G Damian Lillard, Weber State

2011-2012 Stats: 25.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.8 APG

The junior guard has seven games of 30 points or more this season, and is currently leading the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game. He also has the No. 1 offensive rating in the nation (31.7), as calculated by Ken Pomeroy. Lillard, a native of Oakland, CA, was named the 2009-2010 MVP of the Big Sky Conference as a sophomore, but sat out last season with a medical redshirt after injuring his foot nine games into the year. The 6’3 guard is getting attention from NBA scouts, and is currently projected as a late first round pick in the 2012 draft by DraftExpress.

F Doug McDermott, Creighton

2011-2012 Stats: 23.4 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.3 APG

Doug, the son of Creighton head coach Gregg McDermott, has been outstanding this season for the nationally ranked Blue Jays. The 6’7 sophomore’s offensive production has vastly improved from his freshman season. McDermott averaged 14.9 points per game while shooting 53 percent from the field last yea. This year he’s averaging 23.4 points per game and shooting an outstanding 62 percent from the field. McDermott has scored over 30 points five times this season, including a 44 point effort against Bradley on Jan. 7.  McDermott played on the same high school basketball team in Ames, IO as North Carolina star Harrison Barnes. While McDermott and Creighton lost to Northern Iowa this past weekend, the Blue Jays should still be in line for a top five seed come NCAA Tournament time.

G Isaiah Canaan, Murray State

2011-2012 Stats: 18.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.8 APG

The 6 foot junior has been the spark plug for the undefeated Racers. He leads the team in points, assists and steals. Canaan exploded in the second half and had 32 points total in Murray State’s comeback victory against Southeast Missouri State last week. The Racers had to rely on Canaan even more the last few weeks as Ivan Aska, the team’s third leading scorer, missed six games with an injury. In a great match-up of mid-major guards, Canaan will face off with St. Mary’s Matthew Dellavedova in a BracketBusters game on Feb. 18. The game is probably the Racers’ toughest remaining challenge in their quest for an unbeaten season.

G Scott Machado, Iona

2011-2012 Stats: 13.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 10.0 APG

North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall gets a lot of buzz for being a sharp-passing, unselfish point guard, but Iona’s Machado might be the best assist machine in the nation. Machado (10.0) is first in the country in assists per game, just slightly ahead of Marshall (9.8). The 6’1 Queens native has racked up 14 or more assists in six games this season. Machado can also score himself. He’s averaging 13.6 points per game while shooting a solid 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc. Machado and Arizona-transfer Mo Mo Jones give Iona one of the best backcourts in the country. The Gaels are definitely a team no one wants to see in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament.

G Nate Wolters, South Dakota State

2011-2012 Stats: 21.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 6.2 APG

Wolters puts up one of the most complete stat lines of any guard in the country. He had 34 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in the Jackrabbits’ victory over Washington in December. Wolters is also garnering attention from NBA scouts. DraftExpress currently has him projected as a second round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. One thing that impressed scouts was the 6’4 Wolters’ three-point shooting. However, his percentage from behind the arc has dropped from 40 percent in 2010-11 to 25 percent this season.  The St. Cloud, MN native is attempting to lead South Dakota State to the first NCAA tournament appearance in school history. The Jackrabbits currently sit in second place of the Summit League, but they defeated first place Oral Roberts last week.

Others: Reggie Hamilton, Oakland; Arslan Kazami, Rice; Mike Muscala, Bucknell; C.J. McCollum, Lehigh; Casper Ware, Long Beach State

Iona is 17-5 overall and 9-2 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. The game provides Nevada a chance to increase its RPI ranking (Iona is ranked 53rd). The Gaels’ have one of the nation’s best offenses, led by two guards in Scott Machado and Lamont Jones. As a team, Iona averages 82.2 points per game and is hitting nearly 50 percent of its shots from the field.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at eggen.lukas@gmail.com.

THREE THINGS I LEARNED LAST WEEK

1. IONA’S SCOTT MACHADO IS THE BEST POINT GUARD IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL

And it doesn’t even seem like its close. Those who haven’t seen Machado play may read this and think it’s a crazy statement but watch him just once and you’ll see the truth. With good size and even better poise, the 6-foot-1 senior has added strength and a refined outside shot — two of the attributes that make him the best floor general in the land. “There’s no doubt he belongs in that conversation,” said Iona coach Tim Cluess when asked if Machado was one of the best point guards in the country following the Gaels’ 91-71 win over Rider on Friday night. “The thing about Scott that stands out is he’s not putting up the numbers he’s putting up and he’s not being surrounded by All-Americans. That’s a big thing.” The other thing that resonates when watching Machado is how well he takes care of the basketball. In his last three games, Machado has dished out 40 assists and only committed six turnovers. “He’s the perfect point guard to get us into what we do,” Iona guard Momo Jones said of Machado.

2. MICHIGAN’S TREY BURKE IS THE BEST POINT GUARD IN THE BIG TEN

Can a freshman be the best at his position in college basketball’s best conference? You better believe it. Burke has made people in Ann Arbor forget about Darius Morris rather quickly after Morris’ decision to enter to the NBA Draft after last season was supposed to inhibit the Wolverines hopes of potentially returning to the NCAA Tournament — because of the presence of Burke that hasn’t happened. The first-year point guard is far and away the best player on Michigan and made all the big plays down the stretch last week in a narrow one point win at home over Michigan State. Some may make the case for Ohio State’s Aaron Craft or Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor to claim the title of the Big Ten’s best floor general but they don’t have the “it” factor like Burke. The kid is special.

3. FLORIDA STATE’S THREE GUARD LINEUP HAS TRANSFORMED THEM

I’m sorry if I sound a bit punchy here about the Seminoles but it’s been mesmerizing to watch this team’s transformation. Since Leonard Hamilton opted to start a three-guard lineup with Luke Loucks, Deividas Dulkys, and Michael Snaer, Florida State’s offense has drastically improved and that’s one of the main reasons this team was able to beat both North Carolina and Duke in a seven day stretch with the latter coming Saturday off a buzzer beater by Snaer at Cameron Indoor Stadium. “It’s made us a more cohesive team on both sides of the floor,” Hamilton said of the three-guard lineup after Saturday’s win over the Blue Devils. “We’re well aware of our strengths and well aware of our weaknesses. What we’re doing a better job of now is having the ability to handle the moment. We’re learning to adjust and we showed that against Duke. It’s special to get a win against them here (Cameron Indoor) because not a lot of people do it, but we know the only thing we’ve done right now is win four ACC games. We have a long way to go.”

THREE THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS WEEK

1. CINCINNATI’S SHOWDOWN WITH SYRACUSE MONDAY

This game might not have the sizzle many hoped it would after the Orange fell to Notre Dame but it’s still a golden opportunity for the Bearcats to bounce back after a narrow loss they should have had Saturday at West Virginia. Without Fab Melo in the middle of the Orange’s daunting 2-3 zone, Mick Cronin’s team should be able to find seams in the defense if they get the quality perimeter play they’ve been getting recently from Cashmere Wright, Sean Kilpatrick, and Dion Dixon. The key will be if Cincinnati can get something inside from senior big man Yancy Gates who missed several point blank shots down the stretch in the loss to West Virginia. Without Gates providing a low post presence against Syracuse, the Bearcats will have make at least 10 three-pointers to upset the powerful Orange.

2. CAN TENNESSEE CONTINUE ITS NCAA PUSH AGAINST VANDERBILT?

We’re slowly learning that with the Volunteers’ addition of freshman big man Jarnell Stokies, anything for this team is possible. After an impressive showing a week ago in a loss to Kentucky and a solid victory over UCONN on Saturday in Knoxville, Cuonzo Martin has his team rising — and a big part of that is the addition of Stokes. “He gives us a legitimate low post presence that we didn’t have,” Martin told me last week in reference to Stokies, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday’s 60-57 win over the Huskies. “He reminds me of Jared Sullinger because of how physically big he is. He makes everyone on our team better.” Conversely, Vanderbilt is coming off a narrow one point loss at home to Mississippi State. The Commodores can ill afford to drop back to back conference games at home and will need a big effort from Festus Ezeli to neutralize Stokes in the pivot.

3. LIU AT ROBERT MORRIS THURSDAY

There was a consensus among most NEC coaches before this season that the league was better than its ever been and even though four teams have six and two records in conference play, one team remains at the top — defending champion LIU. The Blackbirds haven’t lost since December 14th and have won nine straight heading into Thursday’s game at Robert Morris. The Colonials could be the biggest obstacle Jim Ferry’s team has during the rest of their conference slate mostly due to the play of Robert Morris junior guard Velton Jones, who’s averaging 24.2 points per game in his last four outings.

THIS AND THAT:

- Vanderbilt’s starting five is as solid as anyone’s in college basketball but it may be time to officially start expressing concerns over the Commodores’ lack of production off the bench. Freshman guards Kedren Johnson and Dai-Jon Parker are good in their roles but neither have emerged as a consistent threat that can score points while big men Rod Odom and Steve Tchiengang have also been sporadic. It’s tough to go deep in March without capable reserves and that’s something it seems this team is lacking right now.

