During the college basketball season, Stony Brook does not immediately come to mind as a "must see" team. However, with the arrival of Preye Preboye on campus, that opinion may soon change.
Preboye is a 6'6" forward from Springfield, Mass. Before enrolling at Stony Brook, he spent a year at Winchendon Prep School where he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game.
In two games this season, Preboye is third on the team in scoring at 10 points per game and second in rebounding with 5.5 per game. He leads the Seawolves in steals with five although he plays a little less than 15 minutes a game.
Currently, Preboye is playing behind Stony Brook's senior leading scorer Muhammad El-Amin. Coming off the bench, Preboye unleashes a dose of athleticism the opposition is not prepared to face.
He is already an accomplished defender who is able and eager to guard the opponent's best player. Preboye is a lethal weapon on the fast break as he can run the floor as well as anyone on the team.
Preboye is a left-handed player that does not look like one. He can drive to his left or right and is equally adept to finish with either hand. Once Preboye improves his three-point shooting, he will become almost impossible to defend.
Teaming Preboye with senior point guard Eddie Castellanos and the 6'10" Desmond Adedeji, Stony Brook possesses one of the best reserve units in the America East Conference.
Last season, Stony Brook finished 16-14 overall and 8-8 in conference play. Both those totals respectively represent the best the Seawolves have done in their eight years as a member of the America East.
That is quite the accomplishment for a team that started two freshmen, Bryan Dougher and Dallis Joyner, every game last year.
The Seawolves are currently undefeated with wins over Maryland-Eastern Shore and Division III Mount Saint Mary College. With the help of Preboye, Stony Brook will soon find itself at the top of the America East and dancing in March.
It is too early to call Preboye the best player in Stony Brook history just yet. However, if one does it now, he will looked upon as a college basketball genius four years from now.
America East College Basketball: 2009-2010 Conference Preview
Oct 19, 2009
The Binghamton Bearcats had an opportunity to be the favorite in the America East Conference heading into the 2009-2010 season, but their downfall in the past month or so has left the door wide open.
Known as one of the smaller conferences in Division I basketball, teams in the America East may not be considered title contenders, but they still have plenty of talent and fight.
It was only a few years ago in which Albany represented the America East in the NCAA Tournament and, as a No.16 seed, nearly shocked the nation and the No. 1 seeded Connecticut Huskies. Although the Great Danes did not pull off the upset that year, it was back in 2005 that Vermont, as a No.13 seed, did beat fourth-seeded Syracuse in the first round.
Heading into the 2009-2010 season, all nine teams will be looking for that shot to make it to the Big Dance, but they’ll need to perform on the court if they hope to do so.
Albany: After a couple seasons of success in the America East, the Great Danes struggled last year, finishing seventh in the conference with a record of 6-10 and a sub .500 overall mark at 15-16. However, with the return of its two leading scorers from a year ago, Albany expects to climb back into the top of the standings. Led by the play of senior Will Harris and junior Tim Ambrose, the Great Danes will look to bounce back in the America East after a lackluster season a year ago.
Binghamton: The Binghamton Bearcasts have been the hot topic in the America East over the past month or so. After what could have been its best season in school history, Binghamton was poised to go after yet another NCAA Tournament bid. However, off-the-court issues have crushed the Bearcats' roster over the last month and a depleted team has lost nearly all of what was expected to carry it back into the tourney. It will be hard for Binghamton to recover very fast, and the Bearcats should find themselves towards the bottom of the conference standings.
BostonUniversity: With Binghamton most likely out of the picture in the America East, the door opens up for Boston University to be the favorite in the conference. Corey Lowe and John Holland were the Terriers' two leading scorers from a year ago and they both return, each with an opportunity to threaten for the conference Player of the Year. Along with Holland and Lowe, the Terriers return much of what landed them in third place in the standings last year. In 2009-2010, Boston U. has to be poised to make a run at an NCAA Tournament bid.
Hartford: It can’t get much worse for Hartford after a 2-14 record in the America East last season and an overall mark of 7-26. Or, maybe it can. Hartford does return its leading scorer from a year ago in Joe Zeglinski, but even the 6’0” senior does not have enough to bring the Hawks out of the basement in the America East conference. It would be nice to see Hartford win more games in 2009-2010 than it did last year, but even if the Hawks do, fans shouldn’t expect much. Hartford will be near the bottom of the conference yet again.
Maine: The Black Bears failed to reach 10 wins last season, and the struggles may be similar in 2009-2010. Second and third-leading scorers Gerald McLemore and Sean McNally, respectively, are back, but it will be tough for Maine to compete with some of the conference's better teams.
