
Dukes turn back Richmond, 81-72
PITTSBURGH – Eric Evans scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the second half to lead Duquesne to an 81-72 win over Richmond in the annual Chuck Cooper Classic at the Palumbo Center. The victory ended a 14-game series losing streak for the Dukes (14-9, 5-4) who played before a sellout “red out” crowd of 4,481.
Evans was joined in double figures by Sean Johnson (14 points), Jerry Jones (14 points), T.J. McConnell (13 points) and B.J. Monteiro (10 points).
Kendall Anthony led Richmond (12-12, 3-6) with a game-high 21.
Charlon Kloof finds his comfort zone
St. Bonaventure point guard Charlon Kloof was born in Suriname, spent his teens in the Netherlands, played a year of junior college in North Carolina and last season honed his game at Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain’s Canary Islands. But it’s when he’s playing defense on the basketball court that Kloof, a 21-year-old sophomore, appears truly at home.
Tall (6-foot-3), long-armed and quick, Kloof has provided coach Mark Schmidt with a quintessential defender needed to make life difficult for the Atlantic 10′s array of talented point guards.
Bona’s Johnson fulfilling hoop dream
IT’S A LONG way from North Preston to the NCAA. But Chris Johnson is hoping his hard work will lead him to March Madness this year.
The 23-year-old Johnson, a six-foot-five guard, is the rare Nova Scotia player to make his mark in NCAA men’s basketball.
He’s coming off the bench for the St. Bonaventure (N.Y.) Bonnies of the Atlantic 10 Conference and making the most of his chances.
He’s fulfilling a dream that started in boyhood. He was so committed to playing basketball in the U.S. he left Nova Scotia after his Grade 10 year at Auburn Drive to go to prep school in Toronto to develop his talents and for broader exposure.
Five score in double figures as Bills roll by Bonnies
ST. LOUIS - Junior guard Kwamain Mitchell led five Billikens in double figures with 22 points as Saint Louis posted an 86-62 victory over St. Bonaventure Wednesday night in Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball action at Chaifetz Arena.
The victory moves the Billikens to 17-5 overall and 5-3 in the A-10. St. Bonaventure, which entered the game in first place in the league standings, dips to 12-8, 5-3 in the league.
St. Joseph’s downs Richmond
RICHMOND – Backed by a 16-point, 10-rebound performance from junior Carl Jones, the Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team downed Richmond, 70-60, Wednesday evening at the Robins Center. Jones led a quintet of Hawks in double figures, while sophomore Halil Kanacevic led all rebounders with a dozen.
C.J. Aiken had 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, while Langston Galloway chipped in with 13. Daryus Quarles and Ronald Roberts, Jr. poured in 12 and 11 points, respectively, to aid the Hawk effort.
Aiken scored the first six points of the game for Saint Joseph’s (14-9, 4-4 Atlantic 10) as the Hawks built an 18-10 lead with 9:09 remaining in the first half. However, the Spiders then went on a 10-0 run of their own to go ahead, 20-18, with 6:15 to go in the period.
Temple defeats Fordham for the fifth straight win
PHILADELPHIA- The Temple Owls (16-5, 5-2 A-10) defeated the Fordham Rams (9-12, 2-6 A-10), 78-60 at the Liacouras Center on Wednesday night, extending the team’s winning streak to five games — a season-high for the Owls who appear to be finding their groove in the A-10.
Ramone Moore and Khalif Wyatt combined for 49 points, with 25 and 24 respectively. It marked the second time in two weeks that the two scored 20 or more points in the same contest, with the previous feat coming in Temple’s win over Maryland.
Marc Jackson selected to Big 5 Hall of Fame
PHILADELPHIA - Former Temple University standout Marc Jackson will be one of five members that will be inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame on February 21. Jackson will become the 23rd men’s basketball player in TU history to be inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame.
Jackson, who was named the 1997 A10 Player of the Year, was a two-time all-A10 and all-Big 5 first team honoree (1995-96, 1996-97). Also a two-time NABC first team all-District performer, he scored 1,059 career points and grabbed 567 rebounds in his three-year collegiate career, including 1,001 points (15.9 ppg.) in his two seasons (1995-96, ’96-97)?at Temple. The Owls center led the team in scoring and rebounding his final two seasons with his best season coming as a junior in 1996-97 when he averaged 16.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. His Temple teams posted a 40-14 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament both seasons.