- Most people including myself thought that as soon as UCONN got a commitment from Andre Drummond he would immediately mesh with the rest of the Huskies’ pieces and they’d be right back in the mix for a National Championship. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. The skill sets of Drummond and junior power forward Alex Oriakhi don’t seem to click because neither can face the basket or play effectively on the high post. This has forced Jim Calhoun to play Tyler Olander more and at the same time take minutes away from Oriakhi, something that has forced the veteran have a much more disappointing junior season than anyone would have anticipated.

- If Drexel shoots the ball the way it did in Saturday’s 71-53 win over Northeastern, the Dragons could be the team to beat in the CAA. Drexel shot 60 percent from the floor and 64.3% percent from 3-point range in the victory, showing they might have the necessary offense this season to earn a bid out of what is annually one of the top two or three mid-major conferences in college basketball. Bruiser Flint’s team is 14-5 and has won ten of eleven.

- Marquette transfer Reggie Smith is already making an impact at UNLV. The 6-foot Smith is a great change of pace guy off the bench for the Runnin Rebels and gives Dave Rice a legitimate backup point guard off the bench behind veteran floor general Oscar Bellfield. Smith is just another example of how UNLV has become a landing spot for players from BCS level schools who didn’t have success at their first college destination.

- Can anyone figure out the PAC-12? A week ago it looked like Cal and Stanford were the two best teams in the conference and since that time both have lost and it’s looking more and more clear that anyone can beat anyone. If you gamble, stay far away from the PAC-12 conference tournament. Be afraid, be very afraid.

- Temple sophomore guard Aaron Brown has been a vital piece for the Owls this season. Though undersized at 6-foot-5, Brown has given Fran Dunphy solid minutes on the boards, grabbing 14 rebounds in his last two games. With Temple still waiting on senior center Micheal Eric to return, Brown’s presence has helped Dunphy’s teams stay afloat, relying on him as a “glue guy” to do the necessary dirty work and fill cement in between the cracks.

- It’s taken some time but Villanova freshman forward Jayvaughn Pinkston is starting to emerge for the Wildcats. The 6-foot-7 Pinkston has recorded double-doubles in his last two games and is bridging the gap offensively for this team between Maalik Wayns on the perimeter and Mouphtaou Yarou in the low post. There’s still obvious rust for Pinkston, who didn’t play basketball at all last year due to a suspension but it’s clear the former Bishop Loughlin star has the ability to be an All-Big East type player in the next few seasons.

- North Carolina losing Dexter Strickland for the season to a torn ACL hurts the Tarheels in a number of ways but the biggest impact will be defensively. The athletic Strickland was this team’s best perimeter defender and regularly guarded the opponent’s best scorer in the back court. Without Strickland, there will be even more pressure on John Henson to protect the paint and make up for some of the limitations the Tarheels might have defensively.

- Forget about people saying Mississippi State’s Arnett Moultrie is the best player on the Bulldogs — he’s one of the best players in the SEC. The 6-foot-11 Moultrie is averaging 16.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while single handedly anchoring Rick Stansbury’s front line. With he and Dee Bost, Mississippi State has the ability to match up with any team they’ll play from here until March.

- If you’re looking for a potential sleeper for your March bracket, highlight Saint Mary’s. The Gaels have one of the best floor generals in the country in Matt Dellavedova and are led by one of the nation’s underrated tacticians in Randy Bennett. Keep an eye on this group in Moraga.

SET THE DVR:

MONDAY: SYRACUSE AT CINCINNATI

TUESDAY: BAYLOR AT OKLAHOMA, TENNESSEE AT VANDERBILT,

WEDNESDAY: MINNESOTA AT MICHIGAN STATE, GEORGIA STATE AT DREXEL, SAINT LOUIS AT XAVIER, NOTRE DAME AT SETON HALL,

THURSDAY: NC STATE AT NORTH CAROLINA, FLORIDA AT OLE MISS, LIU AT ROBERT MORRIS

Do you agree that Machado is the top PG in college hoops? Sound off below…

The 25 finalists for the coveted John Wooden National Player of the Year Award were released on Tuesday. It doesn’t make too much sense to release them this way, with half of the season still to go, but hey, that’s life. Here they are, in no particular order:

Harrison Barnes, 6-8, So., F, North Carolina–Barnes is always a big-name preseason candidate, and he’s backed up the talk so far  (16.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg).

Will Barton, 6-6, So., F, Memphis–The Tigers have been one of the nation’s biggest disappointments, so Barton’s not winning the award despite his great production (18.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg).

Mizzou's Marcus Denmon is one of our picks for First-Team All-American this season. (Photo: UPI/Bill Greenblatt)

William Buford, 6-6, Sr., G, Ohio State– Buford has been solid all around for the Bucks, but he’ll need a big-time push to take home the hardware (15.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.5 apg).

Anthony Davis, 6-10, Fr., C, Kentucky– Davis just might be the Defensive Player of the Year in college basketball this season (13.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 4.6 bpg).

Marcus Denmon, 6-3, Sr., G, Missouri–He’s the catalyst for the most surprising team in the nation, not to mention one you do NOT want to see on short notice in March (17.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.7 apg)

Draymond Green, 6-7, Sr., F, Michigan State– Averaging a double-double (15.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg) and has helped spark MSU’s 15-1 turnaround.

John Henson, 6-11, Jr., C, North Carolina– The Big Muppet has a huge ceiling, and could be an NBA lottery pick, but he probably won’t win the award (14.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg).

John Jenkins, 6-4, Jr., G, Vanderbilt–No chance Jenkins takes home the hardware after Vandy’s early-season faceplant, but he’s still a great individual player (19.8 ppg).

Orlando Johnson, 6-5, Sr., G, Cal-Santa Barbara– Johnson has emerged as the best player in the Big West and is having a terrific season (20.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg). He’ll contend with Long Beach State’s Casper Ware for Big West POY honors.

Darius Johnson-Odom, 6-2, Sr., G, Marquette– Nice recognition for the senior guard, who has taken over for Marquette this season (18.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg).

You'll hear the name Perry Jones III pretty early on draft night, whenever he comes out. (AP Photo)

Kevin Jones, 6-8, Sr., F, West Virginia– The big man can shoot, drive, and defend. He’s the main reason WVU hasn’t fallen back this season (20.1 ppg, 11.6 rpg).

Perry Jones III, 6-11, So., C, Baylor– NBA scouts drool over his size and athleticism, and he may well be the No. 1 pick in the draft, but he’s not the best player in college hoops this season (14.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg).

Kris Joseph, 6-7, Sr., F, Syracuse– Nice for Joseph to get mentioned as the leading man on the top-ranked team in the country. (13.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, 6-7, Fr., F, Kentucky–Another year, another extremely talented freshman for Calipari. Could be UK’s go-to guy if Terrence Jones doesn’t get his act together (13.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg).

Coaches' son Doug McDermott has been unbelievable for Creighton, shooting 53 percent from three-point range. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Jeremy Lamb, 6-5, So., G, Connecticut–The Huskies have been mildly disappointing, and that’s going to hurt Lamb (17.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg). He needs to step up and become more of a leader in crunchtime.

Damian Lillard, 6-3, Jr., G, Weber State– The nation’s leading scorer at 25.5 ppg, also averaging 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Lillard does absolutely everything for the Wildcats.

Doug McDermott, 6-7, So., F, Creighton– McDermott has had an absolutely special season at Creighton, and could very well win this award if the Jays make a push into the Top 10. The kid is shooting 62 percent from the field, including an UNHEARD OF 53 percent from three (24.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg).

Mike Scott has been a revelation for Virginia this season. (AP Photo)

Scott Machado, 6-1, Sr., G, Iona–The frontrunner for MAAC Player of the Year has separated the Gaels from the pack in that conference and is dishing out the assists like Ricky Rubio (13.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 10.3 apg)

Kendall Marshall, 6-4, So., G, North Carolina–He may be the smoothest point guard in the nation, and is a great distributor, but doesn’t score enough to win this award (5.8 ppg, 9.6 apg).

Mike Moser, 6-8, So., F, UNLV–The Rebels forward is averaging a double-double (13.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg), and has helped lift UNLV to a terrific start.

Arnett Moultrie, 6-11. Jr., C, Mississippi State– With all the talk surrounding Renardo Sidney, Moultrie has emerged as the best player in the Bulldogs’ frontcourt (16.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg).

Thomas Robinson, 6-9, Jr., F, Kansas– This is our choice for Player of the Year at the midseason mark. Robinson is beastly down low, and has lifted KU to a Top-10 ranking almost by himself (17.8 ppg, 12.8 rpg). He’s been impossible to stop, and has done it against some of the nation’s best competition.