New Hampshire: Leading scorer Tyrece Gibbs is gone, but the Wildcats bring back Alvin Abreu and Tyrone Conley, who should help UNH finish somewhere in the middle of the standings. Although they may not have enough to compete with the top teams in the America East, the Wildcats finished 8-8 in conference last year and should be around that mark again this season.
Stony Brook: The Seawolves return four of their top five scorers from last year and should be ready to make a leap in the conference. From an 8-8 mark in America East play last season, Stony Brook looks to improve and should finish in the upper half of the conference. The question heading into conference play later in the season will be whether or not they can compete with the likes of Boston U. and Vermont.
UMBC: Maryland Baltimore County made the Big Dance only two years ago, but despite the 20-point-a-night performances from Darryl Proctor last season, it wasn’t enough to keep the Retrievers from finishing sixth in the conference. Their two leading scorers from the 2008-2009 campaign are gone, so it will be interesting to see how UMBC does. It should have enough to stay out of the cellar in the America East, but probably not enough talent to compete with some of the top teams.
Vermont: The Catamounts have represented the America East in the NCAA Tournament three times, all coming in a row from 2003 through 2005. They were the last team from the America East to win an NCAA Tournament game, and for the Catamounts this season, they would love to get that feeling back.
After finishing in a tie for the regular season championship with Binghamton, they were disappointed to not even make it to the America East Tournament title game. However, with the return of conference Player of the Year candidate Marqus Blakely, the Catamounts should have another shot at a run at an NCAA Tournament bid. Mike Trimboli has moved on and now the success of this Catamounts team might lie heavily on Blakely’s shoulders. He will look to improve on his 16 point, nine rebound a night averages from last season, and if he can do so Vermont will be in a good position come later in the season.
Projected Standings:
1. Boston University
2. Vermont
3. Stony Brook
4. Albany
5. New Hampshire
6. Maine
7. UMBC
8. Binghamton
9. Hartford
All-America East First Team:
G- Albany, Jr.- Tim Ambrose
F- Vermont, Sr.- Marqus Blakely
G- Boston, Sr.- Corey Lowe
G- Stony Brook, Sr.- Muhammad El-Amin
F- Boston, Jr.- John Holland
All-America East Second Team:
G- Albany, Sr.- Will Harris
G- New Hampshire, Jr.- Alvin Abreu
G- Maine, So.- Gerald McLemore
F- Boston, So.- Jake O’Brien
G- Hartford, Jr.- Joe Zeglinski
AmericaEast Player of the Year:
Guard- Corey Lowe- Sr., Boston University
Boston U, Not Reigning Champ Binghamton, the Beast of the America East
Jul 29, 2009
Boston University and Vermont have dominated the America East Conference for much of the past decade, but the two haven't fought each other for a league title since 2005.
In 2010, that will change.
The Terriers return their top six scorers after finishing third last season with an 11-5 record in the league. The Catamounts don't bring back as much talent in 2010, but it's still enough to fight the Terriers for the championship.
Vermont has one of the league's best player, Marqus Blakely, and the conference's best recruiting class. That combination makes the Catamounts, who finished 13-3 last year, a favorite and a better bet to win the league than reigning champion, Binghamton.
But that doesn't mean the Bearcats are slouches.
The conference's most dominant player, DJ Rivera, calls Binghamton home. But the surrounding cast this year is a bit thin, as second-leading scorer Dwayne Jackson is gone, as well as several key role players.
While Boston and Vermont have the most complete teams, Binghamton has enough star power to be considered a serious contender. The Bearcats did win three of four meetings with Vermont and Boston last season.
The rest of the league will be as a whole be better than last year. Hartford, Stony Brook, and Albany will be taking steps forward. The Danes will have the best shot to challenging the top three, as they have two potential All-League players in point guard Tim Ambrose and small forward Will Harris.
New Hampshire and Maine won't be too far behind the middle-tier teams in the league, while Maryland-Baltimore County should be headed for the conference dungeon.
Team by team capsules, projections, and all-league teams after the jump.
1. Boston University
The Terriers have one of the best trios of any mid-major in the country.
Small forward John Holland is an explosive scorer who can change the scoreboard from any spot on the floor. Point guard Corey Lowe does the same in addition to being a reliable distributor. Boston's future lies with sophomore big man Jake O'Brien who, averaged almost 13 points per game as a freshman. As a whole, the trio scored 47 points per game.
Boston also returns its next three leading scorers from last year. On top of all the talent, the Terriers also have one of the best incoming freshmen in the league. Point guard BJ Bailey will allow Lowe to slide over to the two-guard position, as Lowe is a deadly scorer.
