Pickin' Splinters » Joe Mihalich

Scott Machado, Antoine Mason, Calvin Murphy and the MAAC Press Break

Casey — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:12:38 +0000

Scott Machado leads the nation with 10.6 assists per game. His 3.05:1 assist to turnover ratio is good for eighth in the country.(Courtesy of MAAC athletics)

All the comings and goings of Metro Atlantic men’s basketball.

Machado and Mason tabbed Players of the Week

Machado missed Iona’s second-ever triple-double by just one rebound in a 11-point, 15-assist, nine board effort in a 20-point win over Rider. He posted his NCAA-leading fifth 15+ assist effort of the season and extended his national assists per game lead to 10.6 per contest. Machado committed just two turnovers (7.5:1 A:T ratio) in 35 minutes played in the victory.

Etherly’s 19 leads Loyola past St. Peter’s

BALTIMORE – Erik Etherly scored 13 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 19 points, leading Loyola University Maryland to a 65-54 win on Sunday afternoon over Saint Peter’s College in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action in Reitz Arena.

Robert Olson added 15 points for the Greyhounds (14-5 overall, 7-2 MAAC), 10 coming in the second half, marking his fifth-straight game with 15 or more points.

Siena hits overdrive, rolls past Iona at home

Every once in a while, the duck shoots the hunter. Exactly 20 days after suffering its worst Division I conference loss ever at the hands of highly-hyped Iona under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, Siena shook off an early 20-2 deficit and drove right past the Gaels, 65-62, here at Times Union Center.

“Everyone counted us out, very few people thought we could win this game,” Siena head coach Mitch Buonaguro said afterward. “We did.”

Buonaguro called the win the biggest of his 50-game tenure at Siena. If the Saints play the way they did Monday night, that may not be the case for long.

Jaspers grind out win at Marist

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Manhattan men’s basketball team grinded out its fourth straight victory on Friday night at Marist (7-12, 2-6 MAAC) in a 61-44 decision before a national audience on ESPN3. Jaspers’ sophomore forward Rhamel Brown posted his third double-double of the year finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with four blocks in the triumph. Junior guard George Beamon and sophomore point guard Michael Alvarado matched Brown with a game-high 12 points as Manhattan (13-7, 6-2 MAAC) picked up its 10^th win in the last 13 contests.

Purple Eagles ground Golden Griffins

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Niagara men’s basketball team recorded its largest road win in its storied history with the Canisius Golden Griffins in 29 years with a cultivating 75-56 victory on Thursday at the Koessler Athletic Center in the National MAAC Game of the Week on ESPN3.

“It was a good solid win for us,” head coach Joe Mihalich said. “We are playing some good basketball right now which is important because it’s only going to get tougher down the stretch.”

The Purple Eagles (9-11, 4-4 MAAC) have won 15 of the last 18 meetings, including eight of the last 11 trips to Canisius (4-14, 1-7 MAAC). The 19-point win is Niagara’s largest margin of victory at Canisius since a 21-point win (83-62) on Feb. 19, 1983.

Iona cruises over Rider

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Senior Scott Machado fell one rebound shy of a triple-double while classmate Mike Glover and junior Lamont Jones each eclipsed 20 points for the second straight game as the Iona College men’s basketball team cruised to a 91-71 victory over Rider in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at the Hynes Center. Iona (15-4, 7-1 MAAC) – the NCAA leader in assists per game – recorded 27 to just nine turnovers to maintain its first place conference standing.

22-2 run fuels Loyola past Siena

BALTIMORE – Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each scored eight points during Loyola University Maryland’s 22-2 run, and the Greyhounds raced past Siena College for a 66-55 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win on Thursday night in front of a loud Reitz Arena crowd.

Cormier led all players with 17 points, and Olson had 16 for the Greyhounds (13-5 overall, 6-2 MAAC).

Kyle Downey put Siena (8-10, 3-5) ahead 47-40 with a pair of free throws at 10:35, matching the Saints largest lead of the game.