Mike Scott, 6-8, Sr., F, Virginia– Scott has shocked analysts around the country by becoming the midseason frontrunner for ACC Player of the Year (16.9 ppg, 8.9 rpg). No way Virginia is sniffing the top of the ACC standings without him.

Jared Sullinger, 6-9, So., F, Ohio State– He’s been All-American good, but probably not Player of the Year-good with the way low-post challengers Robinson and Scott have played. (17.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg).

Thomas Robinson is the Roundball Daily Midseason Player of the Year. (Photo: Jamie Squire/ Getty Images)

Cody Zeller, 6-11, Fr., C, Indiana– The big man is the main reason why Indiana has experienced a renaissance season this year. (14.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg).

BIGGEST SNUB: Isaiah Canaan, 6-0, Jr., G, Murray State– The waterbug-quick Canaan (18.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.2 rpg) has been the do-everything guard for Murray State, leading the Racers to an 18-0 record and the best start in program history, not to mention a top-ten national ranking. It’s been a dream season, an all-time season at Murray State, and Canaan is the major reason why. He deserves mention on the list of the Top 25 players in the country.

OUR PICK: Thomas Robinson, F, Kansas. Robinson has done everything for the Jayhawks, averaging 17.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game. If Kansas wins the Big 12 regular season title for an eighth straight year, it will be mostly because of Robinson, and that should be enough to push him past Creighton’s Doug McDermott and Kentucky’s Anthony Davis for the award.

MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICAN TEAM: We’re only picking five. You know, like the total number of players a team can have on the court at one time. Unlike how the AP does it, where they pick as many as they feel like. Yeah, that was a shot at you, AP. Anyway, here they are: G Marcus Denmon, Missouri, G Doug McDermott, Creighton, F Mike Scott, Virginia, F Thomas Robinson, Kansas, C Anthony Davis, Kentucky.

MIDSEASON COACH OF THE YEAR: Tom Crean, Indiana. The Hoosiers boss has done a heck of a job rejuvenating the program in Bloomington. It’s never been a question of if, but when Crean would get things rolling again, but no one believed he could coax the Hoosiers to a 15-1 start.

SURPRISE TEAM OF THE YEAR: No. 10 Murray State. It’s not surprising that the Racers are good, but the fact that they are 18-0 with wins over Memphis, Dayton, and Southern Miss is. Murray State is in the Top 10. Just let that sink in for a moment.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR: Pittsburgh. Scroll down a little bit for more on why the Panthers (11-8, 0-6 Big East) have been so putrid.

MIDSEASON COLLEGE BASKETBALL WEBSITE OF THE YEAR: RoundballDaily.com. Come on, you know it.

A St. John's Huddle

Tonight, the KHH bloggers headed to MSG for the first time ever to see St. John’s take on Louisville in a Big East Conference matchup. After we looked at our tickets and we arrived at MSG, we realized that there would be another game following St. John’s. Iona would be battling Siena in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) game. We thought this would be good news at the time, and it turned out to be great news. First I will recap the St. John’s game, followed by the Iona one. This was a very boring game, and if it had been the only game of the night, I do not believe it would have been worth it for us to go out. The Johnnies were, in a word, awful. They shot 28% from the floor and were 2-16 from 3. Many of these 3′s came when the shot clock was winding down and a chucked 3 was the only option. This is so unacceptable, because in college, the shot clock is 35 seconds. There is no reason why a team should not be able to get a somewhat open shot in 35 seconds, especially a team with the talent that St. John’s has. St. John’s moves very slowly and never pushes the ball. This leads to very boring basketball and very few points. Also, the longer a team holds the ball for, the more likely they are to turn it over, which happened too much tonight. The first half was especially awful for the Red Storm. After jumping out to an 8-3 lead, Louisville ended the half on a 26-10 run and never looked back. St. John’s first half field goal % was under 20. For the Red Storm, the only bright spot was D’Angelo Harrison, who had a Carmelo-like 24 points. This means that he scored a lot, but it did not feel like it because the rest of the team was doing so poorly and nobody else scored. Moe Harkless added 12 boring points. My two favorite Johnnies, God’sgift Ochiuwa and Sir’Dominic Pointer shot a combined 4-17 and only had 10 points. I was pretty disappointed. For Louisville, Russ Smith led the way off the bench with 17 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds in only 23 minutes. Kyle Kuric added 15 points.

God'sgift Ochiuwa

Now on to the jokes and notes from this Big East matchup:

• As usual, Raphi was 25 minutes late for this game, which almost caused us to miss tip-off. Unfortunately, we got there in time to see terrible basketball.
• I was very surprised at how empty MSG was for this game. I of course was not expecting a sellout for a mediocre St. John’s team, but this game was more empty than the Rock for the Nets. According to ESPN, over 9,000 tickets were sold. I find that hard to believe. After the St. John’s game ended, most people left the building.
• Louisville missed a wide open dunk in this game. It was pretty funny. They almost missed another one later, but instead got a lucky roll.
• The St. John’s student section was extremely pathetic in this game. They probably had about 100 people, which is nothing. They were not loud at all and did not effect the game. They also all did not stay for the second game. See picture below:
  

  St. John's Student Section

• St. John’s had two t-shirt tosses in this game. The first one was when we were in our real seats, which were not horrible, but still somewhat high up. The Red Storm cheerleaders did not have a t-shirt gun like they do at Nets games, and instead only had a bungee-chord-like mechanism to launch t-shirts. The cheerleaders could not figure out how to use this, and no t-shirts came even close to us. With less than 5 minutes remaining, we moved down to about the 6th or 7th row at center court. For the Heat-Knicks game on April 15th, on Stubhub, the cheapest seat in the section we were in would be $999. We also stayed in these seats for the entirety of the second game. Anyway, right after we moved into these seats, there was another t-shirt toss. First, Raphi was able to tip a shirt over to me which I then snatched up. A minute later Raphi caught a shirt cleanly. What a success. After we got both shirts, a guy yelled at Raphi, “These are not your seats!”. He continued to heckle Raphi a little after this. It did not come close to Jonah’s beer incident at Mets-Astros, but it did cause some controversy. On to the t-shirts themselves, they are very nice. First of all, they are wrapped with real tape and not Petro’s leg tape. Also, they are only size large, not 2XL like Nets games. Even the design on the shirt is nice, without any advertisements for Pepsi Max.
• In the middle of the Iona game, a Louisville player came into the stands, very close to us, to see someone he knew. I tried to get a picture of him close up, but my camera was being annoying, so this is the best I got:

Louisville player in the crowd

See more St. John’s-Louisville pictures below:

A Foul Shot

Another Foul Shot

Sir'Dominic Pointer

God'gift

Sir'Dominic

D'Angelo Harrison

D'Angelo Harrison

D'Angelo Harrison

Moving on to the second game, which had Iona facing off against its MAAC rival Siena. First off, I would like to give some background information on these two colleges, for those of you who had never heard of them before, like me. Iona College is in New Rochelle, New York, which is a quick Metro-North ride away. A famous alumnus of the Iona Gaels is Jason Motte who saved Game 7 of the World Series this year for the Cardinals. Siena College is located in Loudonville, New York, which is in the eastern part of the state (pretty much the middle of nowhere). Siena has had a lot of basketball success recently, making the NCAA tournament in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and even beating Maryland and Ohio State in the tourney. Both colleges are Roman Catholic schools.

Sean Armand

Now I will move on to the basketball aspects of this game, followed by jokes and notes. Siena came into this game with a mediocre 5-7 record and averaging only 60.7 points per game, 314th in the nation. Ew. Iona, on the other hand, was 10-3 and averaging 85.1 points per game, 5th in the nation. Right when I saw that, I knew this would obviously be a blow out, which it was. Two of the biggest reasons for Iona’s early dominance this season have been guard Scott Machado, averaging 13.6 points per game and a whopping 10.4 assists, and transfer (from Arizona, a big basketball school) guard Momo Jones, averaging 16 ppg. I was expecting these two players, as well as big man Michael Glover, to dominate this game, but they were not the story. The story of this game was sophomore guard Sean Armand. Coming into this game, Armand was averaging 13 minutes and 7 points per game off the bench for Iona. Nothing special at all. In this game, Armand played 22 minutes, scored 32 points, broke the MAAC conference record with 10 3′s in a game, and scored the last 20 points (yes, in a row) of the first half for the Gaels. No, this is not a typo; you may need to reread that. Nobody else for Iona took more than 10 shots. Armand took 22, 19 of them being from 3. Think about that. He shot 19 3 pointers in a 40 minute game in which he only played 22 minutes of. Wow. Sean made Siena’s 3 point defense look like the Nets. Armand also looks and acts like a certain Nets player who has not been living up to expectations this season, Anthony Morrow. They even both share the number 22. I think the Nets should just pick up Armand right now and dump Morrow to Iona. Maybe Armand would be able to make a 3 for them. Scott Machado also had a nice game for the Gaels, with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. The coach took him out with 5 minutes left. I would have left him in so he could get a triple-double at MSG. Momo Jones also had a nice game with 14 points and 7 assists. I was impressed by him.