2. Vermont
The Catamounts have the reigning Conference Player of the Year, as power forward Marqus Blakely can dominate both ends of the floor. Blakely is a double-double waiting to happen each night, as the senior averaged 16 points and nine boards a game last season. Blakely also is one of only a few players that averaged at least two blocks and two steals per game last season.
Blakely's supporting cast isn't as strong as what Holland and Lowe have at BU, but the Catamounts have some nice players returning. Vermont will need Michigan State transfer Maurice Joesph to step up and take on a more prominent role in the offense.
Vermont also has two of the highest-rated freshmen in the conference, and Luke Apfeld and Brendan Bald will have an immediate impact. Apfeld's versatility to guard multiple positions will make Vermont an even better defensive team after the squad led the conference in defensive efficiency last season.
3. Binghamton
The only reason Binghamton's best player, DJ Rivera, didn't win the league's Player of the Year award last season was because America East coaches weren't happy with the kind of players coach Kevin Broadus brought in from other schools. He's easily the most explosive talent in the conference, but wasn't awarded for it with any accolades.
Binghamton had five players average double-digit points last year, and three return this season. Gone are guards Malik Alvin and Dwayne Jackson, but returning is one of the league's most valuable players: Emanuel Mayben.
Binghamton's biggest weakness is actually being too small. The Bearcats only have one contributor over 6'5'', and the tallest member of their starting lineup from last year graduated. Coach Broadus's team was killed on the glass last year, and that trend should continue this season.
4. Albany
The only tandem in the league better than Tim Ambrose and Will Harris is Boston's John Holland and Corey Lowe. Like Lowe and Holland, Ambrose and Harris are a point guard-small forward duo.
The supporting cast just isn't there for the Great Danes. One other starter returns and a few reserves, but no real impact players.
The Great Danes do have an above-average class for an America East team, which will help build coach Will Brown's team for the future since point guard Ambrose will only be a junior this season.
5. Stony Brook
The league's second-best defensive team returns the majority of its core players from that finished .500 in the league.
There is the potential for the Seawolves to finish much higher than fifth with a roster as complete and experienced as theirs, but Stony Brook struggled significantly at times on offense.
6. New Hampshire
The Wildcats somehow finished .500 last year, despite being well below the league average in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
The Wildcats return the majority of their roster, but New Hampshire lacks a star player capable of taking over a game.
7. Hartford
The Hawks were anemic offensively last season, ranking 317th in offensive efficiency in the country.
Star player Joe Zeglinski returns after missing most of last season. As a sophomore, Zeglinski was named to the All-League team after averaging over 16 points per game.
8. Maine
The Black Bears' leading scorer is gone, but now-sophomore Gerald McLemore was second on the team in scoring as a freshman.
If Maine is going to make a noise in the league, it will be behind McLemore. He's the only bright spot for the Black Bears, as the defense last year was abysmal and there aren't any banner recruits coming in.
9. Maryland-Baltimore County
Only two role players remain from UM-BC's 2008 championship winning team, but those two players are going to be thrust into major roles, as just three real contributors return from last year's sixth place team.
There is hope for the future, as the Retrievers bring in several solid recruits and transfers from Marshall and Siena.
Dennis Wolff Fired! Will Pitino's Son Take the Boston Terriers' Reins?
Mar 24, 2009
There has been a whole lot of speculation on who will take over the Boston University basketball team.
Head coach Dennis Wolff has been fired after 15 years.
Wolff won the most games in program history, 247, and had four seasons remaining on a ten-year contract. His buyout is rumored to be over $1 million.
The team finished in third place and will return four starters—including America East first-team players Corey Lowe and John Holland. They also return Freshman of the Year Jake O'Brien.
Considering these factors, Athletic Director Mike Lynch must have some top candidates in mind, because Wolff was coming off a winning season and a third-place finish in the America East despite season-ending injuries to two impact players this year.
The cupboard is also not bare, given the aforementioned players' return. With Lowe, Holland, and O'Brien returning the incoming coach will have an impressive roster that will be able to contend immediately in the America East. This hopefully will attract better candidates than if waited to fire Wolff.
AD Mike Lynch decided to hire Parker Executive Search at a price of $75,000 to search for the new coach. The company is well-respected and has been used in searches for Notre Dame's Athletic Director, Nebraska's head football coach, the Big 12 commissioner, and basketball coaches for the likes of LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oregon State.
Lynch obviously is not looking to fill the position prematurely, but rather will deliberate over many qualified candidates. Now onto the possible candidates.