REBOUNDING MARGIN (January 23, 2012)

…………………………G………. Team Avg. ………Opp. Avg… Margin
1. Manhattan…….. 21 774 …….36.9 …….685…. 32.6……. +4.2
2. Loyola (Md.) ….19 686…….. 36.1……. 606…. 31.9…….. +4.2
3. Iona ……………..20 724…… 36.2 ……..700…. 35.0……. +1.2
4. Siena……………. 19 686 …….36.1……… 686…. 36.1……. +0.0
5. Fairfield ………..19 618…….. 32.5……… 642… 33.8…….. -1.3
6. Canisius………… 19 656……. 34.5………. 681… 35.8…….. -1.3
7. Marist………….. 19 665…….. 35.0……… 693…. 36.5……. -1.5
8. Niagara ………….21 698…….. 33.2…….. 777…. 37.0…… -3.8
9. Rider…………….. 21 691…….. 32.9…….. 782….. 37.2…… -4.3
10. Saint Peter’s…. 20 635…….. 31.8……… 738….. 36.9…… -5.1

Fairfield 75 St. Peter’s 63: The points of emphasis

The veteran Fairfield club used their interior prowess against a small, young St. Peter’s team.” They kicked us in the teeth in the paint,” said St. Peter’s coach John Dunne. “The second half really hurt us.” At halftime St. Peter’s trailed 36-31 and was in striking distance. The final twenty minutes were in favor of the Stags, who enjoyed a 17 point lead with just over eight minutes to play. Seven foot Ryan Olander enjoyed a 17 point, 10 rebound outing for Fairfield. Rakim Sanders, the talented 6-5 swingman, led all scorers with 19 points while grabbing 10 boards.

NU legend, hall of famer, Murphy returning to Niagara this weekend

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and Niagara legend Calvin Murphy will be in town to watch the Purple Eagles host Loyola and Manhattan this weekend.

Murphy will be in attendance to watch the men’s basketball team host Loyola on Friday at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Murphy will have his No. 23 banner retired during Niagara’s ESPN3 matchup against Manhattan starting at 4 p.m.

The first 300 fans in attendance for Sunday’s game will receive a commemorative item and there will be an autograph session with Murphy postgame.

The Tipoff’s “Best You Never Heard Of:” Scott Machado

Leading the nation in assists is not something Iona coach Tim Cluess was expecting from Scott Machado when he accepted the Gael’s head coaching position. Cluess coached Machado at St. Mary’s High School in New York, and said that Machado preferred to get buckets over helping others get them.

Machado averaged 7.6 dimes last season, but a stint playing for Brazil at the World University Games this past summer seemed to change his approach to the game. Since returning from the competition, the Gaels’ point man has morphed himself into an NBA-prospect at the 1.

The Hype Machine: KU, Scott Machado

Machado has played on national TV only a handful of times this season. So most folks — even the ones who’ve read about him — haven’t watched him play.

The 6-foot-1 point guard, however, is leading the nation in assists (10.3 apg) and guides one of the most potent offenses in America.

The Gaels are third in points per game (84.4 ppg), first in assists (20.0 apg) and fourth in field goal percentage (50.1 percent) nationally. And for my tempo-free folks, the Gaels are ranked 19th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted offense ratings (just one spot behind North Carolina).

Cinderella watch part two

Sitting atop the MAAC standings, Iona dresses arguably the top prospect in the conference in Scott Machado, the only guard in the nation to average a double-double. Machado leads the country in assists, and has the ability to take over a game againt any opponent. Though Iona’s schedule is somewhat soft (87th toughest in the nation, according to realtimerpi.com), they own a blowout win over Maryland, a double-OT win over…

Belardo takes the fast track in the classroom

Belardo established himself as a leader on the floor last year when he averaged better than ten points and three assists per game. Off the court, he is blazing a trail not just for himself, but for fellow teammates Fred Asprilla (Villavicencia, Colombia), Franklin Milian (La Vega, Dominican Republic), David Santiago (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) and Isaac Sosa (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico).

Got anything to add to the Press Break? Please post it in a comment.

Niagara tops UMBC, 92-75

Casey — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:04:04 +0000

Courtesy of PurpleEagles.com.

Marvin Jordan and Juan’ya Green each had 20-plus scoring outputs to help lead the Niagara Purple Eagles to a 92-75 win over the UMBC Retrievers on Wednesday.

“I thought we did what we had to do tonight,” head coach Joe Mihalich said. “We played a team that was down, but I thought we took care of business and did what we had to do. We had three days off after break (and) you’re rusty and lethargic but it was good to get back out there and get some game action.”

