PHILADELPHIA (2/2/12) - 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.

Jackson decided to forego his senior season and was drafted in the second round of the 1997 NBA Draft by Golden State.  After playing overseas to start his professional career, he joined Golden State for the 2000-01 season where he was named to the NBA all-Rookie team.  In all, he played seven seasons in the NBA, compiling 3,238 points and 1,655 rebounds.  He now serves as a studio analyst for Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame Class of 2012 is comprised of Saint Joseph’s Melissa Coursey, Jackson, Penn’s Matt Maloney, La Salle’s Kelly Greenberg and Jenn Beisel of Villanova. The induction ceremony will begin 11:30 a.m. at The Palestra on February 21. For ticket information, please contact the Philadelphia Big 5 at 215-898-4747 or big5@philadelphiabig5.org.

By Kyle Soppe

So much for protecting home court, as the Atlanta Hawks were run out of their own building by the Memphis Grizzles 96-77. How does that happen you ask?

Reserve Ivan Johnson was the leading scorer for the Hawks with 11 points. Ignoring the fact that Johnson is viewed as more of an enforcer as anything else, his team leading 11 points is pitiful. This is the lowest point total by a teams leading scorer in the NBA this season (and yes, that includes when the Magic only produced 56 points).

Johnson’s 11 points would have tied him for fifth most points on the Grizzles roster.

With their leading scorer coming off their bench, the Hawks saw their starters get outscored by 22 by Memphis’ starting five. The odd part here, is that that includes Marreese Speights of Memphis, who only contributed two points. Therefore, the Hawks starting five was outscored by the four Grizzle staters by 20 points.

Atlanta did shoot the long ball better than Memphis, as they made more and shot a better percentage. Their lack of aggressiveness was reflected in their free throw attempts. The athletic Hawks who struggle from the perimeter at times attempted six more shots from distance than they did from the charity stripe.

Speaking of freebies, the Grizzles got there more often, but couldn’t convert. They made 63% of the free throws, the lowest percentage for a winning team (that doesn’t include Dwight Howard) this season.

Atlanta registered only 31 points in the first and third quarter combined. Memphis scored 32 points in the second quarter alone. Taking it a step further, in the Golden State/Utah and LAC/Denver there were six quarters in which a team scored at least 31 points.

The Grizzles had 0 players tally double digits and shoot less than 50%, while the Hawks had two. Take into account that the Grizzles had five players score 10+ while the Hawks only had three, and that explains the lopsided nature of this game.

Home teams get the benefit of the doubt on foul calls, right? Not really. Memphis had only 10 fouls in 48 minutes, by far the lowest number in the NBA last night.

The lone all star in this game (Marc Gasol) made his presence known, as the Grizz were +40 for the 35 minutes he was on the court. Conversely, the Hawks outscored Memphis by 11 for the 13 minutes Gasol was on the bench.

Tonight’s game per request is the 76ers against the Heat. Feel free to suggest games/teams that you want to see a breakdown of and I’d be happy to do so.

The Milwaukee Bucks won the second half by 15 points, propelling them to a 105-99 victory over the Houston Rockets. But, as always, there was much more to this game than meets the eye.

The Bucks went on a 12-0 run to start the game, and a 20-0 run that ran from the late moments of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. Over a 6 minute 18 second span, the Bucks outscored the Rockets 32-0. For the other 41 minutes 42 seconds, Houston won this game by a score of 99-73.

The two teams relied primarily on three point shooting, with Milwaukee connecting on 14/29 and Houston making 8/31. The 60 combined attempts were the most of any game in the NBA yesterday, with the T-wolves and Mavs  a distant second at 43 attempts. Houston’s 31 attempts were more than were taken in three individual games. Their eight made treys were the most for any team who came out on the wrong end of the score.

Seven players in this game hoisted at least five three point attmepts.

Eight players attempted at least 10 field goals.

The run and gun contest saw 184 field goal attempts and 204 total points. The Nuggets and Kings combined for 215 points, but took 15 fewer shots.

Samuel Dalembart and Ersan Ilyasova gathered 32% of the games rebounds (18 and 19 respectively) but only managed 9.8% of the games total points. The rebounding machines only attempted 8.6% of the games shots, despite having the ball close to the rim very often.

The teams combined for only 32 fouls, fewer than any other game on Wednesday’s slate.