Momo Jones and Scott Machado

Now on to the jokes and notes from this game:

• As mentioned earlier, after the St. John’s game, most fans left the arena. However, a pretty strong amount of Iona fans assembled behind one of the baskets. There were maybe 10 Siena fans at the game. Siena fans did not care to make the trip down from Loudonville.
• Siena had a freshman guard who was only 5’8”. However, he was their best player, scoring 22 points tonight. Raphi thought that this is who he would be if he was good. I have to agree. His name is Evan Hymes. See pictures below:
  

  Evan Hymes

  

  Evan Hymes

• Even though this was a neutral site game, only the Iona cheerleaders made an appearance. And they made a very large appearance. Between the Iona dancers and cheerleaders, there were over 50 girls behind the basket wearing cheerleading uniforms. It was such a joke. See below:
  

  Iona Cheerleaders

• The reason Momo Jones transferred from Arizona to Iona was to be closer to his sick grandmother, who lives in Harlem. I kind of feel bad for him. Instead of playing in front of thousands of crazy fans at Arizona, he has to play college basketball in Westchester. Whatever.
• By the end of this game, I found myself rooting strongly for Iona. This is mainly because of Armand’s amazing shooting, but also because of Iona’s style of play. It is the opposite of St. John’s. They push the ball off of misses and try to shoot within the first 10 seconds of the shot clock. This leads to exciting and fun basketball. We may try to attend another Iona game this season, but more on that later. Iona may have just become my favorite college basketball team and was the only reason to go to MSG tonight.
• After the game ended and we were leaving MSG, we saw some pictures that they put up of Knicks. Most of the pictures were of the Knicks best players. Then there was this. Ew:
  

  Jared. Ew.

See more Iona-Siena pictures below:

Jermel Jenkins of Iona

Momo Jones

A foul shot

Sean Armand

Now on to upcoming KHH events. The Devils play at home tomorrow and Friday, but it looks like the Stubhub prices might be too expensive for us. Instead, we will likely have a viewing party for Nets-Celtics tomorrow. All KHH fans are invited to watch this probably blowout, especially if The Hump misses his second game in a row. On Friday, however, Iona will be taking on Niagra on ESPNU in Westchester, and the KHH bloggers may try to make an appearance at that sure to be great game. More info to come.

Taylor underwent surgery on Sunday.

In an ESPN interview, Kansas coach Bill Self said Taylor has been playing with pain in his knees since the beginning of last week. Also, the medical staff at Kansas said the guard couldn’t have damaged the knee any further. Self went on to say the decision to play was Taylor’s because he was the one who had to tolerate the pain.

“I can get on Tyshawn for turning it over. I can get on him for not making some plays, which I think is conducive to being an extension of the head coach, but I can’t get on him for toughness,” Self said. “He’s been hurt, and he goes out there and gives his body up.

Three weeks is the reported return for Taylor, but it sounds like Self would like his player back quicker than expected.

“I spoke with the doctors and it went as well as expected,” Self said. “He will be up and around tomorrow morning and will be back in the shortest time possible. The time for recovery depends on swelling and how he reacts to rehab.”

Taylor is a big time player for Kansas, even when he does make a few mistakes. He is the Jayhawks top scoring threat with an average of 15.9 points per game. When he isn’t scoring, he helps his teammates with five assists a game.

Players sitting out are never good, no matter who the player is or what level of play they’re involved in.

Taylor was my No. 1 ranked point guard to start the season. He has stumbled down my list a few numbers behind North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall or Iona’s Scott Machado. However, he is still a game changer and at this point fuels Kansas’ success.

Fortunately for Kansas, the team doesn’t play any serious tough teams in the next three weeks. The next game is against Davidson, followed by games against USC, Howard, North Dakota and Kansas State. Sorry, K-State is going to be a tough one but the the rest are very winnable games, even without Taylor.

The victory against No. 2 Ohio State is great for the program, but Taylor needs to come back to the squad as soon as possible if it wants to stay in the top 15 or 20.

At Iona, a university in New York, there is a basketball program known by the name the Gaels. Yes, I’m still wondering what a Gael is just as much as what Iona is.

In this program is a fantastic point guard named Scoot Machado. Finally, I have a reason to know what both are: Iona College is in New Rochelle, New York and Gaels are Celtic language speaking people.

Yup, worst mascot name I’ve ever heard of. I’m more fond of the St. Louis Billikens. I’ve been searching for some time to find the reasoning behind calling a school the Billikens.

Machado’s outstanding play is not only making his name pop up on the radar but is also adding Iona to the nationwide hoops map.

With a 4-1 record, Iona has the second best overall record in the MAAC and is only in third place because they don’t their first conference game of the season until tonight against Canisius.

I haven’t been able to watch an Iona game this season because frankly its too small of a school to be on nationwide TV. I’m in Illinois where University Illinois Chicago, Illinois State University and even Robert Morris mean more to people than a school such as Iona. Hence the reason I didn’t know what Iona was.

With that said, I haven’t seen Machado play. However, when I hear commentators on three different games say he is the best point guard in the country, even better than my pick of North Carolina’s Kendall Marshall, I have to pay attention.

After I heard the words, “the only point guard better than Marshall”, I had to check out Machado’s stats and see what the fuss is about.

He leads the nation in assists per game with 12.2, which more than helps Iona rank first, scores 18.6 points per game with a high shooting percentage of 54 from the field, is 7-of-14 from the three-point line for the season, pulls down four and a half rebounds a game and steals his opponents lunch money almost three times a game.

Ask Western Michigan how it felt to get robbed when Machado tallied six steals. Or…we could ask St. Joesph’s how it felt to have Machado score 33 points, drop 10 assists, grab five rebounds and steal the ball four times on Nov. 23.

Machado is playing for a school who will never be considered a contender to do anything. This could mean he is only putting up fantastic numbers because he is playing against weak competition.

On the contrary, Machado scored 14 points, had 11 assists, five rebounds and only missed four shots in 33 minutes of play against Purdue in the first game of the season. I didn’t mention, he was playing one-on-one against Lewis Jackson who is a decent point guard for a major Big Ten program.

The 6’1 senior point guard from Iona is the real deal. Yes, Iona doesn’t play Big East, Big Ten or Big 12 teams on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter who the Gaels play, Machado is still going to bring his game and a chance for Iona to take the game.

Again, this is all based on numbers and stat sheets because I haven’t got to check out an Iona game. In another Firefox window I’m checking my local TV broadcast schedule to see if I’ll get the opportunity anytime soon.

If Machado is putting up huge numbers every game, he has to be a can’t miss player. Only wish I knew where Iona was from the beginning, I would have wanted to tune in way before the sixth game of the season.

I recently sat down with point guard Scott Machado of the 4-1 Iona Gaels. The Gaels are one of the hottest teams around with wins vs. Maryland & St. Joe’s and their floor general Machado leads the nation in assists. For all the attention Arizona transfer MoMo Jones & MAAC preseason player of the year Mike Glover have gotten – Machado is playing as well as any guard in the country. Here’s our chat…

VP: Are you surprised that you and the team are off to such a great start?

Machado: I’m not as surprised because as returners, this is the second year under the system. I think our veterans have take our style of play to the next level and our new guys have adjusted pretty well.

VP: Explain that system. You guys lead the country in scoring. How much of that is talent & how much of that is the system producing points?

Machado: It’s really more about being free. It’s true offensive freedom. We push the basketball, run hard and advance it up the floor right away. The first open shot is the best shot.

VP: What’s the one thing you guys do in practice that you think translates to your team scoring 94 points per game?

Machado: We scrimmage full court with a 10 second shot clock pretty often.

VP: You’ve been a household name to MAAC and NY area basketball fans but now you’re starting to receive national attention. How did you end up at Iona & where did you almost go?

Machado: Coach Kevin Willard and his staff (now at Seton Hall) were on me before I even went to St. Benedict’s and was still on Long Island. I really liked how Coach Willard worked with the guards at Louisville and how he was rebuilding the program up here. A lot of schools came around late, but Coach Willard, Coach Dan McHale and Coach Shaheen Holloway were loyal to me from the beginning. In the end, I chose Iona over UNC Charlotte and Providence.

VP: After your high school years on Long Island, how did the year at St. Ben’s under Danny Hurley help you?

Machado: I feel like I got so much better in less than a year. It was high competition for every game and I had the chance to practice with pros every day.

VP: Why has Iona basketball gone to the next level these last two years?

Machado: I think Coach Cluess and the staff have brought in great pieces to make everything fit with us veterans. Me, Kyle Smyth and Jermel Jenkins have gotten better every year. Coach Jared Grasso bringing in Michael Glover was huge. Having a dominant big man to play with makes a point guard look really good.

VP: Speaking of bringing people in, Arizona transfer MoMo Jones was big news this off-season. How did you feel about it then and now?