Niagara (5-8) had a season-high 12 steals, a season-low seven turnovers and scored its most points in a regular season non-overtime game since beating Siena 100-85 on Feb. 27, 2009 from the Gallagher Center in tonight’s win over UMBC (1-11).

The Purple Eagles ended the first half on a 17-4 run to cap a high-scoring half with a 52-42 lead. Jordan got the Purple and White going by scoring 11 points through the first seven minutes of action; he finished the half with 16 points.

“He started off good and played well and he is one of the keys for us to be good for the rest of the season,” backcourt teammate Green said about Jordan.

In the second half, NU built its largest lead in the game, 81-55, when Jordan connected on his sixth and final 3-pointer with 8:47 remaining. Jordan led the Purple Eagles in scoring for the third time this season with 23 points on the night and was one 3-pointer shy of tying his career-high. Green finished with 21 points and tied a game-high with five assists.

“MJ got us going by making some shots and Juan’ya did a good job running the team,” Mihalich said.

Scooter Gillette scored 11 points, one-point shy of tying his career-high, and had a game-high six points. Malcolm Lemmons, Josh Turner and Ameen Tanksley combined for 24 points and six rebounds.

Niagara will host Little 3 rival St. Bonaventure (6-5) on Friday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. To secure your seat, purchase your ticket in advance by contacting the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286-8499 or at tickets@purpleeagles.com.

Niagara suffers second-half slumber, 71-58

Casey — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:16:21 +0000

Juan'ya Green (Courtesy of Niagara athletics)

Courtesy of PurpleEagles.com.

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara men’s basketball team was unable to hold on to its six-point halftime lead in a 71-58 defeat to the Drexel Dragons on Tuesday night at the Gallagher Center.

The Purple Eagles (4-7) took a 37-31 lead into halftime, despite trailing 11-3 after four minutes of play. Marvin Jordan scored Niagara’s first eight points, but it was a Juan’ya Green layup at 10:50 in the half that sparked NU’s charge. Niagara grabbed its first lead in the game, 27-24, when Green dished a pass to Ali Langford who drained a 3-pointer at 4:14 to cap a 19-7 run.

Niagara scored 10 of the final 15 points in the half, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Green and Jordan, but a 3-pointer by Drexel (4-4) in the final seconds cut NU’s lead to six at halftime.

“We had them in a good spot, we were up nine in the first half,” head coach Joe Mihalich said. “We needed one stop; one play doesn’t win or lose the game, but that was a big shot they hit at the end of the first half. It takes it to nine to six and lessens the sting. We just didn’t execute defensively.”

Scooter Gillette scored the opening points in the second half, but Drexel clamped down defensively to hold the Purple Eagles without another field goal for over 14 minutes. Drexel outscored NU 29-7 during that stretch.

NU went on a 12-4 run at the five-minute mark to cut the lead to 67-59 with 2:25 left, but it was the closet the Purple Eagles would get.

“Sometimes the best teachers can be the other team and the worse thing we can do tonight is not learn from the team we played against,” Mihalich said. “The best thing we can do is learn from the other team learned. The other team realized they had to get a lot tougher, they had to win the 50-50 battle and had to play defense and they did.”

Green, the MAAC leading scorer, led NU with 22 points and had a game-high three steals. Antoine Mason was second in scoring with 13 points and Jordan followed with 11 points, a team-high five assists and career-best eight rebounds. Drexel’s Chris Fouch led all scorers with 24 points.

Niagara is next in action on Thursday, Dec. 22 when the Purple Eagles visit Quinnipiac for a 7 p.m. contest.

Green’s layup completes rally as Niagara defeats St. Francis, 65-63

Casey — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:00:18 +0000

Juan'ya Green (Courtesy of Niagara athletics)

Courtesy of PurpleEagles.com.

LORETTO, Pa. – Freshman Juan’ya Green’s layup with .2 seconds remaining in the game handed Niagara a 65-63 win over the St. Francis (Pa.) Red Flash to complete a ferocious second half rally on Monday.

With the game tied at 63-63 with nine seconds left, Niagara (3-3) had to go end-to-end. After receiving the ball at the top of the key, Green released his runner in the paint with two seconds on the clock and the ball eventually dropped through the basket with .2 seconds left. Niagara intercepted the en suing possession’s inbound pass as time expired.

