2011 Tournament Team Profiles

[Jon]

Alvernia College Crusaders
Qualified: Pool A, Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (Loosely referred to as the PnAC)
Record:  23-4, 16-2 PAC

First Round: 6:00 p.m. vs. Lincoln University (Pa.) @ Catholic University | Game Notes
Alvernia College Tournament Page

Starters (ppg, rpg)
04 Garrett Etzel Sr., G (17.5, 3.2) - PAC Player of the Year
14 Ryan Finger Sr., G, (9.1, 5.2)
20 Matt King Fr., F (11.3, 4.9)
22 Terrence Shawell So., F (17.6, 6.8 )
23 Tyrone Bradley So., C (6.1, 5.9)

Key Reserves (ppg, rpg)
03 Zach Westmoreland Fr., G (4.2, 1.6)

Clearly depth isn't listed under strengths for the Crusaders, but the first six have done well to lead the team to 23 wins entering the NCAA Championship for the second consecutive season.  Terrence Shawell and Garrett Etzel are the top finishers, but the offense runs through Ryan Finger.

Three players have totaled more than 140 3-point attmepts this season led by Etzel who is 64-150 from behind the arc, a .427 percentage.  Shawell and Matt King have both taken 141 attempts from long range.  Shawell has hit 59 (.418), King has 55 (.390).

Alvernia shoots .472 from the floor and is holding opponents to .386.  The Crusaders have knocked down 96 more total field goals than opponents while taking 79 fewer shots.  Alvernia is 197-500 from the 3-point line as a team shooting .394 while opponents hit just .287 from long range.  The team averages 71.0 points with a +11.9 scoring margin.

The hot shooting will need to continue for the Crusaders to succeed.  The team is -0.6 in rebounding margin.

Finger is also the leader of the defensive efforts.  Etzel has the team lead in steals, but Finger is usually charged with wrapping up the opposition's top threat.

[MeOak21]

Keene State College Owls: 24-5(after 1 NCAA game)
Pool C bid

After finishing second in the LEC regular season and LEC tournament behind RIC they hosted Rivier College in the NCAA tourney last night winning by 34 (81-47)

Key Wins: RIC X2, Williams
Losses: RIC in championship game, UMass Dartmouth, ECSU, UMass Boston, Tufts.

Starters:
Nate Anderson 6'6"
Tyler Kathan 6'5"
Travon Little 6'6"
David Sontag 6'
Matt Hickey 5'11"

Notable Subs:
Nick Drouin 6'4"
Shiwon Davis 6'1"
Kevin Ritter 6'
Anthony Licitra 5'11"
Brandon Robinson 6'6"

A very fast/athletic squad that can go deep in most positions. Many scoring options both inside and out. They look to push the ball for open transition shots inside and out.

Defensively they use mostly man to man, usually pressuring the guards up the court and getting into passing lanes.

Strengths: Multiple scoring options and verstatility. Good rebounding and solid FT shooting all around.

Weaknesses: Lapses in defensive pressure. Difficulty defending quicker ball handlers getting into the middle.

Outlook: Keene is very capable of getting deep into the tournament with their athleticism and scoring ability. Struggles defending penetration into the middle will cripple them.

[YoderFan]

Messiah College Falcons

Located in Grantham, PA... Messiah College's basketball program continues to be on the rise. After winning the MAC tournament and gaining the first NCAA bid in school history last year, Messiah returns this time as a Pool C addition. After going 13-1 in the MAC Commonwealth and 19-6 overall.

Likely Starters --
PG - Jason Miller. Soph 5'11" (6.2 ppg, solid, strong pg)
G - Mat Henninger. Senior  6'3" (15.2 ppg, 50% from 3, 6.3 rpg)
G/F - Daryl Brown. Junior  6'3" (8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
F - Ryan Witmer. Soph 6'4" (6.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
F - Jared Yoder. Senior 6'6" (14.5 ppg, 7 rpg) - Commonwealth Player of the Year

Reserves --
PG - Drew Sneeringer. Soph  5'10" (5 ppg)
G - Johnathan Boyd. Junior  5'11" (6.1 ppg, 45% from 3)
F - Andy Hawk. Fresh  6'5" (5 ppg, 52% from 3)

Messiah does not put up a ton of points. When their shooters are in the game they have the ability to light up the scoreboard but get it done on the defensive end of the floor where they limit their opponents to 60 ppg compared to Messiah's 71. Messiah also relies on their rebounding to win games, outrebounding their oppenents by 8+ per game.

