MBB: Great Northeast Athletic Conference

[Falcons 25]

Albertus Magnus First Semester report card:

This is a very good team averaging 94 pts, 45 rebounds & 15 assists per game. They are very deep & play good team defense.
Team strengths: rebounding & sharing the ball (15 assists per game is something an AMC team hasn`t done in a number of years!)
Too, This squad is very good at stealing the ball!
Concern: Mitch hasn`t settled on a point guard! (rightly so) Rob Tindley has shown the most promise, but is not a consistent assist man.
I expect Keith Antonio Davis to grab the position in the second semester. He plays great defense & has promise as an offensive player.

First game of the second semester: York College, an excellent team.

Time will tell on this team; could develop into a great team!

[Saint-Paul]

Very good recap given for the AMC first half.  It is fun to watch teams play when they move the ball, especially the assists.  AMC is averaging 94 pts, 45 rbs, and 15 asts, per game, so they are really playing like a team, in all phases of the game.  Saints had a good first half also, slightly behind AMC but still very much improved over the last few years. Saints are averaging 90 pts, 44 rbs, and 18 asts per game.  Should be some fun GNAC games coming in the second half.  Like watching teams that play the game this was. 

[Saint-Paul]

Saints pull off a stunning comeback over St Joe, Maine, 96 - 91, at the Regis New Year's tournament. St Joe was in control of the game 89 - 83 with 1:12 left to play, and had possession of the ball. All St Joe had to do was not throw the ball away and the Saints would have been forced to start fouling. The Saints switched screens at just the right time, St Joe threw the ball out of bounds, and the Saints scored the next 13 points in the last minute of play.  Good comeback win over a very solid team and great way to start the second semester.

[Saint-Paul]

Saints win the Regis New Year's tournament with an 82 - 78 win over the host team.  The game was close throughout, but the Saints were able to hold on at the end for a nice win. Saints had eight players contribute to a nice team victory.  Sometimes, when teams return from winter break they look sluggish, rusty, and not ready to play.  The Saints were none of those things, they looked in good shape, running sets with precision, and making clutch shots.  Hope that continues.

[Falcons 25]

AMC: 76
York College-Penn.- 73

A chaotic game(19 turnovers by each team) won by the Falcons with defense & good rebounding.
Solid performances by: Tyreek Perkins (17 pts.) & Terry Dawkins (14 pts & 7 Rebs.)
UGLY GAME but AMC won it!
Next Game tomorrow- Coast Guard(at York) @ 2pm

[D3HoopJunkie]

Big time win for the Falcons today. Agree Falcons25, very sloppy game by both teams which is to be expected coming back from the break. With that being said this was a tremendous team effort victory. York is a solid program and well respected within their region so this was a very strong road victory for the Falcons. A true test and the team responded well to some adversity late in the game. We didn't have our A game today and it was still good enough to get by and record the W.

Tyreek Perkins played fantastic and Keith-Antonio Davis contributed well off the bench. Little disappointed in Jahmerikah's performance today but not worried about him at all. He is so good and even the best of players can have an off day from time to time. I expect him to step up and bounce back tomorrow with a strong effort against Coast Guard who you can never take lightly.

This is a great start to the second half schedule between todays contest with York, tomorrow against Coast Guard and a HUGE trip up to Middlebury on Tuesday to take on the Panthers who are considered by some to be the best team in the country. We'll see what happens! Take it one game at a time!

Go Falcons!

[Falcons 25]

Congrats Albertus Magnus for your #20 ranking in the country! Well deserved.
This team is very deep with several of the quickest(hands & feet)players that AMC has ever had.
This has helped create an excellent defensive team that stays focused the entire game!!!
All of this without a real "star" player. Way to go, TEAM!
Next game: #3 Middlebury on 1/14/20 in Vermont.

[D3HoopJunkie]

Great weekend of victories for the Falcons and to receive the #20 ranking in the country come Monday evening is a nice way to top off a successful start to the 2nd semester! Huge game coming up against Middlebury a week from today. Another road test and without question the toughest matchup of the season for Albertus. I am a little concerned about having so much time off between games but at the same time, after the 2 hard fought victories that the Falcons had this weekend on the road in York PA, I think a little R&R is a good thing for these guys right now. Not to mention an entire week for Coach Oliver to prepare. While these programs have faced each other the last few seasons the beauty of both these head Coaches in Oliver and Brown is that they never seem to settle and are always improving there programs year in and year out which means scouting is that more important in a matchup like this.

Lets keep rolling Falcons!

[Saint-Paul]

Nothing special about the Saints 90 - 76 win today over the Rivier Raiders except the names on Rivier roster. Two names specifically caught my eye; Greenaway and Bardanese.  Those are the names of two great GNAC players from a few years ago, just wondering if the two Rivier players are related? Maybe brothers or cousins?

[D3HoopJunkie]

Tough one today for the Falcons. Not a very impressive effort on the road in Middlebury this evening. I really dont think either team played their best game tonight. It was not nearly as entertaining of a game as I had thought it would be. No question that Middlebury was the better team tonight but overall, I have no doubts in this Albertus teams ability to compete with pretty much anyone that I have seen thus far in the Northeast region to date. And they have already proven that they can go on the road and beat some pretty darn good teams but tonight it wasnt in the cards for them. It was just one of those nights where Albertus couldn't get their offense into a rhythm and the first game all season where there defensive effort was just not present. There defense and ball pressure has been much improved this year but for whatever reason, it just wasn't there tonight and hats off to Middlebury for making some 3's and shots at big points in the game to maintain the lead that they built on early in the 2nd half.