The Bucks are now 7-10 and tied for third place in the Central Division. The Rockets are now 10-8, but in fourth place in the Southwest.

Only two games on todays schedule, make sure to check back for one of those games box score breakdown

The Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavs last night by a score of 92-85. Now let’s dig a bit deeper.

Chris Bosh poured in a season high 35 points, the ninth time he has tallied at least 20 points in a game this season. The Heat are 8-1 in those games.

Bosh made all 14 of his free throws, only the third time he has made 7+ free throws in a game this season. Miami is yet to lose when that happens.

Over his two years in South Beach, Bosh has scored at least 30 points six times, as compared to the 11 times he scored 30+ for Toronto in his final season across the boarder. The big difference? The Heat are a perfect 6-0 in such games, while the Raptors only won five of those games.

Miami scored less than 96 points in a winning effort for the first time this season.

In 14 of the Heat’s 17 games, their starting point guard and center (the forgotten two) have taken 15 or fewer combined shots. The Heat have won 10 of those games.

For the Cavs, their are some bright spots. Kyrie Irving scored 17+ points for the ninth time in his 16 game NBA career. It took him just over a month to score 17+ in nearly as many NBA games as games he played at Duke (11).

Anderson Varejao recorded his eighth double double in 16 games. A vast improvement over the  seven he recorded last season, in 31 games. He led Cleveland in out rebounding the Heat.

Let’s compare this box score to a New York Knick 33 point beat down of the Charlotte Bobcats. The Cavs shot the same percentage from the field as the Knicks (50%), shot a better from downtown, and missed less free throws. The Cavs leading scorer was Irving with 17 while the Knicks had Tyson Chandler at 20 points. Really tells how thin the line is between winning and losing, as these statistics would suggest that both teams would have similar results.

For those keeping track at home, the franchise that “will win a title before LeBron” has dropped four of the five match ups since “The Decision”

We’ve got a crowded 13 game NBA slate tonight, stay tuned for another statistical break down tomorrow morning.

Each night I will bring you the stats behind a certain NBA game, odd stats that paint an interesting picture. For last nights games, I’ll take a look at the Orlando Magic at the Boston Celtics, a game in which Boston throttled Orlando, 87-56.

The Magic’s 56 points were a franchise worst, as was the 16 field goals they connected on. Dwight Howard led the team in field goals made with four, and no other player made more than two. For reference, there were nine players in last nights Spurs/Hornets game who put the ball in the basket more than four times.

The Magic, for the second time in a weeks time, managed to make  more free throws than their opponent attempted, make more three pointers at a better percentage, and out rebound their foe: and lose the ball game.

They managed only 20 second half points, a number that the Celtics eclipsed in three separate quarters. Four teams in last nights 10 game slate managed to score 56+ points in a single half, while it took Orlando 48 minutes to do so.

Orlando managed 12 assists, which means they assisted on 75% of their baskets, a ratio that often wins games. Eight individual players tallied double digit assist games last night, with three (Tony Parker, Ricky Rubio, and Steve Nash) recording at least as many dimes as the entire Magic roster.

Take into account that Boston was missing 33% of its scoring with Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen sidelined due to injury, and this victory was truly an odd one.

Visit back tomorrow, as I’ll break down one of the five NBA games on Tuesday’s schedule.

“This is your captain Kyle Soppe speaking. I just want to ensure everyone on this Ricky Rubio bandwagon is in for a stellar career, not just a great start. I’d like to command those few faces that I’ve seen on this train since the very beginning, that magical day in 2009, when Rubio was drafted into the National Basketball Association. This is a bandwagon without boundaries, as we are always welcoming those who have seen the light. Buckle up and “testigo” the point guard position being played at its highest level.”

Mr. Ricky Rubio was a surprise pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2009 NBA draft, as he was selected fifth overall, ahead of many “can’t miss” American prospects. The T-wolves took Johnny Flynn with the next selection, as a safety precaution, as Rubio’s professional team in El Masnou (near Barcelona) had the rights to enforce an expensive buyout clause. Joventut, the team in which Rubio had played with since he was 14 years old, wanted badly to cash in on Rubio’s prime time ability, and set the buyout price at an eye popping $6.6 million. Under most circumstances, this wouldn’t be much of an issue for a professional organization (we just saw the Texas Rangers cough $51.7 million for the right to negotiate with Yu Darvish). But under NBA rules, a franchise can only shell out $500,000 in such a situation, leaving Rubio seemingly trapped in Spain. He inked a new contract that would take him to 2014, but had an NBA option in 2011-2012.