“Juan’ya (Green) was terrific tonight,” head coach Joe Mihalich said. “He created something out of nothing and at the end of the day, Juan’ya Green made us win.”

The Purple Eagles erased a plus-20 first-half deficit to win for the second time this season. Niagara came back to defeat Central Connecticut State in the season opener after trailing by 20 points and rallied from 21 points down to edge St. Francis (0-6) to keep the Red Flash winless on the season.

Niagara trailed 32-11with 6:51 left the first half and was down 38-20 at halftime. The Red Flash shot 71 percent (15-for-21) from the field and 66 percent (8-for-12) from behind the arc.

The Purple Eagles stormed back into the game behind a 27-6 spurt through the opening nine minutes in the second half. A three-point play by Skylar Jones gave Niagara its first lead, 47-44, with 11:19 left in the game.

Niagara had its largest lead in the game at 59-54 after a 3-pointer by Marvin Jordan with less than six minutes left and NU clung on to a narrow advantage until the Red Flash Anthony Ervin made a jumper to tie the game at 63-63 with nine seconds left.

The Purple Eagles scored 16 points off of St. Francis turnovers, had 24 points in the paint and 17 second chance points in the second half. NU made more field goals (18) than the Red Flash attempted (15) in the half.

Niagara had four players in double figures, led by Antoine Mason who had 15 points to go along with five rebounds and a career-high four steals. Green was second in scoring with 14 points, all occurring in the second half. Jordan added 12 and freshman Ameen Tanksley dropped a career-best 11 points.

“This was another first time experience for a young team,” Mihalich said. “We are road weary and can’t wait to get back to the Gallagher Center. We came out a little flat, but the guys showed a lot of character to comeback in the second half.”

Niagara returns to the Gallagher Center this weekend to open MAAC play when the Purple Eagles face the Fairfield Stags on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. For ticket information, contact the Niagara Athletic Ticket Office at 716-286-8499 or tickets@purpleeagles.com.

Niagara grinds out win over Sam Houston State

Casey — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:16:30 +0000

MACON, Ga. – The Niagara men’s basketball team held on late to defeat the Sam Houston State Bearkats, 59-52, in its final game in the Progressive CBE Classic on Wednesday.

“(It was a) hard fought win (and) I’m really proud of these guys,” head coach Joe Mihalich said. “It was a character win after two tough nights. Down the stretch with the game on the line (guys) made winning plays.”

Guards Juan’ya Green, Antoine Mason and Marvin Jordan combined for 35 points to help snap Niagara’s three-game skid.

The turning point of the game came from Green. The freshman guard from Philadelphia connected a 3-pointer to regain Niagara’s lead to 53-50 with 4:59 left. The Purple Eagles (2-3) would go 6-for-6 at the free-throw line over the next three minutes to end the game.

Green, Jordan and Mason accounted for 77 percent of Niagara scoring in the first half as the Purple Eagles took a slender 26-25 lead at the half; their first-time leading at the half this season.

The Purple Eagles opened the second half the better of the two teams and eventually built a 43-36 lead, after a layup by Joe Thomas Sam Houston State (1-4) chipped away at Niagara’s lead and tied the game at 50-50 with a 3-pointer by Darius Gatson with 5:21 left, before Green drained the go-ahead triple.

Niagara had the top two scores in the game in Green and Mason. Green led all scorers with 20 points and had a career-high and game-high five steals. Mason netted 15 points, grabbed seven boards and had three steals en route to being named to the CBE Classic Macon Subregional All-Tournament Team. Jordan scored 10 points, including two 3-pointers, and had three assists.

Niagara will wrap up its five-game road swing with a contest at St. Francis (Pa.) on Monday at 7 p.m.

Niagara’s Mihalich Adds Farrelly To Coaching Staff

Casey — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:32:43 +0000

Joe Mihalich

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara men’s basketball head coach Joe Mihalich has named Mike Farrelly as the newest assistant coach to join the Purple Eagle staff.

“We are extremely lucky to have Coach Mike Farrelly join the Purple Eagle coaching staff,” Mihalich said. “Coach Farrelly excels in every single area: on the floor, recruiting, scouting, basketball knowledge and basketball contacts. I have no doubt we have hired someone who will help bring some more championships to Monteagle Ridge.”