Albertus showed some glimpses late of going on one of there patented offensive runs where they can rattle off a 10-0 run before you blink and get right back into a game, but it just never materialized to that.

Time to bounce back and get ready for a good Colby Sawyer team on Saturday.

Also, hats off to all the GNAC schools who won there contests tonight against other NESCAC opponents. It truly was GNAC vs NESCAC night and to the surprise of probably a good amount of fans, the GNAC got the best of the NESCAC on this night.

Another HUGE sidenote, Falcons25, we need some info here.....why was Andrew Rice in a sweatsuit tonight?? Hands down our best defender and one of our better rebounders who can really change a game? We are deep with talent but Rice is one of those guys that does so much, you really hate to lose him?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I thought AMC presented themselves well.  Definitely not their best game, but it was a tough opponent and I imagine they're not used to being matched in athleticism and outsized quite that way.

I was even more impressed with St. Joseph's win over Williams.  The Bluejays looked tremendous - big, disciplined, tenacious.  They're my favorite for the conference title after that one.  AMC will have their work cut out for them.

[Bucket]

Another HUGE sidenote, Falcons25, we need some info here.....why was Andrew Rice in a sweatsuit tonight?? Hands down our best defender and one of our better rebounders who can really change a game? We are deep with talent but Rice is one of those guys that does so much, you really hate to lose him?

His left hand was in a cast, and I heard that he broke his wrist.

[nescac1]

I wrote about them on the NESCAC board, but I, too, was very impressed by St. Joe's.  Williams played very poorly against Albertus Magnus, and had a key player go down to injury nine minutes in the game leading to a scramble in the rotation, but I though the Ephs played pretty well against St Joe's for the most part, but just had no answers down the stretch.  As you would expect giving the coaching staff, St. Joe's is very organized on both ends of the floor and makes smart in-game adjustments. 

Their backcourt is as talented as any you will see in D3, Delshawn Jackson is a legit stud scorer who carries himself kind of like Echevarria did last year, and Jaecee Martin is lightning fast (I seriously doubt there is a faster guard in D3) and also extremely confident, a real alpha lead guard, that duo will give any opposing backcourt big-time trouble.  They are clearly a different team since he joined the roster.  Taelon Martin is a crazy talented athlete (he had two eye-popping plays, a dunk and a trailing block, last night) and seems like an X-factor guy who could explode for some really big games as he gains experience.  And they have a bunch of other big, athletic wings who can really defend and also score it a bit, Jordan Powell foremost among them, but also Samuels, Brown and O'Neil can all play.  They have a pretty big hole in the middle, an elite center will give them trouble (and did last night), but that is true of a lot of teams in New England.  Honestly, I thought they were the scariest team Williams has played this year, better than teams who have been ranked like Amherst, Springfield, and Hamilton. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I wrote about them on the NESCAC board, but I, too, was very impressed by St. Joe's.  Williams played very poorly against Albertus Magnus, and had a key player go down to injury nine minutes in the game leading to a scramble in the rotation, but I though the Ephs played pretty well against St Joe's for the most part, but just had no answers down the stretch.  As you would expect giving the coaching staff, St. Joe's is very organized on both ends of the floor and makes smart in-game adjustments. 

Their backcourt is as talented as any you will see in D3, Delshawn Jackson is a legit stud scorer who carries himself kind of like Echevarria did last year, and Jaecee Martin is lightning fast (I seriously doubt there is a faster guard in D3) and also extremely confident, a real alpha lead guard, that duo will give any opposing backcourt big-time trouble.  They are clearly a different team since he joined the roster.  Taelon Martin is a crazy talented athlete (he had two eye-popping plays, a dunk and a trailing block, last night) and seems like an X-factor guy who could explode for some really big games as he gains experience.  And they have a bunch of other big, athletic wings who can really defend and also score it a bit, Jordan Powell foremost among them, but also Samuels, Brown and O'Neil can all play.  They have a pretty big hole in the middle, an elite center will give them trouble (and did last night), but that is true of a lot of teams in New England.  Honestly, I thought they were the scariest team Williams has played this year, better than teams who have been ranked like Amherst, Springfield, and Hamilton.

Of course, you haven't seen Yeshiva yet.

[Falcons 25]

D3Hoopjunkie- I can not confirm that Drew Rice broke his hand. (if so, we will be hurt, when we play the better teams)
Middlebury was the better team last night, but not a "powerhouse" at all.
As for Coach Calhoun & the Blue Jays, we`ll see them soon enough at THE NEST. AMC is going to have to be knocked off
their perch, probably at home in the conference playoffs.
I like this AMC team to get better & better as the year progresses. WHY?
Damien Grant has just awoken from his slumber & will provide low post scoring.
Marquan Watson, our freshman #4 w/great promise, is ready to come into his own- just needs minutes, Mitch!
Justice Washington, our freshman center, is also at the cusp of high achievement- he too needs the minutes, Mitch!
The real season(conference) is just starting!
SEE YOU SATURDAY AT THE NEST vs Colby-Sawyer- 3pm.