While his game grew, but statistics diminished, he fell off of the national radar. He was able to transfer to Barcelona’s professional team, Europe’s version of the Yankees. The move did Rubio plenty of good, but no longer was he the Youtube sensation in the States. Barcelona routinely had superior talent, and thus played in a very structured format that would stunt Rubio’s highlight pass potential. He was asked, or ever put into a position, to score, and the people that lost their minds when viewing his creativity as a 17 year old suddenly had their doubts. Rubio played along, but saw his production fall. He averaged a meager six points per game, and shot only 36% from the field. Point guards that can’t shoot and have relatively little impact on an offense are in very low demand in the NBA, and skeptic’s whispers grew louder.

Johnny Flynn did nothing to secure the starting gig in Minnesota, and finally the two year waiting period was over. Testigo, my nickname for Rubio which means “witness” in Spanish, rewarded the T-wolves loyalty immediately. His court vision did not disappear, and his run and gun style was only dormant for Barcelona, not dead. The shaggy haired Spaniard is making plays left and right, and has made Minnesota (who averaged 66 losses per season since drafting Rubio) not only a team to watch, but a team to fear. Kevin Love is a stud, but even he couldn’t make a playoff run by himself. Rubio’s slick ball handling and unreal ability to set up easy buckets has Timberwolves fans reminiscing about the Kevin Garnett days.

Ricky Rubio, now 21 years old and with seven years of professional hoops behind him, compares very favorably to other great point guards when they turned 21. Rubio is averaging 11 points per game while dishing out 8.3 assists per contest. Keep in mind that not until recently had he been inserted into the starting lineup. His efficiency shooting the ball has improved, as he hits 40% of his field goal attempts, 41% of his trifectas, and 80% of his free throws. Despite his frail build, 6’4” 180 lbs, he grabs 4.6 rebounds and records 2.4 steals nightly.

Jason Kidd  turned 21 during his rookie season with the Mavs, and put up eerily similar numbers. He was a less efficient shooter (39%-27%-70%) and had less assists per turnover. Yes, that’s not a typo: Kidd, who trails only Ray Allen and Reggie Miller in career three pointers, couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn when he was 21.

Steve Nash was in his junior season at Santa Clara at the age of 21. Not yet playing against grown men, Nash averaged less assists, rebounds, and steals than Rubio does thus far.

Chris Paul entered his second year in the NBA with the Hornets, fresh off of a rookie of the year campaign as a 20 year old. CP3’s efficiency as a scorer was similar to that of Rubio (44%-35%-82%) but he took more shots, and thus scored at a much higher clip (17.3ppg). With equal assist and rebound numbers, this seems like an apt comparison. That being said, Paul (a three time NBA leader in thefts) averaged 0.6 less steals per game.

Dwyane Wade, was a unanimous All-Rookie Team selection in 2003-2004, but was unable to match Rubio’s current production. He only shot 30% from deep, and contributed half the assists of Testigo, despite averaging the same number of turnovers.

One of the best play makers of all time, John Stockton, was a senior at Gonzaga when he celebrated his 21^st. A hall of fame PG could surely out produce this hot shot rookie statistically, right? Stockton did average nearly 21 points, but wasn’t in Rubio’s category in assists (7.1), rebounds (2.5), or free throw shooting (69%).

“Thank you for boarding the Rubio Express. While it was been a short ride thus far, the best is yet to come. Remember to keep your eyes on the ball at all times, as you never know when Rubio will look your way.”

Who's gonna deliver gifts for their fans this weekend? How about the coal givers? Let's hear it!