The key to a Messiah College win is team play and limit turnovers. Yoder is tough because when guarded one on one he scores consistantly and when doubled he passes out of the post better than any big I have seen in a while. All of the players are unselfish and will make the extra pass. Henninger, Boyd, Hawk, Sneeringer can shoot the 3 very well. As a team they shoot nearly 40% from 3.

Rick Van Pelt, Messiah's coach has done a tremendous job of getting his players ready for games. Messiah's offensive sets are solid and they get the right people the ball in the right situations.

Their weakness may be the ability to close out tight games which is what the tournament is all about. At times the guards may struggle with pressure (young guard play) and vocal leadership is something that lacks at times.

Very good team. Has the ability to make a short run in the tourney (maybe Sweet 16 if they play their game), but not an elite 8 team. Tough first game against Catholic. Program on the rise... but loss of Yoder and Henninger could hurt next year.

[Matt Letourneau]

Man, they sound a lot like Catholic.

This is going to be a great game tonight.

[Rhodes Scholar]

Stevens Ducks

Conference: Skyline
Overall record: 21-6
Conference record: 13-3
Coach: Josh Loeffler

Tied for first place with Manhattanville for regular season title. Lost to SUNY-Old Westbury, 83-80 (OT) in conference tournament. Receive a Pool C bid.

Best Wins: Tufts, SUNY-Farmingdale, SUNY-Old Westbury
Best Losses: NYU, Manhattanville, FDU-Florham (competitive defeats)
Worst Loss: Mount St. Mary

Had six- and 11-game winning streaks during the season. Lost back-to-back games once. Had a relatively weak schedule.

Starters:

G Floyd Morris
G Anthony Passalacqua
C Michael Collins
F Virgil Gray II
F Waleed Farid

Key Reserves:

G George Greco
F Matt Higgins
C Joseph Ayodele

Morris is a quick guard who can disrupt the opposition. Passalacqua is an outstanding three-point shooter. Collins is a good rebounder. Gray is a versatile scorer, who is diffiicult to defend. Farid is a good ballhandler, scorer and the team's leading rebounder.

Gray and Farid were both first team all-conference. Stevens is a small team with some pretty good athletes and a decent bench. They are well-coached but are clear underdogs against Worcester Polytech.

[realist]

deleted in favor of Oldknight post.

[oldknight]

Since diehardfan politely requested a preview of Calvin (and in order to save any Hope fan the trouble), let's see what I can do to help.

The Knights have had an uneven year and have had some tough but important lessons to learn this season. They're a team that is largely guard dominated and even though they won't call their offense a three guard system that's essentially what it is. The point is run by Dustin Smith, a small (5'9"), speedy but physically strong player who displays absolutely not a bit of emotion during games. Although his job is to distribute the ball he's not afraid to fire up from the arc if open. He's in only his second season of ball at Calvin and is still learning the game. He can be a pest on defense.

Caleb Veldhouse (6'2") leads Calvin in scoring at 15.0 and is only a sophomore. Last year he made the biggest basketball splash for a freshman at Calvin since Jeremy Veenstra in 2000. Caleb really gained notice with a last second 3 pointer against Hope last year but he hit big shots late in games several times as a freshman. His shooting and his overall play this year has not been as consistent--mirroring the team's play--but he plays with a lot of confidence and isn't afraid to take the big shot. Calvin needs him to play well.

Derek Griffin (6'3") is the third guard (though he is introduced as a forward) and has been Calvin's best player down the stretch averaging 14.9 points for the season. Some have called him a transfer () but that's not quite right since he completed his two years at Muskegon Community College before enrolling at Calvin last fall. He's been a tremendous addition to Calvin's team and, like Veldhouse, is not afraid to take the big shot. In the MIAA conference tournament he scored 21 points in the second half of Calvin's comeback win over Tri-State hitting 8 of 11 second half shots (5-8 from the arc). He then singlehandedly willed Calvin to victory against Hope in the conference tourney final last Saturday hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch, including the game winner by way of a runner in the lane with 4 seconds left. He's Calvin's best 3 point shooter, has excellent body control and is very good in transition.