Kanacevic named Big 5 Player of the Week
PHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph’s sophomore Halil Kanacevic has been named the Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Week for February 6. It is the first weekly honor of his career.
The forward helped the Hawks to wins over Richmond and first-place La Salle by averaging a double-double of 11.0 points and 13.5 rebounds.
Kanacevic had four points, four assists and a team-high 12 rebounds in a 70-60 victory at Richmond, which snapped the Hawks’ four-game road losing streak.
Khalif Wyatt earns OwlSports.com’s Athlete of the Month
PHILADELPHIA - Junior guard Khalif Wyatt earns OwlSports.com’s January Athlete of the Month. It is his first Athlete of the Month award of his career.
Wyatt, who currently ranks second on Temple and the A10 in scoring (16.4 ppg.), led the Owls in scoring with an 18.5 average to lead Temple to a 6-2 record. Also during the month, he topped the Cherry and White in assists (36), steals (23), three-pointers made (18) and free throw percentage (32-37,.865).
For A-10 coordinator Greenwood, it’s still about rules and judgment
Reggie Greenwood worked at Dulles International Airport as an air traffic controller before becoming a basketball official. The transition was smooth because the pressure-packed jobs are somewhat comparable, according to Greenwood.
“You’ve got a stack of rules that air traffic controllers must know, imbedded in their brains. You’ve got to know how to keep airplanes apart, and a split-second decision could be life or death,” said Greenwood, who is in his first season as the coordinator of officials for the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Atlantic Ten: Tempo Tuesday
This is taking its toll…We praised Dayton’s offense for a few weeks now, while admonishing their defensive tendencies. That D (largely due to an opposing 54.5% eFG mark) is now starting to effect the won-lost column as the Flyers are now in the second division. Meanwhile, a familiar name, to little surprise is residing at the top. Temple leads in efficiency margin with an offense and defense running on all cylinders. The last three games, all Owl victories, have seem Temple allow offensive efficiencies of 94, 97 and 90. Again, little surprise.
Spiders’ basketball staff made good catch with Lewis
Kim Lewis last July became the University of Richmond’s director of basketball operations, often an entry-level position for those who aspire to be coaches. It’s unusual employment for a 39-year-old who has 11 years of assistant coaching experience at the Division I level.
Lewis’ UR post, however, is by no means the oddest hoops job he has occupied. In his mid-20s, Lewis was the player/coach of the Stykkisholmur professional team in Iceland. The former Tulane standout was enthused about his first opportunity to compete as a pro. When the team sent word that it wanted him to play and coach, Lewis responded, “You’re joking, right?”
Shot blockers shine for Hawks, Spiders
Cedrick Lindsay twisted his torso and held an imaginary basketball close to his chest. This is the way the University of Richmond sophomore guard drives when there’s a well-regarded shot blocker in the neighborhood.
“It’s usually a one-two step and then kind of like an (arm) extension to the basket,” Lindsay said of typical layups. “But if you’re facing a shot blocker, you can’t really extend. You want to use your shoulder, keep him on your side, keep the ball away from him.”
There will likely be a good deal of that going on tonight at the Robins Center. The Spiders face Saint Joseph’s in an Atlantic 10 Conference game featuring two of Division I’s top five shot blockers: 6-foot-9 Hawks sophomore C.J. Aiken (4.1 bpg), and 6-9 UR senior Darrius Garrett (3.6 bpg).
UD shows improvement in tough loss
SAINT LOUIS — The University of Dayton basketball team may have shown more toughness and a greater commitment to defense, but that wasn’t enough to avoid a 58-50 setback to Saint Louis on Saturday for a fourth straight defeat — its longest streak since a seven-game skid in 2005-06.
“Our intensity was better, we played harder, but a loss is still a loss,” said senior forward Luke Fabrizius, who tied his career high with nine rebounds. “We have a long way to go.”
Miller looking for more from UD guards
Archie Miller, the University of Dayton men’s basketball coach, knew he’d have trouble with a limited roster plugging the hole left by injured forward Josh Benson.
Miller, though, didn’t think he’d be looking for the right fit at shooting guard this late in the season.