By Kyle Soppe

Happy holiday’s to all you faithful Pickin Splinters followers. We truly appreciate your loyalty and will continue to work hard on improving our coverage of college basketball as well as NBA, NFL, and MLB coverage. Feel free to leave feed back under posts and we will surely respond. With that said, here are my picks that, if bet, should make your holiday experience an even better one

Christmas Eve

Oakland (+2.5) @ Kansas City – Raiders 24-17 (I’ll admit it, sour grapes towards KC)

Denver (-3) @ Buffalo – Broncos 24-13 (Rare match up for Tebow in which he may be an equal QB to his opponent)

Jacksonville @ Tennessee (-7) – Titans 27-13 (No wayyyy the Titans drop 2 in a row to awful teams)

Arizona @ Cincinnati (-4) – Bengals 31-20 (Cardinals win the close game, upset alert if it’s close late)

Miami (+10) @ New England – Patriots 30-21 (The Pats defense isn’t fun to bet on against a big number)

Cleveland @ Baltimore (-13) – Ravens 34-10 (Don’t overreact to Ravens occasional weekend off)

New York Giants (+3) vs New York Jets – Giants 21-20 (I’ll take the points for the “road” team)

Minnesota (+6.5) @ Washington – Redskins 24-20 (Vikings don’t want to win, but will keep it tight)

Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-7.5) – Panthers 27-14 (Bucs treated this as a shortened season, quit a month ago)

Saint Louis (+13) @ Pittsburgh – Steelers 21-10 (Charlie Batch can’t mess this up)

San Diego (+2.5) @ Detroit – Chargers 27-24 (Betting on the Chargers in December is protocol)

San Francisco (-2) @ Seattle – 49ers 24-16 (Seahawks tough at home, but NFC 2 seed at stake)

Philadelphia (+1.5) @ Dallas – Eagles 34-31 (They either need the game, or want to play spoiler)

Christmas Day

Chicago @ Green Bay (-13) – Packers 38-17 (19 wins followed by a loss. Not losing again)

Monday Night Football

Atlanta (+6.5) @ New Orleans – Saints 31-27 (winner is my pick to play GB for NFC title)

Thanks again for the viewership up to this point and going forward. Hopefully you spend the holidays with your loved ones and have a great few days ahead. Great football games this weekend as well as opening day in the NBA.

A weekly round-up of Atlantic 10 men’s basketball.

This house is freakin’ sweet: NCAA First Four to return to Dayton in 2012 &2013

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee has announced that the Road to the Final Four will begin once again at the University of Dayton Arena this year.

In fact, it will begin in Dayton for at least the next two years as the NCAA announced that the tournament’s “First Four” event will be held in at the Arena March 13-14, 2012 and March 20-21, 2013.

The University of Dayton served as the host for the inaugural First Four March 15-16. The games drew more than 10,000 fans each night to UD Arena, and a national viewing audience of over five million people. VCU emerged from the 2011 First Four to reach the 2011 Final Four.

“This is fantastic news, and a genuine representation of how important the support of the region is to the Basketball Committee,” UD Vice President and Director of Athletics Tim Wabler said. “As excited as we were last year when we were awarded the very first First Four, I am more excited by the fact that we have it in 2012 and 2013.

“This gives us a real opportunity to cement the First Four in Dayton for years to come. The Division I Baseball Championship is going on right now, and it’s our goal to make Dayton as synonymous with the First Four as Omaha is with the College World Series. I’m confident the collaborative effort and hard work by our First Four Local Organizing Committee, our hotel partners, and our staff will be first-rate, but the feedback from the teams about how welcoming the city was and the electric atmosphere in the Arena made it clear that our fans and the support of the community will be as critical in keeping the First Four in Dayton as it was in bringing it back.”

Read more…

Not too big. Not too small. The UD Arena is …well let Peter Griffin explain:

UD nets first 2012 commitment

Columbus Northland High School, which finished runner-up in the boys Division I state basketball tournament last season, won all three of its games in the University of Dayton team camp last weekend, and coach Sean Taylor said senior-to-be Jalen Robinson was a big reason behind that dominant run.

Asked what got into his 6-foot-9 forward, Taylor said: “He looked like he wanted a scholarship offer. That’s what it was. He was really aggressive and showed his skills.”

Read more…

UD’s Wright not giving up on NBA goal

Chris Wright had a difficult time after not being picked during the NBA draft on Thursday, but he didn’t need long to shake his disappointment.

The University of Dayton star said he actually had a dream about the draft as he slept that night. And while that version didn’t turn out any better — he was overlooked again — he woke up with a renewed attitude.

“It was cool,” he said. “It was God basically telling me it’s real, but don’t give up. You still have a chance.

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Basketball ties run deep for GW’s Chandler

This past season Erica Chandler wore the Buff and Blue of the GW women’s basketball team, but during the past few weeks she donned different colors while cheering her brother on to an NBA Championship.