The two inside positions are manned by Eric DeVries (6'5") and Josh Meckes (6'6"). Eric is primarily a defender and rebounder who gives Calvin the hardnosed minutes that most teams look for from one of their interior defenders while Meckes is a very quick and athletic big man who rebounds and runs the floor very well. Meckes isn't a classic scoring post player but does manage to score 10.1 per game, largely on putbacks and beating his defender to the basket. Meckes is one of the best post defenders in all of D3 basketball with the versatility to handle post players who are big as well as those who rely more on quickness.

Calvin subs quite generously and often. Key subs include freshmen Matt Veltema, a 6'5" wing player, and John Mantel, a 6'7" post who, I think, is destined to become a very good and high scoring big man. Kyle Snoeyink (6'6") is a strong and experienced post who has been playing better as the season has progressed. I've been told his foot was not healthy earlier in the year and that his improved play later in the year can be attributed to improvement in his foot. He's a dependable rebounder and defender who has shown more scoring of late.

Veltema can be the wild card off the bench for Calvin. He's got a sweet lefthanded stroke from the arc and played a key role in Calvin's two wins over Hope with some timely 3 point shooting. He averages 6.3 points in no more than 15 minutes per game and can score quickly if defenses ignore him.

As a team, much of Calvin's inconsistency can be attributed to their defense which has been an on-again, off-again affair this year. When playing poorly they typically get hurt by failing to rotate to the open player on the arc and have been vulnerable to the three point shot all year. I can usually tell in the first two possessions of a game--and the intensity they do or do not show on defense--whether Calvin will struggle. With Aurora apparently a team that relys a lot on perimeter shooting the Knights will obviously have to bring their best defensive effort to win. Calvin likes to double team the ball in the corners and in the low post and when their defense comes out aggressively and rotates quickly to the person left open Calvin is a tough team to beat. When not, they get their heads handed to them as happened at Wooster when Wisconsin LaCrosse and the host team taught the young Knights some valuable lessons.

Calvin generally rebounds quite well but they have shown occasional lapses in ball handling fueled largely by some frustrating inability to quickly see and deal with double teams out top. If they defend, take care of the ball, and shoot reasonably well they are very good. Calvin's coach is very good at make in-game adjustments and the troops seem to have confidence in their leader.

[oldknight]

deleted in favor of Oldknight post.

Hey, I liked your post. Yours was written in more summary form than mine but it was very good. Not everyone wants to read the tome-like post I put down.

[mrmike88]

Amherst College Lord Jeffs
25-2, NESCAC Regular Season Champions

Wins vs. tourney teams: vs. Brandeis, at RIC, vs. Williams (2X), vs. Elms
Losses: at Trinity, vs. Williams

Starting Lineup:
G Andrew Olson - Jr - 5'10"
G Tim McLaughlin - Sr - 6'3"
F Brian Baskauskas - So - 6'6"
F Dan Wheeler - Sr - 6'4"
C Dan O'Shea - Sr - 6'7"

Key Reserves
C Kevin Hopkins - Jr - 6'10"
C Brandon Jones - Jr - 6'7"
G Mike Salerno - Sr - 6'1"
F Fletcher Walters - Jr - 6'7"

Amherst has a high-scoring offense that revolves around the fast break and excellent perimiter shooting, led by NESCAC player of the year Andrew Olson at the point (one of two D-3 candidates for the Bob Cousy award).  Olson set a school record this year in assists (200, 7.4/game).  The primary beneficiaries of these passes have been Dan Wheeler, a finalist for the Josten's award (13.8ppg, 50% FG), and Brian Baskauskas (10.9ppg, 5.1rpg, 58% FG).  Kevin Hopkins logs the majority of the minutes at center.  He has developed a strong low-post game to go along with his solid defensive presence (49 blocks).  Tim McLaughlin anchors the improved Lord Jeff defense.  He guards the best perimiter player and has 60 steals on the season.

When the Lord Jeffs are shooting well, they can't be beat.  But their defense has improved over previous seasons, so that they still have a shot even when they're cold.  Against RIC, Amherst shot under 30% in the first half but held the Anchormen to similar numbers.  Mike Salerno, the reserve guard in the rotation, is one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the region.

