MBB: Great Northeast Athletic Conference

[lildave678]

I'll post this on both boards as I'll have some commentary about squads...

In General:
Very entertaining game. Had the pleasure of watching the first half with 7 before finishing the game with a former soccer teammate. While the refs absolutely did over-call (is that a word?) the game I'm not sure they had much of a choice. Unless you had the cream of the crop as far as New England officials where they get most everything right, in a game with so much pace and energy they had to keep it under control. Was every call correct? Far from it, but they consistently had their mark on the game. If they really LET them play like we would have liked, who knows what might have happened in terms of emotions. I'll start with my Falcons...

Albertus:
Tale of two halves comes down to Big Vic being in the game the whole 2nd half. While Western missed some shots in the 2nd half, him protecting the rim altered more shots than anyone in the gym can count. Only giving up 35 in the 2nd half was awesome to see and I hope they have more defensive halves/games like that.

On the stat sheet Vic dominated with another 30 point 15 board performance (31 points to be exact). Had 8 more blocks as well. As long as he's on the court, Albertus is as good as anyone. Sledge had 25 and controlled most of the game. Looked like he was battling cramps or shin splints but gutted it out and was the go to guy down the stretch. This was my first time seeing him live and it was like de ja vu from when I first saw Eian. Not sure who wins in a race between the two but from one end to the other Sledge consistently was a one man press breaker, going base line to base line like no one was there. The rest of the cast was there usual supportive selves - Lemar with another double double, Jennings added 16 with only 2 trey's and we won by 18 without much from Eian. He only played 15 minutes in the game due to foul trouble and sitting for an extended period of time after he was apart of a double tech.

On the surface I'm surprised Mitch played so many guys in the first half as it seemed like he was starting to shorten his bench as the season grew on but I guess he didn't have much choice with all the fouls. What was a huge surprise, and I think other Falcon fans will agree, was the play of Freshman big Marshall James. He came in once Vic got his 2nd and contributed 8 points and looked like he belonged. Had a nice touch around the rim with 2 reverse layups and knocked down two baseline jumpers. I like that he had the confidence to take and make the shots. If he can keep getting some meaningful minutes he can easily be the safety net for some Big Vic foul trouble.

It's taken me until game 9 to realize Tieron Jackson isn't on the team. Reason I noticed this was it was literally Tavon or Eian bringing the ball up. While that's fine as normally at least 1 is in the game, if there's ever a combination of bad events (an injury and foul trouble, both foul trouble, etc) I'm not sure who comes off the bench to handle the ball. I imagine Julian could do so, but obviously he's not a true point.

Western:
Athletic team that kept pace until the very end. As 7 said in his preview, there's no one on the team as talented as Daquan Brooks but there's more to the pie as a whole. While I think in the long run that that's a good thing, I personally think it hurt them in this game. I'd actually like 7's opinion on this, or any other viewer of the game...Midway through the 2nd half when the lead got stretched out to 12-15 it seemed like Western didn't have a go to guy to get a bucket and stop the bleeding. They got some shots to fall here and there to keep the score in that range but to me it seemed like it was every player just taking turns shooting a contested jumper or going into the lane to get stuffed by Vic. There wasn't one player they could clear out, or run a play for and let him get a bucket.

Not much interior presence either. Think 7 said the tallest was 6'5 or 6'6. They held their own in terms of 2nd chance points and generally getting into the paint with penetration but no one could guard Vic, and no offense goes through the post. Against bigger teams and against good perimeter defending teams (which we are not) they will struggle. However, not many bigs are as talent as Vic either.

All in all it was good to see Western competitive again. Good to see these 2 in state teams playing against each other again. Albertus won't see much of a test from here on out besides the rematch(es) with JWU so hopefully they can take a lot from this game. As I have a bunch of friends who are West Conn alum I always root for them when they don't play Albertus. I hope they can take the Little East!

[Saint-Paul]

Did any of you guys happen to notice tonight that one of the subs for Western, # 23, was the starting forward for Emmanuel last year?  He started and played in the first 7 games for the Saints last year and was the team leader in points and rebounds for the first semester.  He left the team during the semester break and transferred to Western this year.  Even though he only had one year of eligibility left he did not want to play one more minute for the Emmanuel coach.  I found that to be a telling statement. Looked like a real exciting game tonight. Two very athletic teams going up and down the court.  No shot clock violations in this game.

[7express]

Did any of you guys happen to notice tonight that one of the subs for Western, # 23, was the starting forward for Emmanuel last year?  He started and played in the first 7 games for the Saints last year and was the team leader in points and rebounds for the first semester.  He left the team during the semester break and transferred to Western this year.  Even though he only had one year of eligibility left he did not want to play one more minute for the Emmanuel coach.  I found that to be a telling statement. Looked like a real exciting game tonight. Two very athletic teams going up and down the court.  No shot clock violations in this game.

I had no idea St. Paul.  Western doesn't list previous schools so unless I know where someone came from (like I knew Mike Kennedy came from WNEC) I just figured they wanted to play in their senior year.

And I don't think each team ran it down to 10 seconds on the shot clock all game.