Farrelly brings Division I coaching and playing experience, as well as, management experience at one of the most prestigious basketball camps to Monteagle Ridge. Farrelly spent the 2010-11 season as an assistant coach at Mount St. Mary’s and was the Director of Hoop Group Elite, the largest high school basketball exposure camp in the country, for three years where he oversaw all camp activities, from on court fundamental instruction to recruiting student-athletes for participation in camps, clinics and AAU tournaments.

Prior to his time with the Hoop Group, he served as the top assistant coach at Wilkes University where he was responsible for assisting with all areas of the program. In particular he oversaw recruiting, player development, academic support and scouting of opponents. He is credited with recruiting Chris DeRojas, the 2008 Freedom Conference Rookie of the Year.

Farrelly played collegiately at Saint Joseph’s University for Phil Martelli from 2000-2003 where he played with current NBA players Jameer Nelson and Delonte West. During his time at Saint Joseph’s, the Hawks appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2001 and 2003 while winning the 2002 NIT Championship.

After graduating from Saint Joseph’s in 2003, Farrelly served as the junior varsity basketball coach for three seasons at his alma mater. In addition, he helped the varsity team in film preparation, player development and scouting during the 2005-06 season.

Farrelly is also a Certified Financial Planner who has worked for American Express Financial Advisors and Wachovia.

Niagara’s Mihalich Talks About NU’s Latest Recruiting Class

Casey — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 19:52:04 +0000

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara men’s basketball head coach Joe Mihalich has announced the program’s latest recruiting class in forward Ali Langord and guards Juan’ya Green and Ameen Tanksley.

“We are very excited about the three newcomers to Niagara basketball for the upcoming season,” Mihalich said. “Juan’ya Green, Ali Langford, and Ameen Tanksley will all have impact roles.”

Langford was named the Western State Conference Player of the Year and helped the Allan Hancock (Calif.) Bulldogs to their first conference title since 1974. Langford was the centerpiece on the squad where he played center using his athletic 6-foot-7 frame. He led the conference in scoring and was sixth in the state with 21.6 points per game and led the state in rebounding with 12.8 boards per game. Langford, who became the first player in four years to move to a Division I program, chose Niagara from over 40 programs.

Prior to attending Allen Hancock Community College, Langford spent one season at Western Wyoming Community College after a successful high school career at Brighton High School in Salt Lake City, Utah where he was named to the all-state first team (junior) and all-state second team (senior).

“Ali is a high energy, fill up the stats sheet kind of guy,” Mihalich said. “He is undersized, but is all over the floor.”

Green’s size, explosiveness and decision-making has made him one of the most highly sought after guards in the nation. Green has earned All-State, All-Catholic, All-Delco and won a couple of player of the year awards while attending Archbishop Carroll High School. Green was instrumental to the Patriots’ 2009 PIAA Class AAA State championship and their 2010 quarterfinal run, which were the first two seasons that the Catholic League was eligibility to compete in the state tournament.

He averaged 21.0 ppg, 5.5 apg and 4.0 rpg as a senior en route to being named the 2010-11 Catholic League Co-Player of the Year and earning all-state, all-Catholic and all-Delco team recognition.

As a junior, Green earned Junior All-American Honorable Mention honors from Max Preps and was named Main Line Media News Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year. The combo guard led the Patriots in nearly every statistical category, averaging 16.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.2 spg and 1.0 bpg, while leading the team in 3-point field goal percentage (38.0 percent) and free-throw percentage (82.0 percent).

He left Carroll as the program’s all-time scoring leader with 1,492 points. Green selected Niagara over Villanova, Temple, St. Joseph, Maryland, Boston University, George Mason and Drexel.

“Juan’ya is one of those players that gets you excited when he has the ball in his hands,” Mihalich said. “When he doesn’t have the ball, you can’t wait until he gets it back.”

Tanksley was a part of two Pennsylvania state championship teams at Imhotep Charter. The Panthers wont the PIAAA Class AA title in 2009 with a 33-1 record and won the 2011 title with a 31-3 mark. Tanksley helped the Panthers to three straight public league championships, including earning the MVP in the championship game, to become the first team to compete the feat since the mid 1970s.