Erica, the 6-foot-4 center for the Colonials, is the younger sister of Tyson Chandler, the 7-foot-1 center for the blue and silver-clad Dallas Mavericks, who defeated the Miami Heat in six games in the NBA Finals.

“I feel great that my brother was able to accomplish his goal of winning the world championship this year. He is so excited and so are we,” Chandler said of her family’s excitement.

Read more...

La Salle to take on 7-time Canadian national champion, Carleton

PHILADELPHIA – The La Salle men’s basketball team will play two contests against seven-time Canadian National Champion Carleton University during its August foreign tour to Ottawa, head coach Dr. John Giannini announced today. The Explorers will also take on the University of Ottawa and a team of Carleton alumni in the four-game northern swing from August 6-9.

“This is the perfect time for us to get extra teaching, practice and competition,” Giannini said. “We have three freshmen who will greatly benefit from the experience. It is equally important for the new core group of players to develop winning chemistry and we are counting on new leaders to emerge. This experience will help us progress in the critical areas of experience, chemistry and leadership.”

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Larry Harris joins URI staff

KINGSTON, R.I. — Head coach Jim Baron announced that Larry Harris has joined the Rhode Island men’s basketball coaching staff. In his 27th year as a Division I assistant coach, Harris arrives in Kingston after having spent the last 15 years as an assistant coach on the NC State staff, serving under two different head coaches – Herb Sendek and Sidney Lowe.

“Larry Harris is a very well-respected basketball coach. He has been at some prominent schools – Washington State, Oregon State and N.C. State most recently – working with some excellent coaches,” said Baron. “I have known him for a while – he was a great player and is an even better person. He will do an excellent job for us at Rhode Island.”

Prior to his tenure at NC State, Harris served as an assistant coach at Washington State during the 1995-96 campaign, helping the Cougars to a 17-12 record. Prior to his stop at WSU, he spent three years on the staff at Oregon State.

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Harris happy to be newest member of Rams’ staff

KINGSTON, RHODE ISLAND – Earlier this afternoon, the University of Rhode Island issued a press release that former NC State assistant Larry Harris is the newest member of Jim Baron’s coaching staff at Rhody, joining Pat Clarke and Preston Murphy.  Chris DiSano of College Chalktalk and Cox Sports caught up with Harris to get his thoughts about the new gig at URI:

CD: What made the University of Rhode Island a good fit for you?

Harris:  Jim Baron.  He and I have known eachother for 30 years.  He’s a hard worker day-in and day-out and that’s the type of guy I want to be around and environment I want to be a part of.

CD: What will you bring that can complement this staff?

Harris: Experience.  I’ve been around this game for 27 years and that’s why Jim brought me up here.  I’m confident that I have a great understanding of how to deal with kids and help them maximize potential, and I’m anxious to help Jim and the staff in any way I can.

Read more…

UR’s Justin Harper picked no. 32 in NBA draft; Orlando trades for Richmond native

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond senior forward Justin Harper was selected as the 32nd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic traded for the 6-foot-10, 225-pound Richmond native later Thursday evening.

Orlando only had one of the 60 picks in the 2011 NBA Draft and that selection was not coming until 53, but the Magic clearly made Harper there man by offering Cleveland two future picks for his rights.

“You don’t do a trade unless the guy you like (is there),” President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Otis Smith said. “There were two guys we liked and the guy (Harper) happened to be the top of the two, so it’s a good value pick.”

Orlando finished 52-30 in 2010-11, making the playoffs, where the Magic lost to Atlanta 4-2.

“Justin is one of those guys that is a combo can play 3, can play 4, can shoot ball really well,” Smith said. “He has good feet, good hands, he’s a good rebounder. I think he’ll fit in with our guys real well.”

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Bonnies to host NC State at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – The St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team returns to Rochester for the third straight year in 2011, as the Bonnies host ACC foe NC State at the Blue Cross Arena Tuesday, December 20 at 7 p.m.

NC State and SBU have met just once on the hardwood – during St. Bonaventure’s NCAA Final Four run in 1970. St. Bonaventure earned an 80-68 victory over the Wolfpack in the second round of that year’s NCAA Championship, led by 24 points and 19 rebounds from Bona legend Bob Lanier.

The Bonnies return senior All-America candidate Andrew Nicholson and all but one starter from last year’s squad that earned a berth into the College Basketball Invitational and finished with a winning record (16-15) for the first time since 2001-02.