Machado: I knew MoMo casually because NY hoops is like one big family but we weren’t close friends yet. I read on line that he was considering Iona, so I reconnected with him and we’ve been close friends since. He’s gonna be great for us this year and next year when I’m gone. He practices shooting on his own so much. It’s just a matter of time before he breaks out.

VP: What did you learn from Kevin Willard?

Machado: How to run a team as a freshman in college. He threw me into the fire but taught me at the same time. I needed that.

VP: What did you learn from Danny Hurley? (now Wagner head coach)

Machado: Toughness.

VP: What have you learned these last two years from Tim Cluess?

Machado: How to be a scoring threat while still being a point guard first, and scorer second.

VP: You’ve credited your off-season with your play thus far. What took place in the spring and summer?

Machado: I never took a break after the season ended. I could taste the NCAA tournament after we lost the championship so I got right back at it. I trained so much for the Brazilian national team that I lost 12 pounds which has gotten me quicker. And I took 1,000 shots a day. Literally a 1,000 shots. Sometimes 500 in morning and 500 at night, but I always got the work in.

VP: What does the future hold for Scott Machado and the Iona Gaels?

Machado: I try to stay humble every day. I’ve been underrated my entire life so I still try to play like an unknown to people. But I truly believe we can win a game in the NCAA tournament if we win the MAAC championship.

VP: Some people are even dreaming of a Sweet 16 appearance.

Machado: Why not? You never know.

Vin Parise (@VinParise) on Twitter

Kendall Marshall doesn't score much, but he is an invaluable part to the North Carolina Tar Heels. Photo Courtesy: HoopSpeakU

At this early point of the season, I haven’t had the chance to catch a game of every point guard that I’d like to. However, there is no better point guard than the North Carolina Tar Heels Kendall Marshall in the country right now.

Heading into the season, one of the major questions surrounding the No. 5 ranked Tar Heels was whether or not Marshall could be an effective player on both sides of the ball. He has been more than effective as he’s expanded on his freshman season as the sophomore is delivering exactly what North Carolina needs.

A floor general who will get the best out of the talent around him.

Sure, the talent around him is some of the best in nation with Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller. But if they’re not getting the ball when they should, not getting it in the right position or at the right time, they won’t be as successful.

Until the 90-80 lose against the UNLV Rebels on Saturday, the Tar Heels were undefeated and rolling through everyone. Now, at 5-1 and without an injured Barnes who left the game with the Rebels on crutches, Marshall has to step up yet another level.

Currently, he is averaging 10.8 assists a game to help the Tar Heels come in third in the nation in assists per game with 20.8. The only player Marshall averages less assists than is Iona’s Scott Machado, who averages 12.2 per game.

From what I’ve heard, Machado might be the headline of my next point guard in the nation segment. But, he isn’t the name in this one.

While Marshall dishes to every teammate he has ever had, he doesn’t score the ball much because he doesn’t need to. If Barnes isn’t in the lineup against N0. 7 Wisconsin on Wednesday, he better be prepared to do something extra.

He will either have to finish with 15 to 18 assists or score 10 to 15 points. Marshall has had two games with 15 assists and one of with 14. His s season high is points (7) came against UNLV, when Barnes got injured. This seems to be a sign that he is going to do more.

The only problem: he isn’t a great shooter and doesn’t look to put points on the board. In any other situation, I love it because I favor floor generals and pass first guys over the run and gun, got to shoot the ball every time players. It may hard to switch his brain from pass to shoot.

Also, as I mentioned, Marshall will still have Zeller and Henson who can put up points in bunches. Henson averages 16 ppg and Zeller averages 13.5 ppg. Marshall has all the ability in the world to get these players even more involved and turn a  lesser known scorer into a productive and effective player.

The ability to be able to say that about a point guard in college says a lot about the player Marshall is. I think he is the type of guy who can turn a scrub into a good player, a good player into a great player and a great player into a legend.

He himself will probably never be a superstar player because he only shoots the ball five times a game. We’ll have to see if it goes up eventually, but he does everything else you want a point guard to do.

I think I’m done pounding his assists numbers into the brain. He also plays solid man-to-man defense, steals the ball, grabs a few rebounds every game and is raising his free-throw percentage.

Some times a player may not be a great one-on-one player but is a very important part to a team. Without Marshall, I don’t think North Carolina would be as good as they are. I know it sounds crazy with the talent around him, but Marshall is manning and maintaining the top of the key every night on both sides of the ball.

I like players that don’t have to have gaudy numbers to show they can play and make a difference. Marshall is definitely that guy.

1. SMOOTH SCOTT

Scott Machado has made national headlines during the first few weeks of the season for many reasons but the one that stands out the most is the renewed confidence he has in his outside shot. Despite not being much of a perimeter threat during the first three years of his career, Machado now has a reliable stroke from deep to go with his exceptional playmaking skills. A truly complete point guard in every facet of the game, Machado has a legitimate chance to be a candidate for the Cousy Award, which goes to the nation’s top floor general.

2. SOUTHPAW SAVAGE

Even if defeat, Jamal Olasewere showed why he’s an absolute killer. In the early minutes while LIU was competitive in the first half, the lefty big man traded blows with the Iona front court and single handidly kept the Blackbirds in the game. If Jim Ferry’s team is to win a second consecutive NEC title, this is the man to lead them there.

3. TAAJ’S TOUCH

Tim Cluess said in the preseason he was concerned if whether or not Iona would have a quality second big man to start on the baseline against bigger teams — and the Gaels may have solved that problem with the addition of Taaj Ridley. A JUCO transfer with good size at 6-foot-7, Ridley is an effective shooter from the elbow and can really steal minutes at both front court spots for Iona.

4. LIKE A GLOVE

It doesn’t seem to matter who Iona is playing — Mike Glover is always going to get his numbers. A terrific finisher around the rim, Glover is also an out of area rebounder that always winds up around the ball on both the offensive and defensive glass. The 6-foot-7 senior power forward scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the rout over LIU and is eerily similar to former Ohio big man Gary Trent, who played multiple seasons in the NBA.

5. SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER SNIPER

He may not receive the attention of the rest of the Iona back court — but Jermel Jenkins is an extremely valuable piece for the Gaels. A gunner with tremendous range, Jenkins gives Iona a legitimate perimeter scoring threat off the bench — and one that will be even more vital in the MAAC Conference.

BY THE NUMBERS

28-14-26

The number of points and rebounds in 26 minutes for Mike Glover.

84

The number of shots taken for Iona.

THEY SAID IT

“They are one of the most dynamic offensive teams I’ve seen in ten years. All of their pieces fit,” – LIU Coach Jim Ferry on Iona.

“They’re a five seed,” Ferry on the caliber of Iona in terms of potential NCAA Tournament seeding.

“We’re just worried about defense. Offensively, we have enough weapons to always be clicking,” Scott Machado on Iona.

Your thoughts from Iona-LIU? Be heard in the comments below…

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)–Robbie Hummel made a 3-pointer with 20 seconds remaining to give Purdue a 91-90 victory over Iona on Wednesday in the 5-Hour Energy Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

Iona (0-1) took a 90-88 lead with 33 seconds on a foul-line jumper by Lamont Jones. But Hummel answered with his fourth 3-pointer, giving him a game-high 24 points.

Iona’s Lamont Jones tried to drive to the basket in the final seconds, but lost the ball after he was surrounded by three Purdue defenders.

Purdue’s Ryne Smith was fouled and missed both his free-throw attempts, but Iona failed to connect on a half-court shot at the buzzer.

Lewis Jackson scored 17 points and Smith had 15 on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range for Purdue (3-0).

For Iona, Lamont Jones scored 17 points, Taaj Ridley had 16 points and 12 rebounds, Scott Machado had 14 points and 11 assists and Mike Glover added 13 points and 12 rebounds.

“My concern was that if we came in here and laid an egg, I could lose them this early in the year,” Iona head coach Tim Cluess would say after the game, referring to his players. “They’d say, ‘We worked really hard, coach, and we still didn’t win.’”

Instead of losing the game and potentially their confidence, the Gaels picked up a quality nonconference win, overcoming a six-point deficit with less than a minute remaining and eventually winning in double-overtime. They used the momentum to rattle off seven straight victories and embark on a run that took them all the way to the MAAC championship game.

In the title game, Iona ran into St. Peter’s, a team committed to a defensive philosophy that was able to hold the Gaels to their lowest output of the season in a 62-57 victory.

But the ride to the finals in Bridgeport was an impressive one. Iona played a competitive game with Syracuse, losing by just six. When the Gaels beat Niagara on Jan. 21, they improved to 7-1 in the MAAC.

Iona then hit its only rough patch of the conference season, dropping four in a row—by margins of two, two, three (in OT), and four. The Gaels picked it up from there, posting another seven-game win streak to end the regular season, with most of the games decided by hefty margins. The final game of the regular season was a victory over No. 1 seed Fairfield, which cemented Iona as the hottest team in the MAAC heading into the conference tournament.