Amherst statistics are deceiving because of the blowouts.  In big games, Olson plays 35+ minutes, and the scoring is more concentrated in the hands of few.  Amherst has so many offensive weapons, however, that it is tough to predict who will be the leading scorer.  Wheeler takes the most shots, but McLaughlin, Walters, Hopkins, Baskauskas and others can all take over a game when they are on.

The Lord Jeffs have general enjoyed a size advantage at virtually every position in the majority of games that they have played this season.  It remains to be seen how they will fair against a big, strong, out-of-region team, but I feel that they are better equipped this season to handle a midwest team than last year's Final Four squad.

[ustbumkneez]

Not sure if this is too late but:

Trinity College Bantams: 21-4 (8-3 NESCAC)

How many points is a nickname like "Bantams" worth? I say at least 5. Awesome.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Since there are no Elms fans, I'll take this one as well.

Elms is a surprise visitor to the NCAA tournament this year, beating a previously unbeaten in conference Husson squad at Husson (which is way up there in Maine and long drive from Elms, near Springfield) in the NAC final.  Husson definately deserved to be here, but Elms earned it's bid and plays St. Lawrence in the first round.

Elms has traditionally produced competitive teams, so this isn't like they're total newbies here.  They've got nine guys averaging 5ppg or more (all averaging 12 minutes or more per game) with their top scorer only at about 13.  This a deep and balance squad, and have recovered from losing their best player Renato Lindmets in January.  (I don't know why, but Lindments is no longer listed on the roster, so I assume he left the team entirely and it was not due to injury).

It's tough to know who the starters will be for Elms, but here are the guys who started during the conference tournament:

Nathan Hawes is the only player to have started all 28 games for Elms this season.  Hawes is a 6'6" Junior Forward from Minnesota, averaging 8.7ppg and 7.8rpg, while shooting 51% from the field.  The ability of Elms to play with St. Lawrence will be directly dependent on Hawes controlling the paint.

David Williams is a 6'2" Senior Guard from Hartford, CT.  He's averaging 13.5ppg and nearly 5 boards.  He is the best defender and will use his size to try and stifle opposing teams' guards.

Bill Beauregard is a Senior Guard from Ware, MA.  He's come on late in the year and is a good FT and 3pt shooter.

Malakie Berry, a Soph Forward (6'4") from Enfield, CT.  He's a low-post scorer and shotblocker shooting 54% from the field.

Juan Galdon, a 5'4" freshman guard from nearby Holyoke, MA has been starting of late at the point.  He's shooting 45% from deep and averaging nearly 9ppg.

Reserves

Senior PG John Ancrum started most of the games for Elms this year, but had an injury just before the tournament and has been coming off the bench the last few weeks.  He leads Elms in assists with nearly 5 per game and will probably be starting tonight.

Justin Davis is a 6'1" Senior Guard from Huntington, NY; Randy Hite, a 5'9" Junior Guard and Joe Esile, a 6'3" Sophomore Guard from Ct will all probably see big minutes off the bench.

Again, I don't know a whole lot about them, but they score in the 80's most games and like to play aggressively.  I think St. Lawrence is a favorable match-up for them, but I'm not too confident on their ability to win.

[MeOak21]

Rhode Island College: 24-3
LEC Champions beating Keene State in the final.

Notable Wins: Keene State, Coast Guard 
Losses: Keene State X2, and Amherst

Starters:
Kinsey During 5'11"
Tirrel Hill 5'10"
Bobby Bailey 6'
Kaseem Johnson 6'6"
Anthony Pierlioni 6'9"

Subs:
Cameron Stewart 6'1"
Kamari Williams 5'10"
Brian Stanko 6'5"
John Weir 6'9"

RIC is very, very athletic yet undersized at many of their positions that play substantial minutes. With the exception of Kaseem Johnson they have a few big men that play when they are ahead but they can't rely on them to score if they fall behind. Especially late in the game. That proved to be a problem in their loss to Amherst. When guards are able to penetrate they are very good at finishing or dishing off. Guards will need to be able to consistently penetrate for this team to go far in the tourney. They will struggle against teams with talented big men whereas they didn't see many of them over the course of the year except Keene and Amherst.