[7express]

My 2 sentence recap even though Dave did a much better job on his:

Albertus hands Western their first loss 110-92.
Victor Ljuldjuraj had a game high 31 points and a game high 15 rebounds to lead the Falcons who also got 25 points from Tavon Sledge and 12 points & 12 rebounds from Lemar Larsen.  Colonials were lead by Bobby Bynum and Jerry Washington who each had 16.  A Bobby Bynum 3 pointer with 16:42 to play gave Western a 69-66 lead; they wouldn't hit another field goal until Luis Briddter jump shot at 8:12 which made the score 87-72 Albertus.  As said previous, the game was close up until that point was 10 points in the first half which Western overcame relatively quickly, but that 21-1 run in 8:30 minutes for Albertus really took the wind out of the Colonials sails.  They still fought valiantly, and got it to 10 with 4 minutes to play, but against a team as talented as the Falcons are, you can't get down by 17 late in the second and expect to come back and win, no matter how bad the Falcons defense maybe.   Both teams are off until 2015, Western is @ punching bag WNEU on January 3, Albertus takes on GNAC punching bag Rivier on January 6.  The Raiders lost by 49 to probably the worst team in the LEC (Plymouth) and by 13 to USCAA opponent Maine-Augusta, I shudder to think what the Falcons will do to them. 

[D3HoopJunkie]

Nice recap Dave and 7, I couldn't agree more with both your takes on the game. A great high speed contest between 2 extremely athletic teams who can score the ball in a heartbeat.

The interior size of Albertus really hurt West Conn. Big Vic looked like a man amongst boys down there and his stat line is all the proof you need. Also Tavon Sledge's motor and ability to bring the ball up the court and break the press that the Colonials applied. Eian was in foul trouble and Sledge had no problem whatsoever of getting the ball up the court. It really is amazing to watch how fast he can accelerate with the ball in his hand and still remain so under control. I really have no doubt at this point that duo of Sledge and Davis is the fastest and most athletic backcourt in the country not to mention throwing James Jennings in the mix as well. Both are in the top 10 in assist per game and thats really saying something.

The Falcons are slowly beginning to trust each other more and more and are really understanding and learning how to play together. They played better defense the other night against West Conn and I really believe in Coach Oliver and his system and his ability to get these guys ready to play. I think that come GNAC tourney time this team will be clicking on all cylinders......and its scary to think that they really haven't fully clicked yet and are still averaging over 95 points a game.

[lildave678]

Thought my fellow Falcon fans had left the building, it had been a while haha I imagine it'll be even more quiet until we pick back up in January!

[lildave678]

Just some tidbits tweeted out by the Falcons Twitter page today...

Nationally Vic is 1st in total blocks with 44, 2nd in BPG with 4.89, 5th in total rebounds with 108 and Eian is 3rd in total assists with 60.

The Falcons as a team are 1st in BPG with 7.9, 2nd in APG with 19.3, and 2nd in PPG with 97.3. They're only behind Grinnell so they might as well be 1st 

[D3HoopJunkie]

I'm still here Lildave!!! Just been very busy lately. Those are some extremely impressive stats tweeted out by Albertus Athletics!!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

On Christmas Eve the Falcons were featured on WTNH SportzEdge. I just happened to catch it on TV.  It was about a 7 minute interview with Coach Oliver and senior players Julian Sanders and Lemar Larson. It was really well done by SportzEdge anchor John Pierson. I personally have really enjoyed WTNH coverage of the Falcons over the last few years. The papers like the New Haven Register and CT Post have been awful so having WTNH take control and give the Falcons some coverage is really nice.

Its not posted sportzedge.com yet but I am sure it will be soon. If I catch it I will post the link.

Happy New Year to everyone as well!!

[lildave678]

Here's that interview!

http://sportzedge.com/2014/12/26/albertus-magnus-basketball-talks-successful-start-to-season/

[Saint-Paul]

Saw most of the GNAC teams play during the first semester.  My summary is below.

AMC  8 - 1  solid, well balanced team.  Two very quick guards, to go along with athletic, rebounding, defensive wings, and a dominate center who out plays his match up at both ends of the floor.  Strong transition game that leads to easy baskets and builds leads.  Should not get upset in the GNAC playoffs but if that happens will get an at large bid.  One area for improvement is shot selection.  With such a dominate center this should be an inside out team, looking for a post touch before launching a three, especially in transition.

JWU  7 - 3  very quick, athletic team, but unbalanced, starting four guards and one forward.  The guards can score, defend, and rebound, and will outplay most of the forwards in the GNAC.  This team should only have trouble playing against a dominate center.  Has the potential to  pull off an upset in the GNAC playoffs but that is not likely to happen.  Probably deserves an at large bid but because of the weakness of the GNAC conference will not get one.  ECAC bound.

Suffolk  5 - 4  another solid, well balanced team but not at the level of AMC.  Two good big men who have nice touch around the basket, can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim.  Three nice guards who can pass and shoot, but again, not at the level of AMC or JWU.  Good team chemistry, this starting five plays well together and should beat most of the other GNAC teams.  Dangerous team to meet in the playoffs.