And just in case there were any doubts, Iona eliminated three-time defending champ Siena in the quarterfinals, 94-64. In the semis, the Gaels looked like a well-oiled offensive machine once again, beating Rider 83-59, before stalling against St. Peter’s.

The 22 wins are the most for the program since 2006, when it won 23 games, and Iona has a chance to add to that total in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). The Gaels play tomorrow night at Valparaiso. Future matchups are based on seeding, so Iona’s potential next opponent is unknown.

Scott Machado, left, and Mike Glover, return next season. (Credit: Warren Rosenberg/ICGaels.com)

Looking ahead to next year, Iona loses just two seniors, Rashon Dwight and Alejo Rodriguez, though both were starters. Dwight, who averaged 8.5 points per game and led the team in steals, came on strong in the second half of the season. Rodriguez’s production was limited as he recovered from two offseason hip surgeries, but he was the second leading rebounder. The effort was there, but as Cluess pointed out after the title game, Rodriguez just didn’t seem to have the legs necessary to play three games in as many days.

Iona returns its two best players in First Team All-MAAC performers Scott Machado and Mike Glover. Machado is tied for the second in the country in assists as we head into the various postseason tournaments, while Glover posted 18 double-doubles and will likely be the frontrunner next season for MAAC Player of the Year.

They’ll both be seniors, as will guards Jermel Jenkins and Trinity Fields and versatile swingman Randy Dezouvre, giving the Gaels a nice senior core, which is often a component of conference championship teams, especially at the mid-major level. Kyle Smyth (third leading scorer at 10.1 per game) and Chris Pelcher (a 6’10 center who developed nicely this season and will take on an even greater role with the departure of Rodriguez) will be juniors. Sharpshooter Sean Armand returns, as does Jayon James, who missed most of the season due to injury.

Despite the hurt of falling just short of an NCAA Tournament bid, it was an extremely success first season for Cluess. Consider the average margin in Iona’s 11 losses was just 4.1 points, and only once did Iona lose by double digits this season, a 10-point loss during that rocky opening weekend. In other words, the Gaels were competitive in virtually every game.

There’s no reason to think Iona won’t be near the top of the MAAC standings again next season. With more seniors, the Gaels might have the added sense of urgency that is required to navigate all the way through a conference tournament.

The game got out of hand about as quickly as a game can. Iona led from start to finish. Its first double-digit lead came nine minutes in; two minutes later the margin was 17. The Gaels led 56-36 at half. They went up 41 with 4:57 left in the game.

Here are some of Iona’s statistics:

· 36/54 (66.7 percent) from the field
· 16/27 (59.3 percent) from three
· 19/26 (73.1 percent) from the field in first half
· Frontcourt: 15/17 (88.2 percent) from the field

Let those numbers sink in for a moment.

This is a rivalry game—the campuses are separated by fewer than 10 miles—and it was Senior Night no less. Yet the effort on the defensive end was abysmal. Iona often beat Manhattan’s defense down the floor to get easy baskets. If the Gaels couldn’t get anything off the initial fast break, it didn’t take them long to find an open look in their halfcourt offense.

“The speed of the game caught up to us and hurt us early on,” Manhattan head coach Barry Rohrssen said. “They hit baskets and got confident and it just continued for them.” Later, he added: “We’ve got to guard some people. If you want to win a game you’ve got to guard some people for 40 minutes. It doesn’t matter how many points you put up. It comes down to getting some stops.”

It certainly didn’t help that Iona was pouring in practically everything—point guard Scott Machado was shooting just 28 percent from deep entering the contest and hit six-of-eight from downtown last night—but such a small percentage of the shots were contested.

“I’m surrounded by a bunch of shooters on my team,” said Machado, the nation’s assist leader. “When you’re the worst shooter on your team and you’re hitting shots like that, you feel good. The basket looks like an ocean.”

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It was all downhill after the opening tip for the Jaspers.

Manhattan sophomore George Beamon, who led all scorers with 21, preferred to talk about redemption in the Jaspers’ remaining games than analyze what went wrong against Iona. “It’s just one of those nights. It was crazy,” Beamon said. “We’ve just got to bring it next game.”

Manhattan is 5-22 (3-13 in MAAC) this season and was a double-digit underdog against the Gaels (17-10, 11-5). But the Jaspers were coming off a win over Siena on Sunday and you had to expect a more inspired performance given the circumstances. “I haven’t remembered a game like this in a while,” Machado said. “We came to play tonight.” In what was the last game at Draddy Gym for the seniors, Manhattan did not.

He was completely serious, which almost makes you wonder, just for a moment, whether he was joking when he laughed and said, “I figured if we lost this one I’d have to see if I was still working here come Monday.”

It was no secret that it was a critical win for Iona, even though it likely didn’t have postseason implications for the Gaels. The 0-3 start at the World Vision Classic in Cleveland was horrendous. Iona had late-game breakdowns against Kent State and Bryant, which posted a 1-29 record last season. The Gaels lost by a combined three points in those two games and shot 32/54 (59 percent) from the free throw line.

Many fans started to doubt Cluess, some of whom likely didn’t care for the hire to begin with. Cluess had coached—and won—a lot of games, but until Thursday he hadn’t won at the D1 level. Cluess still believed his style, his schemes, and this group of players could turn it around. “They worked so hard when we came back (from Cleveland),” he said. “After that road trip I said, ‘As beat up as we are, we’ve got to practice. We’re not going to get better unless we do that.’ Guys were hurting, but they didn’t complain; they worked their butts off. I knew they had it in them.”

They responded with an exhilarating double-overtime victory against a team that reached the NCAA Tournament last year, returned the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year, and was picked to finished third in the conference this season.

Scott Machado led the way with a career-high 28 points to go along with six assists, five rebounds, and three steals. “As we keep learning the offense and trusting in it, we’re going to get better,” Machado said. “We have to buy into it.”

Even in this photo you can tell Scott Machado is fast.

Part of Cluess’ strategy against Richmond was to shorten his bench. Or, more specifically, limit the reserves’ minutes. Senior Rashon Dwight, who started 25 games last season and two in Cleveland (averaging 21 minutes per game), didn’t play against the Spiders. You’ve got to imagine he’ll be worked back into the rotation, but in what was essentially a must-win game, Cluess decided Thursday was not the time to let Dwight shake his 6-for-22 shooting slump.

Each of the five starters—Machado, Jermel Jenkins, Kyle Smyth, Michael Glover, and Alejo Rodriguez—logged at least 37 minutes; all but Smyth played at least 44. Nine Gaels saw action, but only guard Trinity Fields reached double-digit minutes. Others were simply used to give the starters a quick breather.

These two big men, Alejo Rodriguez (under basket) and Michael Glover, were instrumental in Iona’s victory

“Conditioning is what got us through the game—us working hard every day in practice,” Glover said. The Gaels also converted the important foul shots. Machado hit all four of his attempts in double-OT, the second putting his team ahead for good. “Coach emphasized free throws,” the junior said. “We needed to knock down our free throws down the stretch. That’s what messed us up in Cleveland.”

This one game doesn’t vindicate Cluess or this year’s Iona team, just as the first three didn’t seal their fate. But Cluess’ postgame sigh of relief could be heard in Mount Vernon.

Gerardo Suero: El Futuro? (Scout.com)

Before Gael-ing, congratulations to Coach Brown for piecing together a great recruiting class.  I’m holding my breath until opening day when Gerardo Suero actually steps onto the court as a Great Dane… but if it all goes as planned, he is an unbelievable pick-up. Will Brown told the Record (the Capital Region publication of choice) that Suero, who played at the same high school as Ambrose and Jamar, is better than Jamar Wilson… according to Jamar Wilson himself. Suero should comfortably slide right into Ambrose’s spot in a low pressure situation with two then upperclassmen guards, Black and Aronhalt, who already know their roles. It could be real pretty basketball folks…. But getting wayyyy ahead of myself: IONA.

Inside-Out: Iona is the most complete team UAlbany has played so far; they have an elite inside-out combination in Michael Glover and Scott Machado.

Cover the Glove?: Glover, a 6’7 manchild, was supposed to go to the Seton Hall in the Big East before his eligibility fell through (TU’s gamenotes are incorrect, he never actually played there) and he played juco ball out west. He’s back east this season and tearing it up- and getting hacked in the process. In four games, he’s attempted 15 free throws twice, that’s at least eight fouls drawn (he shot 8 free throws in the other two games). Young and inexperienced as our frontcourt is, Glover could easily get two of our guys in foul trouble. This would be especially problematic because Puk might be shut down for the week to heal his achilles (thanks to UAalum72 for patrolling the radiowaves). The key for UA seems to be to keep Metcalf on the floor- he can bang, but he can pick up a few quick fouls as fast as anybody. If Puk can’t go, leaving Lindfors and Devlin to fend for themselves down low sounds like trouble. Could we see Will reach deep into his bench for Theo Hatcher?