The swingman averaged 14.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 3.0 spg and 2.0 bpg during his senior year en route to being named to the First Team All-State. Tanksley, who was a 1,000-point scorer at Imhotep, picked Niagara over Austin Peay, Hofstra and VCU.

“Ameen doesn’t have a position…he is just a player,” Mihalich said. “He is extremely versatile and just beats you any way he can.”

MAAC Press Break

Casey — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:28:03 +0000

A weekly round-up of men’s basketball in the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Marist to play in Hall-of-Fame tip-off tournament

Springfield, Mass. - The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced game times for the 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame’s Tip-Off Tournament, an annual NCAA men’s basketball exempt tournament supported by the MAAC. The Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off will take place on Saturday, November 19, and Sunday November 20 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Eight schools will compete in two four-team brackets over the weekend at one of the premier destinations in New England.

Teams scheduled to compete in the 2011 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off are: Long
Island University (Northeast), Marist College (MAAC), Old Dominion University (CAA), Penn State University (Big Ten), Radford University (Big South), University of Kentucky (SEC), University of South Florida (Big East) and the University of Vermont (America East).

Washington gets a fresh start at Canisius

Of the 10 newcomers to Canisius College’s basketball team next season, Harold Washington will be the one under the biggest microscope, but he’s also the most appreciative for the opportunity to play on the Division I level.

In 2008, Washington was arrested and charged with a hate crime while attending Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., and was immediately expelled. Washington played for two seasons at Cecil College in Maryland and was recruited by several schools, including Niagara University, before they decided he wasn’t worth the risk.

Now Washington, a junior shooting guard from Brandywine, Md., is trying to rebuild his career.

Fairfield slated to take on national champ UConn

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – While the bulk of the non-conference schedule will not be ready until August, Head Coach Sydney Johnson has proven he will not shy away from a challenge. Johnson announced that the Stags will play defending national champion University of Connecticut during his inaugural season as the program’s head coach.

The game will be played on December 22 with the site and time to be determined. UConn plays home games at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs as well as the XL Center in Hartford. The meeting will be the first since the 2008-09 season when the Huskies posted a 75-55 win at the XL Center. Greg Nero led all Fairfield scorers with 16 points, while Jeff Adrien (21 points, 14 rebounds) and Hasheem Thabeet (20 points and 11 rebounds) registered a double-double.

“We look forward to the opportunity of playing against the University of Connecticut. Playing a game close to home and against the national champion is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes, our alumni, our fans, and our program. Our coaches and players are eager to build on the strides that Ed Cooley and his staff made while at Fairfield. We want to be competitive on a national stage and within the MAAC conference and we hope that games like these will prepare us to do so.”

Ginyard joins Niagara staff

NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – Niagara men’s basketball head coach Joe Mihalich has hired Ron Ginyard to fill the position of assistant coach for the Purple Eagle coaching staff. Ginyard brings over five years of NCAA Division I coaching experience to Monteagle Ridge.

“We are very excited to welcome Coach Ron Ginyard to our Niagara University Basketball family,” Mihalich said. “Coach Ginyard brings a high level of basketball knowledge and experience both on the floor and in the recruiting world. He is a basketball lifer and basketball junkie. I was taught long ago that to be successful you need to surround yourself with good people and Coach G epitomizes this. Coach Ginyard, his wife Therese and their young son Xavier will be a welcome addition to the Niagara University community.”

Ginyard comes to Niagara after spending three years as an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy. While at Navy, Ginyard built his reputation as a strong recruiter. He served as the recruiting coordinator for the last two seasons where he brought in consecutive highly-rated recruiting classes to the Patriot League. The 2010-11 freshman class scored the most points by a freshman class in program history and had two players (J.J. Avila and Isaiah Roberts) named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team; Avila became Navy’s first-ever Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Meet Evan Hymes

Introducing Siena’s incoming class

Here’s a picture of Siena’s incoming freshman class, which began summer session today, courtesy of the school’s sports information department:

They are, from left to right, 6-9 forward Lionel Gomis of Senegal; 6-5 guard Rob Poole of Haddonfield, N.J.; 6-8 forward Imoh Silas of Nigeria, 6-2 guard DaVonte Beard of Akron, Ohio; 6-8 forward Marcus Hopper of Queens; and 5-9 guard Evan Hymes of Durham, N.C.