St Joe  3 - 3  another unbalanced team starting four guards and one forward.  The forward has a nice game, soft touch around the basket, nice court vision, can score, but cannot control the rebounds in the paint.  The guards have a very nice game but again, not at the level of AMC or JWU.  The four guards really pass the ball, knock down shots, play solid defense but are not athletic enough to have a high powered transition game.  Great team chemistry with this group. really move the ball and look for open teammates.  GNAC playoff upset is unlikely, but when you have a team that can knock down shots like this group you never count them out.  Dangerous team in the playoffs.

Lasell  2 - 6  quick, athletic team, but like JWU unbalanced, starting four guards and one forward.  This group competes and plays hard, but cannot control rebounds in the paint at either end of the floor.  Starting four guards need to shoot better from the perimeter to make this unbalanced lineup work better.  Should play better in the second semester since most of the GNAC opponents will not have dominate centers.  Good candidate for the third or fourth playoff spot.

Emmanuel  3 - 6  balanced lineup with two big post players who can score and three athletic guards with decent foot speed.  The problem on this team is chemistry and shot selection.  Should have a  better record than 3 wins.  Shot selection is a major problem with this group.  The guards shoot when post players are open, and the post players force shots under double coverage when perimeter players are open. Need to reduce the turnovers to make a run at the third or fourth playoff spot. Due to the weakness of the other GNAC teams this would be the year to do it.  This team beats itself more often than they get beat by their opponents.

Anna Maria  2  -  5   not sure why this team only has two wins.  They start two fairly athletic forwards who can score and pass along with three guards who can make shots.  Since they are not a big, strong team they play a smart 3 - 2 zone on defense and run for opportunity baskets once in a while.  Better team that their record indicates, but no GNAC upsets in their future.  Possible candidate for the third or fourth playoff spot.

Rivier  2 -  6  small team with no post presence and also small guards.  This team has to shoot a very high percentage from the perimeter just to stay in games.  unlikely candidate for the third or fourth playoff spot.

Norwich  3  -  4  did not see this team play yet this year.  don't know about their  size on the post or their foot speed.  will wait and see

Mt Ida  1  -  7  no post presence on this team.  Guards are just OK, but need to  out rebound other teams forwards to stay in games and that rarely happens.  unlikely candidate for third or fourth  playoff spot.

[lildave678]

While I would never wish an L upon my Falcons, assuming we'd still get an at large I'd like to see JWU get a shot in the first round of the NCAAs. They won a game the last time they were there (granted they had Lamont Thomas) but athletically I think they could match up with a number of teams. If they got matched up with a slow down, smaller ish team I think they'd have a good chance...

Or just have AMC run through the GNAC per usual lol

[GnacAlum55]

Saint-Paul:
Great first half re-cap, thanks!  I have seen most of the teams play at some point, and I really think Emmanuel may be the scariest.  You mentioned chemistry issues.  If they solve those, I think they may have the most talent in the 3-8 slots.  The big posts are scary if they get going, and they have some guards that can score.  This could be there year to make some noise. 

[D3HoopJunkie]

Finally the Falcons return to action tonight as they head up to Nashua NH to take on Rivier. I don't see much of a contest here but any road conference game can get challenging at times not to mention the long layoff.

It will be interesting to see if the team was able to remain intact whether it be grades or transfers and also even more exciting to see if they added anyone over break. With Oliver's ability to recruit and his vast number of contacts it wouldn't surprise me at all!!

Looking forward to the 2nd Half of the season. I think this Falcon team is going to continue to get better and better!!

[lildave678]

Yeah I was looking forward to seeing the box score tonight. I'll try to catch some of the video.

[pjunito]

St. Paul awesome job of recapping the first semester. I think Emmanuel may be a sleeper, if the team can find some chemistry.

Looks like Wiggins is off the roster, not sure if this is a typo. If he isn't on the team anymore, it creates an issue. Wiggins was a very good consistent deep threat. He had the ability to stretch defenses away from the paint, giving Vic and Larsen one on one match ups. He also was able to score in bunches, helping Albertus at times increase their leads before the half and early in second. If he isn't around, who takes his place? Julian is a good three point shooter, but Wiggins is a better shooter. Davis and Sledge are more basket attackers than shooters.

At the end of last year, we talked about a few things that Albertus needed to do to get back to sweet 16 and beyond. They needed another big man who can spell Vic and contribute in case he gets into foul trouble, they needed to somehow replace Watson's offense, and they needed to add another shooter (like Wiggins) who can keep defensives honest. Let's face it, Wiggins disappeared last year in the tournament. His minutes went down this year but he seemed to understand his role. He avg 7 points in only 11 mins shooting 51% from 3s. That is what this team needed in the post season. I think Coach Oliver did a great job of getting depth with James and Walters, although they are freshmen, they seem to have poise and contribute in various ways, Sledge has replaced Watson, and with Saunders and Wiggins shooting the three ball well; it look like this team was poise to make a good run in March. Now, I am not sure... Let's see how this team gels this month, hopefully Shaq Mitchell can get on the court (he avg over 20 pts in JUCO last year).

Go Falcons!