Contain Machado: It seems inevitable that Glover will get his points, but former MAAC rookie of the year and preseason all-league pick Machado, a 6’1 guard, is the player UA must contain- if Glover and Machado are both on, this game will be out of reach. He’s off to a hot start with 15.5 PPG, 5.5 APG and 5.5 RPG. Outside of these two, there are a few role players who can hurt you with their range,  Jermel Jenkins and Kyle Smyth, but no game changers. Putting the clamps on Machado, the hub of their offense, could give the Great Danes a chance.

Back with Black: (Edit: Black will not go tonight)

All in All: UAlbany will get their 10+ from Tim and Logan, but to win this game will require a strong scoring for a 3/4th option. Iona has good group of vet guards, so I think to spring the upset, UA will need a big game from a scoring forward, Devlin or even Lindfors. It will likely shake out that this is the best MAAC team we play all year so a victory on Tuesday night would be a signature win.

The loss was disappointing on many fronts for the Friars, who have already dropped their second game of the season.  There were of number of times where PC seemed poised to make a comeback but could not get their shots to fall.  Some of the Friars seemed to be wary of the dangerous Iona team that came to the Dunk, however, that message did not reach everybody on the team.

“We knew they had a good ballclub coming in.  We knew that if we didn’t play our best basketball, that we could be in for a long night.”

Sharaud Curry said:

“The guys are not as experienced and they might not know that we have to be ready for every team. We have to prepare for every game.  At this level, anybody can beat you. Guys will find that out.”

Providence will next play Yale at the Dunk on December 21.

That was an embarrassing loss.  We knew that Iona was a dangerous team coming into this game.  They had a couple close games with good competition in FSU and Baylor, but it just didn’t seem like everybody on the team respected them as a team that could (and eventually would) beat them.  Also the offense was apparently exhausted last game at GW, because there was none left for this game.  Essentially all the things that were so good about last game were missing this game.  Last game there was complete balance, with everybody getting offensively into the mix.  The extra passes were being made and the shots were falling.  None of that happened last night.  The 3 point average from GW which was right around .500 was at .161.  A night when you can only shoot 30% from the field is a night when you are going to struggle to win.  As always the problem is consistency.  We understand that there will be good nights and bad ones, but to have such a difference between the GW game and the Iona game is a lot to take.

There really weren’t too many positives in the game except that by some miracle Bilal was the only Friar who didn’t pick up a personal foul, and that Johnnie Lacy provided a spark off of the bench.

This is a loss that you are embarrassed about.  It is part of the growing pains for sure, but ouch… it hurts.  We don’t expect to fair so well in the BIG EAST, but we did expect to be much better in the OOC.  But this is part of the building and hopefully this delayed gratification will be great when we finally receive it.  That doesn’t take away any of the sting of getting beat on your own court by a MAAC team though.  And it’s difficult to put any sort of positive spin on this either.  It wasn’t a close game that gave you experience or anything like that.  We guess it just taught this young team that you have to come to play everyday.  It doesn’t matter what the name on the other jersey says.

PFB Player of the Game: Marshon Brooks - A tough one between Marshon and Johnnie Lacy.  Johnnie finally had a nice game off of the bench, but Marshon’s 18 points and 7 rebounds give him the edge by a little.

Links:

Friars.com

Men’s Basketball Defeated by Iona, 82-73

ProJo.com

Friar’s can’t find rhythm and are shocked by Gaels

Friarblog

Quick Iona Roundup

The State of Providence Basketball

Ready for Iona at the Dunk

All-time Series: Providence 1,   Iona 2

Location: The Dunkin’ Donuts Center (Providence, RI)

Date: Saturday December, 12

Time: 7:00

Coverage: Radio- WEEI 103.7 FM Providence

Preview: The Friars (7-3) will take on the Iona College Gaels (5-4) at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, who will be playing their third game in less than a week.  This marks the 4th meeting all time between the two teams with Iona currently holding the 2-1 series advantage.  There last win coming in 1998 at Providence.  The Gaels, who were predicted to finish ninth in the ten team MAAC conference have played better than expected in the early goings.  An overtime loss to Baylor, and a close loss to Florida State have proven that at the very least the Gaels are a dangerous team.  The Gaels are led by sophomore guard Scott Machado.  Muchado is the returning MAAC Player of the Year and leads the team in scoring at 10.4 ppg.  After Muchado there are no other standouts, as Iona uses a very balanced scoring attack to reach their 66.4 ppg.  They are also rebound by committee.  Last year, Iona played 11 games decided by three points or less; they only won three of them.  This season they have had two (we will include the overtime lose to Baylor) and they have lost both of them.

PFB Perspective: Some of you may recall that Iona College was Tim Welsh’s team before his coming to Providence.  Welsh was in his last season at Iona last time these two teams played, leading them to a 68-62 win in Providence.  Iona has played some good teams very well this year, which makes them a dangerous team. Providence is expected to and should win this game, but Iona should not be taken lightly.  They have had trouble closing out close games, but so have we, so hopefully our experience in tight games helps out.  Iona does not have any one player that will really get you.  Machado is good but at 10 points a game he is hardly an explosive offensive threat.  They used a balanced attack scoring and on the boards.  They do have some decent height, put the PC atleticism and skill down low should make up for that.  As always it will be important for Bilal to stay out of foul trouble and in the game.

Instead of going into what we need from each player this game, we will say that we want to see what we saw in D.C., except plus some defense.  A balanced attack would be too difficult for the Gaels to keep up with.  They do not have the same athleticism and will not be able to match up at every position.  We also need a 40 minute performance.  Last game was good, but we need to keep it up.  As we said before, we should be able to beat Iona, but if you let them hang around or take a five minute break they can make you pay for it.  This is the last game before the long finals break so its important that we come out strong and firing.  It also wouldn’t hurt if we could keep some of the hot shooting hands from last game going into this one.  Besides that we are really looking to see if B-Mac can have another strong game and to see if Bilal can stay out of foul trouble and in the game.

We know finals are here, but if you have time on Saturday night, maybe skip the PC-BC hockey game, try to make it out to the Dunk to give the team some support.

Links:

Friars.com

Men’s Basketball Game Notes vs. Iona

ProJo.com

Capsule Preview: Iona at PC

Friarblog

What To / Where To: Game #11 vs. Iona

The State of Providence Basketball

Preview for Iona Gaels (5-4, 0-2)

Final Standings

1.  Siena (16-2) 26-7
2.  Niagara (14-4) 26-8
3.  Rider (12-6) 19-12
4.  Fairfield (9-9) 17-15
4.  Manhattan (9-9) 16-14
6.  Saint Peter’s (8-10) 11-19
7.  Iona (7-11) 12-19
7.  Loyola (MD) (7-11) 12-20
9.  Canisius (4-14) 11-20
9. Marist (4-14) 10-23

Who’s Dancing: Siena: They beat Niagara 77-70 to win the MAAC tourney for the 2nd year in a row

On the Bubble:Niagara,26-8. rpi:49: The Purple Eagles are probably on the outside looking in after losing the conf. tourney.

MVP: Ryan Thompson, Jr., G, Rider: 18.4ppg, 6.5rpg, 3.2apg, 1.7spg: Thompson led the MAAC and scoring and put up huge numbers in the conf tourney as he tried to get his team into the Big Dance.

Most Outstanding Defender: Tyrone Lewis, Jr., G, Niagara: 16.3ppg, 4.7rpg, 2.6spg, 2.0apg, .8bpg: Lewis lead the conf in steals and was without question one of the top defenders in the MAAC

Most Outstanding Freshman: Scott Machado, Fr., G, Iona: 932ppg, 3.4rpg, 4.8apg, 1.3spg

Pub All-MAAC Team

• G: Ryan Thompson Jr., Rider: 18.4ppg, 6.5rpg, 3.2apg, 1.7spg
• G:  Jamal Barney, So., Loyola (MD): 18.1ppg, 5.5rpg, 1.3agp, 1.4spg
• F:  Bilal Benn, Jr., Niagara: 13.9ppg, 9.4rpg, 2.4spg, 2.6apg, 0.5bpg
• F:  Ryan Schneider, Sr., Marist: 15.9ppg, 8.2rpg, 1.4spg, 1.4apg
• F:  Ryan Rossiter, So., Siena: 10.0ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.9bpg, 1.2spg
  

Top Coach

Fran McCaffery, Siena: What can you say? McCaffery has done a great job with this program.  They had a good season last year and they followed it up with a great one this year.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ –

Standings as of January 30, 2009

• Siena        10-0
• Niagara    6-3
• Rider        6-3
• Fairfield    5-5
• Manhattan    5-5
• Iona        5-5
• Loyola        5-5
• Marist        3-7
• Canisius    2-8
• St.Peter’s    2-8

Player of the Week : Ryan Rossiter, Siena. The sophomore forward sparkled in a big win over Niagara with an 18 point,12 rebound, 5 block effort.

Rookie of the Week : Novar Gadson , Rider. The 6-7 swingman averaged a double double, 19 points, 10 rebounds in a2-0 week for the Broncs.