NC State, now under the leadership of first-year head coach Mark Gottfried, posted a 15-16 record in 2010-11 and returns ACC All-Freshman selection C.J. Leslie.

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Lavoy Allen selected in 2nd round by Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – Temple University senior forward Lavoy Allen was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 50th pick (2nd round) of the 2011 NBA Draft Thursday evening. Allen is the 32nd Temple player selected in the NBA Draft and the first since Mardy Collins was taken with the 29th pick (first round) of the 2006 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.

“I am excited to be selected and it is even more special that it is by the 76ers, where my family and friends are able to support me,” said Allen. “I can’t wait to get started with my professional career.”

“I am very happy for him,” said Temple head coach Fran Dunphy. “He accomplished so much as a college basketball player. It is a great reward to be drafted and to go to the Sixers is icing on the cake.”

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Who will be the next Owl to make an NBA roster?

Now that Lavoy Allen is a 76er, who’ll be the next Temple player with a shot to make an NBA roster?

Juan Fernandez was the first person that came to my mind. However, something keeps telling me it will be Ramone Moore.

You can’t discount Moore’s drive, desire and his improvement as an Owl.

Months ago, the 6-foot-4 shooting guard considered entering his name in last week’s NBA draft. The plan was to work out for teams then withdraw his name before the deadline. He, however, opted against the draft all together.

Instead, the rising fifth-year senior began preparing for the 2012 NBA draft in April.

He recently returned from a rigorous training session in Las Vegas. Moore, Villanova point guard Maalik Wayns and Miami guard Durand Scott were the only participants that are returning to college next season.

Temple swingman Scootie Randall had knee surgery Tuesday for a meniscus tear in his left knee.

It is unknown when the 6-foot-6 senior-to-be suffered the injury.

Randall tweeted after the surgery, “feeling better. And everything went well.”

A Temple source said the Owls don’t have a timetable for when the Communications Tech product will be ready to work out. However, another source with knowledge who said the surgery was arthroscopic, believes Randall will be able to resume off-season conditioning in three to four weeks.

CINCINNATI — Xavier University head basketball coach Chris Mack announced today that former Towson standout Isaiah Philmore has transferred to Xavier. Philmore, a 6-7 and 230-pound forward, will practice with the Musketeers this season and have two seasons of remaining eligibility beginning with the 2012-13 campaign.

Philmore led Towson in scoring and ranked sixth in the CAA at 15.3 ppg. as a sophomore this past season. He also grabbed 7.0 rpg., which ranked second on the team. Philmore came on strong down the stretch last season, averaging 22.2 points and 8.5 rebounds over the last six regular season games.

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David West to test free agency

NEW ORLEANS – Hornets leading scorer David West has decided to test free agency.

West, a two-time All-Star who was drafted by New Orleans in 2003 out of Xavier, started 70 games last season, averaging 18.9 points to go with 7.6 rebounds before tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament during a game on March 24.

Coming soon

Stay tuned for the first annual Pickin’ Splinters rundown of the A10′s incoming class. Fans can get an in-depth look at the new student-athletes to play next season in the Atlantic 10.

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).

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

By Ian Levy

The Outside World is a weekly recap of the best basketball writing and analysis the internet has to offer.

- With a lockout looming, more and more NBA players are talking about playing in Europe in the interim. While the talent gap has closed there are plenty of style differences players should be aware of.

- Is anything as detrimental to a player’s defensive reputation as skin color and shooting ability?

- Henry Abbott walks us through the personal history of Zach Randolph, and his startling transformation from hot potato knuckle-head to key playoff performer.

- Former Richmond Spiders’ point guard is going to be writing a blog at Truehoop, as he battles to find a spot on an NBA roster.

- The Bulls defense was top-notch this year, but their offense has continued to struggle. Could Jerry Sloan’s flex-offense provide a blueprint for improvement next season?

- Dean Oliver, ESPN’s new director of statistics and analytics, shows us that the Mavericks have been standing tall against the Lakers. Their bench has also been huge throughout the playoffs.

- The Painted Area has everything you need to know about the Euroleague Final Four.

- Tim Donahue breaks down the Pacers’ financial situation, and in doing so, provides some crucial things to think about for fans of all 30 teams.

You can also find Ian at Hickory-High.com, TheTwoManGame.com and Indycornrows.com