Senior Paul Williams, a three-year starter, is in the midst of the worst shooting slump of his career. He finished fifth in the Atlantic 10 last season in 3-point accuracy at 41.8 percent. But lately, he hasn’t been able to connect much from long range or even from shorter distances.
Brad Redford’s knee is well; now his shot is too
His shooting slump has ceased. His minutes have increased. His confidence has grown.
Fifteen months after knee surgery, Xavier guard Brad Redford is starting to look like his old self.
Explorers prepared to enter critical stretch
La Salle men’s basketball coach John Giannini has made the most out of a seemingly difficult situation this season.
As has been ubiquitously noted, the Explorers (17-7, 6-3 Atlantic 10) were picked to finish 13th in the Atlantic 10, but sit tied for second place in the conference standings, a half-game behind league leader Temple with seven games to play. Giannini’s bunch is in a strong position, but make no mistake: Wednesday’s road trip to Richmond may be its most important game of the season.
Atlantic 10 Notebook: Hits and misses, reviewing the preseason position rankings
After over a month of watching team after team wrestle for the top spots in the standings, Temple and Saint Louis stand at one and two respectively, just as many thought the top of the table would look a few months ago.
At least, to some extent.
Xavier, picked to win the league, occupies fifth place, but like Temple and Saint Louis, has six wins to their credit on this Monday morning.
While the league may not be done throwing its fans for loops just yet, it does seem that as February moves along, the league’s cream may finally rise to the top.
A10 Plus: Dayton’s defensive woes, GW’s struggles inside and the A10 rookie race
If Archie Miller had a tirade loud enough to reach the ears of those waiting in the hallway after his Dayton Flyers lost 86-81 to Rhode Island at UD Arena on Saturday, you can imagine what the message to his team was after the Flyers lost 83-73 to Duquesne on Wednesday evening.
It was the third loss in a row for the Flyers—the second consecutive at home—dropping Dayton from the glory of a tie for first place in the Atlantic 10 after a win over Xavier on Jan. 21 to a three-way tie for seventh halfway through conference play. Despite the frustrating downturn to the season, Miller appeared to have gotten his anger out by the time he arrived in the press room and turned toward self-reflection.
“Right now, the guy who is not getting it done is me,” Miller said.
FREE THROW PCT ………………………..G FTM FTA Pct
1. St. Bonaventure…………………………… 20 346 457 .757
2. Richmond ……………………………………24 398 526 .757
3. Dayton ………………………………………..23 314 415 .757
4. La Salle ……………………………………….24 294 414 .710
5. Saint Louis …………………………………..23 322 460 .700
6. Temple ………………………………………..22 269 391 .688
7. Saint Joseph’s ……………………………….24 316 462 .684
8. Rhode Island ………………………………..24 337 500 .674
9. Xavier ………………………………………….23 348 519 .671
10. Duquesne ……………………………………23 352 525 .670
11. Massachusetts ……………………………..23 329 491 .670
12. Charlotte …………………………………….22 328 496 .661
13. George Washington………………………. 23 239 363 .658
14. Fordham ……………………………………..22 283 449 .630
2011 – 12 STANDINGS
| Conference | Overall | |||||
|
W |
L |
PCT. |
W |
L |
PCT. |
|
| Temple |
6 |
2 |
.750 |
17 |
5 |
.773 |
| Saint Louis |
6 |
3 |
.667 |
18 |
5 |
.783 |
| Massachusetts |
6 |
3 |
.667 |
17 |
6 |
.739 |
| La Salle |
6 |
3 |
.667 |
17 |
7 |
.708 |
| Xavier |
6 |
3 |
.667 |
15 |
8 |
.652 |
| St. Bonaventure |
5 |
3 |
.625 |
12 |
8 |
.600 |
| Saint Joseph’s |
5 |
4 |
.556 |
15 |
9 |
.625 |
| Duquesne |
5 |
4 |
.556 |
14 |
9 |
.609 |
| Dayton |
4 |
5 |
.444 |
14 |
9 |
.609 |
| Charlotte |
3 |
6 |
.333 |
11 |
11 |
.500 |
| Richmond |
3 |
6 |
.333 |
12 |
12 |
.500 |
| George Washington |
3 |
6 |
.333 |
8 |
15 |
.348 |
| Fordham |
2 |
7 |
.222 |
9 |
13 |
.409 |
| Rhode Island |
2 |
7 |
.222 |
5 |
19 |
.208 |
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