Defensively they aim to pressure the guards and front big men down low. When successful, this disrupts entry pass angles to post players and slows down perimeter ball movement.

RIC is a very capable team and could advance a few games but their skill in the down low positions is limited

[Brian Hamilton]

Hampden-Sydney College Tigers: 18-10
ODAC Champions beating Roanoke College in the Championship Game

Notable Wins: Virginia Wesleyan (ODAC Semis); Randolph-Macon (rivalry game)
Notable Losses: Virginia Wesleyan x2, Guilford x2, Averett

Probable Starters
Mike Edwards 5'10" 14.6 pts/gm
Matt Green 5'10" 9.0 pts/gm
Turner King 6'3" 12.5 pts/gm
Tyler Murray 6'3" 11.4 pts/gm
Lane Medlin 6'6" 4.8 pts/gm

Subs
Drew Prehmus 6'5" 11.5 pts/gm
Jyri Laakso 6'6" 4.9 pts/gm
Byron Lawton 6'1" 1.5 pts/gm
Fitz Robertson 5'9" 0.4 pts/gm

Hampden-Sydney had some struggles over the course of the season because of an injury to Troy Kasse, their best inside player.  It took them a while to adjust and create cohesion with the players that were asked to pick up the slack.  In fact, the coaching staff experimented with many different lineups.  Hampden-Sydney finally appeared to hit their grove coming out of the Macon game on February 17 and went on to win the ODAC tournament the following weekend.  The difference down the stretch of the season appeared to be a more concerted effort to pressure the defense with dribble penetration and then either get to the hoop, the foul line or set someone else up for an easy shot.  The team shots the ball very well from downtown with 7 of the players listed above shooting .333 or better.  As a team, the Tigers make just over 40% of their 3s and about 48% of their field goals.  They shot a decent .718 at the charity stripe, but this is an area that could hurt them.


Of Hampden-Sydney's 10 Losses this year, 4 came against Guilford and Virginia Wesleyan.  The other six were to Averett by 7 (at the beginning of the season), Shenandoah by 1, Randolph-Macon by 1, Bridgewater by 3, Emory and Henry by 8, and Roanoke by 1.  They have played a lot of close games this year and this could help them in the tournament. 

The Tigers major weakness is the lack of a dominant post player due to Kaase's injury.  The subs have filled in admirably, but they do not provide some of the scoring that the Tigers lost.  Defensively, the Tigers play a predominantly man-to-man defensive scheme, but will switch into a zone on occassion to throw off a teams rhythm.  In fact, this is how they went on a 19-0 run against Virginia Wesleyan to win their semifinal matchup in the ODAC tourney.  At the ODAC tourney the defense looked as good as it has all year.

Hampden-Sydney has the ability to make a run in the tournament, but Edwards, King and Murray will all have to play extremely well with some contributions from other players. 

[pbrooks3]

Starters for Centre:

Matt Nestheide Guard 6'0"
Thomas Britt Guard 5'11"
John Patterson Center 6'91/2"
Matt Jacobsen Forward 6'4"
T. C. Thomason Forward 6'2"

[Rhodes Scholar]

Manhattanville Valiants

Conference: Skyline
Overall record: 23-5
Conference record: 13-3
Coach: Pat Scanlon

Tied with Stevens for the best record (13-3) during the regular season. Defeated SUNY-Old Westbury to win conference tournament. Received a Pool A bid.

Have won their last nine games. First NCAA tournament appearance in 28 years.

Best wins: Rutgers-Newark, William Paterson, Stevens
Losses: Kean, Scranton, Kings Point, SUNY-Old Westbury, St. Joseph's (LI)

Starters:

6'0" Donte Chisolm 11.5 ppg; 5.9 apg; Skyline defensive player of the year
6'2" Brian Fink 11.6 ppg; Hit 57 three's this year
6'3" John DiBetta 13.3 ppg
6'3" Cody Moffett 13.9 ppg; 6.0 rpg
6'5" Justin Morris 8.5 ppg

Key Reserves:

5'10" DeVon Barnett
6'1" Brendan Flynn
6'2" Joe Cooke
6'4" Eduardo Huezo

Manhattanville is a pretty clear underdog against Guilford.

Scouting report: None. I didn't see them play this year. 

If someone can offer an eyewitness account, please do so. I will delete this post.