Within a day of the firing, The Boston Globe reported a list that led with Richard Pitino, Rick Pitino's son. Pitino is an assistant at Louisville for his father. He previously was an assistant for St. Andrew's High School in Rhode Island, the College of Charleston, Northeastern, and Duquesne. Pitino has spent the last two years assisting his father.
When asked about his interest in the BU job Pitino responded, "I would be very interested." Although there is immediate name recognition with the Pitino hiring, he has only been an assistant at the Division-I level for five years. He does have Boston roots, as he went to St. Sebastian's, but he is very young.
The other Louisville assistants who are in the running are Steve Masiello and former Celtic Walter McCarty. McCarty played for Pitino at Kentucky and on the Celtics. He has only been coaching for a couple years, so he is inexperienced. McCarty would immediately bring name recognition and he has expressed interest, but he is considered a long shot.
Steve Masiello on the other hand is the most experienced of the three Louisville assistants. Masiello has been assisting Pitino for four years. Prior to that he was an assistant to Bobby Gonzalez at Manhattan College for four years, two of which Manhattan made it to the tournament.
It has been reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal that Masiello is not interested in the job and is waiting for a bigger opening, MAC/A-10/C-USA type.
It will be interesting how Rick Pitino plays into. If he is pushing for one of his coaches over the others it would probably be his son Richard. Also does Pitino have enough juice left to even get the coach he wants the job at BU. He is not the only coach recommending his assistant.
Before UConn's opening game against Chattanooga Jim Calhoun said, "I called Mike Lynch and talked to him about Andre (LaFleur). I think there was some interest." LaFleur was one of the top scorers for Calhoun at Northeastern. LaFleur then played and coached overseas for 11 years. He has been part of the UCONN staff for the last eight years.
Other top assistants mentioned have included Pat Duquette for BC, Pittsburgh assistant Tom Herrion, and Providence assistant Pat Skerry.
Duquette has spent the last 12 years on the BC staff. BC has been incredibly successful during his time with post-season berths in seven of the last eight seasons. Duquette has stated he would not leave for just any job, but this does not seem to be any job because he has expressed his interest.
Herrion has been the associate head coach for Pitt the last two years. Before that he was the head coach for the College of Charleston and led the team to an 80-38 record under him including an NIT appearance and a top-25 ranking.
Herrion has also been the assistant at the University of Virginia for two years and Providence College for four years. In total he has 18 years of experience at the college level. Herrion was a graduate of Division II Merrimack College and grew up in Oxford.
Pat Skerry spent this past season assisting Keno Davis at Providence College. Prior to that he was an assistant at Rhode Island for three years, spent two years assisting Tom Herrion, another possible candidate, at College of Charleston, and three years at William & Mary. Skerry has spent 17 years at the collegiate level, 12 of which have been in New England.
Other names mentioned include former Providence and Iona head coach Tom Welsh, former Celtic Ed Pinckney, former Harvard head coach Frank Sullivan.
Tim Welsh is the only coach with experience at a high level school in Division I who is under consideration. Welsh has expressed interest in the job. He coached the Iona Gaels to three straight MAAC championships and post-season births. His teams made the NIT twice and NCAA once.
Welsh then moved onto Providence where he was unable to match the success at Iona, but finished with five post-season births in ten years. None of his teams ever won a NCAA tournament game. His overall record is 215-148. Welsh also was an assistant at Florida State, Syracuse, and Iona before becoming the head coach of the Gaels.
Pinckney has been an assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves for two years and previously spent the prior four years as an assistant for his alma mater, the Villanova Wildcats. Pinckney played in the NBA for twelve years for multiple teams including the Celtics. Pinckney starred for Villanova in their run to the National Championship in 1985.
Sullivan has expressed interest in the position. He spent 33 years coaching at the collegiate level including his last 16 as head coach of Harvard. Sullivan also assisted at recognizable schools like Villanova and Seton Hall. Sullivan also was a very successful head coach at Bentley for seven years. He has spent the past two seasons as the America East coordinator of officials. Sullivan is a native of Lexington and went to Westfield State.
AD Mike Lynch seems to want a new face for the program, so I doubt Tim Welsh, the most qualified, or Frank Sullivan are in the running even though both have expressed their interest. If any of the Louisville assistants are going to get this job it will be Richard Pitino, because the name still resonates at BU and also on a national stage. Masiello does not seem to have interest in it removing one of Richard's biggest competitors for the position.
The Pitino coaching tree has already produced numerous successful coaches, including Billy Donovan, Tubby Smith, Ralph Willard, Reggie Theus, Herb Sendek, and Travis Ford, to name a few. Pat Duquette is a formidable competition for the job. He knows the area so well and has much more experience than Pitino. LeFleur will be getting a head coaching shot soon, but it does not look like this year will be his.