See the photo here…

Buonaguro: Siena freshmen are an interesting class

Siena’s six-man freshman class will report for summer classes on Monday, getting a head start on their college careers.

It’s a group that intrigues head coach Mitch Buonaguro, who brought them in as the future of a program trying to regain prominence in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

“It’s an interesting class on paper,” Buonaguro said this week. “It filled a lot of needs, that’s what I like about it.”

He also mentioned that, “It’s going to create some interest. People want to see these kids play.”

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Former Rider star Jason Thompson returns to talk with local youths

TRENTON — Work hard and surround yourself with good people.

That was the message former Rider University and Sacramento Kings standout Jason Thompson had for elementary students at a Boys and Girls Club event held yesterday at the Gregory School in Trenton.

About 50 students attended the 30-minute talk, in which they could ask questions and get autographs of the local basketball star. Afterwards, Thompson even enjoyed a game of basketball with other students as well.

Road to “MAAC”-achusetts

As many know, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be played in Springfield, MA at the MassMutual Center for the next three years, 2012-2014!

Therefore, the Road to MAAC-achusetts has begun! The official countdown began the day after St. Peter’s Men’s Basketball and Marist Women’s Basketball won their respective championships. And everyone is excited to see what the new season will bring.

As the offseason is underway, the “Road to MAAC-achusetts” webpage will be highlighting different schools, updating fans with news and scores around the MAAC’ s Men and Women basketball teams, as well as prepare everyone to come to Springfield, Massachusetts and the MassMutual Center in 2012.

Lessons of the NBA finals

If you’re like me, you watched last night’s NBA Finals with totally transparant bias. You cheered in joy when J.J. Barea carved Miami’s defense into shreds. You pumped your fist wildly when Dirk Nowitzki hit key shots down the stretch. You giggled like a schoolgirl at Dwyane Wade’s late turnovers, at LeBron James’ hot-potato passing, at this vaunted team’s apparent lack of spine. You hissed when James told the media that people who disliked him just did so as a distraction from their own problems. (First, not true. Second, how insulated can someone be?) You got slightly verklempt when Nowitzki, overcome with emotion, bolted off the court and into the locker room for a private, reflective, triumphant moment of release.

Then you sat back, drank it all in, took a deep breath and wondered … what does this NBA Finals teach us about basketball? And, in particular, about college basketball?

Ground control to Elton

Coming soon

Stay tuned for the first annual Pickin’ Splinters rundown on the MAAC’s incoming class. Fans can get an in-depth look at all the new student-athletes who will play next season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Can The Metro-Atlantic Grab An At-Large Bid?

Casey — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:50:20 +0000

By Paul Gotham

Three weeks remain before Selection Sunday. Time to consider ‘the last four in’, ‘the last four out’, and maybe even “four score and seven years ago.”

Okay, so the last one was irrelevant.

After the conferences determine their automatic bids, 34 spots remain for the tournament selection committee to decide.

This year has the makings for multiple bids from conferences outside the big six conferences.

The Pac 10 has no team with less than eight losses. The SEC has one very good team (Kentucky), one pretty good team (Vanderbilt), and a team that could win a game in the tournament (Tennessee).

The ACC even looks pedestrian. Syracuse is the best of five strong Big East teams. After that? There is a drop-off.

Kansas is the best team in the country. Kansas State is pretty good. But Texas and Baylor each have six losses. The Big 12 might only get five teams.

Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin should claim spots after Purdue takes the Big Ten.

That leaves plenty of bids for the taking.

The Atlantic 10 looks in position to get a few of those spots as does the Mountain West, Conference USA, and the West Coast.

When all the seeds have shaken down, could the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference get two teams in the NCAA Tournament?

Two MAAC schools in The Dance is not completely unheard of. Since its inception in 1982 the MAAC has received one at-large bid. After St. Peter’s won the 1995 MAAC tourney, the NCAA tournament selection committee awarded Manhattan an extra spot. The Jaspers proved the committee correct by defeating Oklahoma in the first round.