A tempo free rundown. The cliché tells us ‘offense sells tickets, defense wins ballgames.’ So this week we will look at defensive efficiency in conference games to date.

Defensive Efficiency

• Siena            93
• Iona            93
• Niagara        96
• Manhattan        97
• St.Peter’s        99
• Fairfield        101
• Rider            102
• Loyola            102
• Marist            102
• Canisius        102

MAAC Morsels.

• Quick note: Why is St. Peter’s fifth in defensive efficiency yet near the bottom of the MAAC standings? Simply, offense. The Peacocks’ offensive efficiency is 92, the lowest in the conference.
• Siena has won 14 of 16 since dropping their initial three at the Old Spice Classic in November. Fran McCaffery has all 5 starters averaging over 9 points per game. The work of Ryan Rossiter, MAAC Player of the Week, is a welcome addition to a veteran cast. Rossiter gives Siena another productive player to count on.
• Speaking of the Old Spice Classic, the 2009 field has been announced and includes the likes of Michigan, Baylor, Marquette and Xavier. For the fourth straight year the MAAC will sponsor the event at the Milk House in Orlando. Iona is the MAAC school in this year’s tournament to be held Thanksgiving weekend.
• Marist dropped two tough homes games but coach Chucky Martin got some good news. Cassiem Drummond will join the program. Drummond , a 6-10 center transferred out of Villanova. He will be eligible following the Fall 2009 semester. Drummond was a Bloomfield Tech (NJ) High School teammate of Marist freshman guard R.J. Hall.
• Tyrone Lewis leads Niagara in scoring but the thing that makes the Purple Eagles dangerous is four starters average double figures. Despite losing their showdown at Siena, 82-65, Joe Mihalich’s club received significant contributions from freshman guard Austin Cooley who had 13 points in 26 minutes.
• St.Peter’s had a hard luck three game losing streak. Two by a combined total of three points. St.Peter’s fell at Loyola 57-56 then dropped a 62-60 decision to Manhattan as Antoine Pearson of the Jaspers hit a fifteen footer as time expired. Guards Nick Leon and Ryan Bacon, a forward and hard worker inside, continue to excel for the Peacocks.
• Iona became the first MAAC program to win 250 games in regular season conference play. The Gaels did it with a 71-51 win over Manhattan at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Freshman guard Scott Machado had a solid all around outing with 13 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds.
• Tough year for Canisius but junior guard Frank Turner excels. Turner has hit double figures scoring seventeen times. He became the first Canisius player to score 20 points in three consecutive games since Micheal Meeks did it in the mid-nineties.
• Keep an eye on Rider. The Broncs are 6-3 at the halfway mark in the MAAC. Of greater significance is six of Rider’s games to date have been on the road. So the comforts of home court await as the second part of the schedule unfolds.
• Fairfield is another club to watch with another nice home stretch coming up. Incidentally, Fairfield point guard Jonathan Han was not in the starting lineup against Rider. That snapped a string of 69 consecutive starts.  Han has started 97 of 109 career appearances.
• Loyola scored their first road win over Marist in a decade with a 73-72 overtime victory. Loyola’s Brett Harvey tied the game in regulation with a 35 footer at the buzzer.
• Hard to believe…Just over a month remains before everyone meets in Albany.

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ – The standings of the MAAC as of January 16th.

1. Siena        7-0
2. Fairfield    5-2
3. Niagara    4-2
4. Rider        4-2
5. Manhattan    3-3
6. Iona        3-4
7. Marist        3-4
8. St.Peter’s    2-5
9. Loyola        1-5
10. Canisius    1-6

About the only constant in the MAAC these days is Siena just keeps on posting the Ws. The Saints are off  to their best start over their 19 year history in the conference. Trivia question, what conference did Siena play in prior to the MAAC ? The old North Atlantic which many of its members today call the America East as home. Siena’s junior point guard earned MAAC Player of the Week honors with a 14.7 ppg, ,6.7 assists and 5 rebounds per game showing over a three game stretch.

Freshman guard Scott Machado averaged 16 points, 4 assists per game to earn conference Rookie of the Week accolades. Speaking of Iona…the Gaels upset Niagara with a 71-65 road victory at the Gallagher Center on Thursday. Gary Springer led the way with 16 points.

Thursday gave another upset of note just twenty miles down the road from Niagara. In Buffalo, Canisius scored an 84-66 upset over Rider behind a career high 26 points from Julius Coles. It was the Griffs’ first MAAC win of the season and prevented Rider from claiming sole possession of second place.  Thursday action also included a 75-68 win by Fairfield over St.Peter’s in Jersey City. The Stags shot a sizzling 62% (13 of 21) from three point range. St. Peter’s, as noted last week, battled Niagara tough in last Friday’s loss. The Peacocks followed up with a nice home win over Loyola on Sunday before entertaining Fairfield last night. Siena also received a scare from resurgent Marist. The Saints held off the Red Foxes in a tough 91-85 road win in overtime. Alex Franklin (19 points 10 baords) led the way for Siena. Marist, playing well of late had come off a home win over Niagara on Sunday. Ryan Schneider, doing an excellent job inside and a main reason for Marist’s recent reversal of fortunes, had 19 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.

Loyola, many observers felt, could do some damage in conference play. So far the damage has been self inflicted as the Greyhounds are off to a 1-5 start. Shooting and defensive woes have been problems for Jimmy Patsos’ club. Tempo free stats, you knew they would be in this column, show Loyola shooting an effective field goal percentage of 46% (third lowest in the MAAC). On the defensive end their efficiency is a poor 105, a mark which is second lowest in the conference.

Among the games this weekend, Siena at Fairfield and Rider at Niagara are particularly of interest. Rider didn’t expect to go 0-2 on their Western New York swing and Niagara does not entertain two straight Ls at home so this one among two strong contenders, should be interesting. League leading Siena will face a tough Fairfield team in a very interesting road contest. Tempo will play a big role in that one as Siena averages a brisk 73 possessions and Fairfield is comfortable with a slower pace in the high sixties.

LYNDHURST, NJ – The MAAC plays a few conference games prior to the New Year, so the time was appropriate to get a tempo free look at the results.

Average possessions in the conference games was 70, actually 69.7 rounded up. Expect things to change for Loyola. The schedule maker wasn’t kind to Jimmy Patsos as the Greyhounds faced Siena and Niagara, arguably the two best teams in conference during December.

Players of the Week:

• Anthony Johnson , 6-8 JR center, Fairfield – Averaged a double/double (11.5 ppg 14.5 rpg) in wins over Fordham and Drexel.
• Chris Smith, 6-3 SO Guard, Manhattan – Drained a career high 35 pointys in a win over Princeton.

Rookie of the Week:

• Scott Machado, 6-1 FR guard, Iona – Averaged 11 points, 7.5 assists in wins over LIU and St.Francis(PA).

MAAC News & Notes:

• St.Benedict’s Prep (NJ) coach Danny Hurley must be proud. Both Smith and Machado hail from the Newark based prep power.
• This is the third straight season Fairfield has a seven game win streak. Stags last won 8 in a row back in 1977-78. Matching that will be a tall order as Fairfield must beat UConn on December 26 for number eight.
• Out of conference schedule has been tough for 3-7 Loyola as well. Greyhounds, in total, faced five NCAA teams from last season in their first ten games.
• Chris Smith had a phenomenal shooting day in the Princeton contest. Smith was 12 of 17 (71%) from the floor, including 4 of 5 beyond the arc.
• Mix and match. Marist coach Chucky Martin gave freshmen Alex Vouyoukas and R.J. Hall their first starts against Cleveland State on December 13th. Red Foxes dropped that game against the Horizon League favorites.
• Marist faces St.John’s in the Holiday Festival at the Garden this weekend. Virginia Tech and Columbia are also in the field.
• Niagara, off to a 7-2 start, will make the MAAC race interesting. Purple Eagles are getting great play from junior guard Tyrone Lewis. Their recent road win at South Florida marked the second straight year Joe Mihalich’s club defeated a Big East team away from home. Last December they knocked off St.John’s.
• Siena’s loss at Pitt on Thursday put the Saints at 5-4. The schedule is demanding and after last year’s NCAA (21 point win over Vanderbilt) , the Saints will not sneak up on anyone. The trio of Alex Franklin, Edwin Ubiles and Kenny Hansbrouck each and all have the ability to do a great deal of damage against opposing defenses.
• Rider recently defeated Monmouth and is 8-4 against the Hawks since joining the MAAC. A former member of the Northeast Conference, Rider defeated Monmouth for the NEC crown in 1994.  Mansell family did the damage against Monmouth. Senior Harris Mansell was 1 of 8 from three so his brother, Patrick, a sophomore came off the bench to can 4 of 5 treys for the Broncs.
• Jason Thompson’s uniform #1 will be retired at the January 4th game against Marist. Thompson’s Sacramento Kings will be in state to play the New Jersey Nets.

To all… a happy MAAC and tempo free holiday.