Watch out for the dark horse Tom Herrion in all this.
Favorites: Richard Pitino, Louisville assistant; Andre LeFleur, UConn assistant; Pat Duquette, BC assistant.
Dark Horses: Tom Herrion, Pitt assistant.
Longshots: Walter McCarty, Louisville assistant; Ed Pinckney, Timberwolves assistant.
Providence Preview: A Look Ahead at the Maine Black Bears
Nov 21, 2008
The Friars (2-1) are playing their third game in five days when they face off against Maine (3-0) on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the DUNK.
It may seem troubling that a team that went 7-23 is returning most of its players from last year. However, while they had the youngest average team in the America East Conference, Maine was decimated with injuries all year long. Toward the end of the season, they practically had no point guard, causing the team to finish with the worst turnover margin in the conference.
The Black Bears only lost one starter from last year, Brian Andre (10.8 points per game, good for third on the team last year), and appear healthy for the 2008-09 season.
However, Maine was picked to finish eighth of out nine teams in the America East preseason coaches’ poll. Boston University was picked to finish first.
EARLY PREVIEW
Maine has gotten off to a surprising 3-0 start this season after beating Northern Illinois, Kennesaw State, and most recently Princeton in OT. They have been shooting pretty well from the field (49%, 54.5% eFG%), but have had trouble in the turnover department (except for the Princeton game). They have also had some trouble on the glass, losing the battle of ORB% in each game.
Scooby was the top scorer and rebounder on last year’s team. More importantly, he was one of the few players who did not get injured and played all 30 games.
Last year 211 of his 314 field goal attempts were from behind the arc, and he converted on 38.9 percent of them. He has gotten off to a slow start so far this season, hitting only 27.8 percent from downtown. The Friars always seem to have trouble defending the three, so Scooby will probably look to bust out
Due to all the injuries last year, Scooby played a lot of minutes, which kept increasing as the season wore on. We’ll see if that has any impact on his season this year.
Despite Maine’s 3-0 start on the road this season, the Friars should still give them a really tough matchup. Maine hasn’t played in a game that is going to be even close to the pace the Friars are going to throw them into.
If they continue to falter on the offensive glass and turn over the ball at a 25 percent to 30 percent rate, they may just follow in Sacred Heart’s footsteps and get run out of the DUNK.
College Basketball: Gotta Love Those Mid-Majors!
Mar 19, 2008
Just a score or two: University of Akron 65, Florida State 60. Southern Illinois 69, Oklahoma State 53. Creighton 74, URI 73. Syracuse roughing up Robert Morris, 87-81?
I know its just the NIT, but do the BCS & "Big State U" teams only give their best in the "Big Dance"? It makes me sick to hear the sanctimonious posturing and the condescending attitude of the Network "talking heads" and "former" Coaches trumpet the notion that the A-10, Missouri Valley, MAC, WCC, and others are "nice little leagues" made up of schools in the flyover states, that at times really play well and are able to defeat the "heavyweights" of the Big Ten, Big East, Pac-10, ACC, SEC, and Big XII on rare occasions when one of their "Powers" has a "down year", a "bad break," or a player scandal.
Most of the successful "Mid-Majors" will play "anybody, anywhere, anytime" and offer deserving opponents a home-and-home series to be fair about it. Until the last decade or so most of their players were not as skilled, athletic, or jumbo sized as the "factory" schools. Their student/athletes did however, stay around to gain experience, meld into the college experience, and graduate. Coaches were valued and judged by their knowledge of the game, teaching ability, and graduation rate rather than their wins & losses.
The two "P's" population and parity combined with the increase from 32 to 64 teams in the NCAA D-I basketball tourney made it possible for smaller schools to game fame and entice players. and the term "Mid-Majors came about. The exposure that Gonzaga University gained when reaching the Elite Eight and George Mason going to the Final Four, for example, are just two of the more well-known achievements of the mids.
The play of the Butlers, Davidsons, Southern Illinois, Creightons, Valpo's, St. Joes, and others have shown sports fans that "David slaying Goliath" happens far more than one suspects. Gonzaga is in the "dance" for the tenth straight year. How many of the BCS schools can make that claim?
So sit back and enjoy watching the greatest two weeks in sports, as all sixty-four teams start out with a clean slate and teams like, Butler, Drake, Gonzaga, St, Joes, San Diego, Davidson and others proudly carry the "Mid-Major" banner to more glory. Success and luv to the Schools I had to leave out for lack of space, poor memory, or individual preference.
Mark Scooby