Recently, MAAC schools have won a game in each of the last three NCAA Tournaments. Niagara won the 2007 play-in game by defeating Florida A&M, 77-69. Since then, Siena has taken two games. The Saints downed Vanderbilt, 83-62 in the 2008 tournament. Villanova beat Siena by eight in the next round. Last year, Fran McCaffery’s squad trimmed Ohio State by two before bowing to Louisville, 79-72.

The conference, and in particular Siena, has had recent success.

Niagara has come on of late. The Purple Eagles record of 16-13 is deceptive. Joe Mihalich’s bunch have fought through a string of injuries and are playing their best basketball at the right time. Niagara ended Siena’s 15-game unbeaten string with a resounding 87-74 triumph. The Purple Eagles have continued with two more wins. Instead of getting caught up with ending the longest winning streak in the nation, Niagara has used the opportunity to show that win was an accurate representation of their capabilities.

Niagara could be the favorite to take the conference tournament.

Where does that leave Siena?

Opponents will point to Siena’s loss at Butler and their lack of wins against ranked teams. But the Saints have not hid from anyone. Their losses have all come on the road: at Georgia Tech, at Temple, at Northern Iowa, and at Niagara, and Butler.

Siena’s only shortcoming is the inability to bring a ranked team to their barn.

Niagara is playing their best hoops of the season. Siena has proven themselves worthy.

Can the MAAC get an at-large bid?

Siena-Niagara: Tale Of The Tape

Casey — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:02:02 +0000

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Metro-Atlantic action at the Gallagher Center tonight as Joe Mihalich’s Niagara Purple Eagles (13-13/ 6-8) host Fran McCaffery’s Siena Saints (21-4/ 14-0).

Plot: Four games remain on the MAAC ledger. The Siena are looking to run the table. The Purple Eagles want to get above .500.

Sub-plot: Siena brings the nation’s longest winning streak (15) to the Gallagher. The two teams have won four of the last five conference championships. Since the MAAC expanded to its current lineup in 1997-98, these two schools rank one and two in league wins.

Both teams have plenty of experience. Siena starts three seniors and two juniors. Niagara goes with four seniors and a junior.

Flashback: Edwin Ubiles dropped 25 and Alex Franklin added 20 as Siena beat Niagara earlier this year, 83-65. Siena leads the all-time series, 41-40, but Niagara holds a 24-12 advantage at home.The Purple Eagles handed the Saints their last conference loss a year ago at the Gallagher.

Niagara has made three NCAA Tournament appearances (‘70, ‘05, ‘07). The Purple Eagles reached the Sweet Sixteen in 1970. Siena has earned consecutive berths to the tournament and won a game each year. Last year, Siena held a four-point advantage on Louisville with seven minutes remaining before bowing 79-72.

Foreshadowing: Eleven Purple Eagles have graduated to the National Basketball Association, including hall-of-famer, Calvin Murphy. Siena has had six former players taken in the N.B.A. draft.

Conflict: Siena has won 40 in a row when holding opponents under 70 points. Niagara averages 71.6 per contest. Siena will use a run-and-jump from time to time. Niagara starts three senior guards.

Alex Franklin (16.2) leads four Saints in double figures. Ryan Rossiter averages a double-double (14.1ppg and 10.5rpg). Edwin Ubiles and Clarence Jackson add 15 and 13 points respectively for McCaffery’s Saints.

Ronald Moore leads the nation with eight assists per game.

Four other Saints average double figure minutes off the bench. Kyle Downey, O.D. Anosike, Owen Wignot, and Kyle Griffin combine for 13 points and seven and a half rebounds.

Tyrone Lewis leads Niagara with 16 points a game. The senior has hit 57 three pointers on the season. Villanova transfer, Bilal Benn, gets 13 points and 9.8 boards per contest. Rob Garrison scores 10 points and four rebounds for the Purple Eagles.

Anthony Nelson adds 10 points and dishes out five per night for Mihalich’s crew.

Demetrius Williamson rounds out the starting five with nine points and 4.4 rebounds.

Kashief Edwards and Austin Cooley come off the bench. The pair combine for 12 points and five rebounds.

Resolution: Injuries have kept Niagara from finding their rhythm all season. Mihalich finally his lineup set. Siena’s defenses will not surprise Niagara’s experienced back-court. The Purple Eagles need a victory and tonight’s opportunity should galvanize this team. With the game televised on ESPN2, Siena’s fifteen game win streak will end tonight.

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