Patriot League Basketball

The dream of every player in Division I basketball is to participate in the NCAA Tournament. Players from small conferences dream of playing the game of their lives and pulling off an upset that will be forever remembered.

It is hope of every of every No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed.

Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, a one-seed has never beaten a 16. With the aid of the basketball gods and the NCAA Selection Committee, this could be the year this historic event can finally occur. The 22-10 Lehigh Mountain Hawks can defeat Syracuse, and there are several reasons why.

Le Moyne Defeated Syracuse

Back on Nov. 3, a Division II school defeated the Orange 82-79 in an exhibition game. The Dolphins shot 48 percent from the field and made seven three-pointers in the victory. Syracuse lost although star forward Wesley Johnson tallied 34 points.

It was a contest that didn't count in the standings, but it proves anything can happen on a given day. If Le Moyne can beat Syracuse, Lehigh can too.

Syracuse Has Injured Players

Syracuse is entering the NCAA Tournament banged-up. Forward Arinze Onuaku injured his right quadriceps in Syracuse's loss to Georgetown in the Big East Tournament. Onuaku is suppose to practice on Monday, but will probably feel the effects on the injury throughout the tournament.

Johnson is dealing with a right hand he injured on Feb. 10. In the seven games between the injury and the game against Georgetown, Johnson averaged 14.0 points per game and shot 32.2 percent from the field.

Kris Joseph hurt his left knee dunking in a layup drill during a practice before the Mar. 6 game versus Louisville. He has been able to play since the injury, but the knee has been stiffening during times of inactivity.

Lehigh Is On A Winning Streak, and Syracuse Is Not

Lehigh has won seven of its last games and revenged that one loss by defeating Lafayette 74-59 in the Patriot League Tournament final. The Orange has lost its last two games.

Syracuse Has a History Being Upset in the Opening Round

In 2006, Syracuse lost to Texas A&M 66-58 as a No. 5 seed. Back in 2005, Germain Mopa Njila and T.J. Sorrentine hit consecutive three-pointers in overtime to give the Vermont Catamounts a 60-57 victory against the fourth-seeded Orange.

Syracuse became the first two-seed to lose to the 15-seed when the Orange lost to the Richmond Spiders 73-69 in 1991. Due to that loss to Richmond, Syracuse could be preordained to become the first 16-seed to suffer a defeat.

C.J. McCollum Can Dominate a Game

McCollum is the first player in Patriot League history to be named Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season. For the Mountain Hawks, he has averaged 18.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.

McCollum shoots 42.9 percent from three-point range and 81.3 percent from the foul line. He leads all Division I freshmen in scoring and has broken team and conference records in scoring by a freshman.

Along with a sweet jumper, McCollum can score by driving to the basket. He led the Mountain Hawks in scoring 17 times and has tallied at least 20 points in 16 games this season.

Lehigh Has a Deeper Bench than Syracuse

Syracuse mainly uses just Joseph and Scoop Jardine off the bench, although DaShonte Riley and Mookie Jones may receive playing time during the tournament.

Junior Rob Keefer has lost playing time because of MCCullom's emergence, but he did average 8.8 points per game last season and was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2008.

Guard Michael Ojo is fifth in scoring for Lehigh at 7.0 points per game. Point guard Marquis Hall is backed-up ably by junior Prentice Small. John Adams, Holden Greiner, Justin Maneri, Jordan Hamilton, and David Safstrom can all help along the front line.

Chances of the Game Actually Happening

Because Jackson State lost in the first round of the SWAC Tournament, Arkansas-Pine Bluff is basically a lock for the play-in game. Although the Patriot League has a lower RPI than the Big South, Winthrop is more likely to play on Tuesday since Lehigh won a regular-season title and the Eagles finished third in the Big South.

Assuming the play-in winner will play Kentucky and Lehigh is a 16-seed, the Mountain Hawks will play Kansas, Duke, or Syracuse, assuming those are the other one-seeds. Since Syracuse and Lehigh are not that far apart from one another, this could be a pairing the selection committee will find appealing.

The Orange seems to be the perfect matchup for Lehigh given Syracuse's flaws. Kentucky is too fast for Lehigh and the Blue Devils appear to be too big. The Jayhawks are playing too well currently to even imagine a first-round defeat.

Led by McCollum and three senior starters in Hall, Zahir Carrington, and Dave Buchberger, Lehigh is poised to make a splash at the Big Dance. The Mountain Hawks just need the right paring to make history.

Photo Credit: GUHoyas.com

Patriot League

Quarterfinals—Mar. 3, hosted by higher seed

No. 1 Lehigh vs. No. 8 Army, SE2

This game should have separation throughout. The Mountain Hawks have handled Army pretty easily twice this season. The Mountain Hawks have four players scoring in double digits, and this will be too tough for the Army defense. 

Lehigh 79, Army 64

No. 2 Bucknell vs. No. 7 Holy Cross, CBSC

Holy Cross is 2-13 on the road. However, this record is a little deceiving since most of the Crusaders' road losses have been close games. Holy Cross and Bucknell split the season series, with each team winning on its home floor. Both teams play a similar style of basketball, and this should set up for a good matchup. In the end, Bucknell has the better team and it will be able to squeak out a victory against a pesky Holy Cross squad.

Bucknell 69, Holy Cross 65

No. 3 Lafayette vs. No. 6 Colgate, LSN

Colgate and Lafayette split the regular season series. Although Lafayette had a much better year overall, this game will probably end with an upset. Lafayette's poor defense will allow Colgate, who shoots 37.1 percent from three-point range, to light it up. Six Colgate players shoot 34.5 percent or better from beyond the arc. 

Colgate 75, Lafayette 68

No. 4 American vs. No. 5 Navy

American's team is not nearly as strong as last year's. The Eagles are not too consistent and, most likely, they will not be able to take advantage of Navy's poor defense. American has two good three-point shooters, and its only hope will be for these two to light fire.

Navy 71, American 60

Semifinals—Mar. 7, Hosted by higher seed, CBS CS

No. 1 Lehigh vs. No. 5 Navy

Lehigh has an offense that is explosive at times. The Mountain Hawks scored 91 points twice this year. On the other hand, Navy has poor defense. The reason for Navy having a solid year is that they too have an explosive offense. This will be a high-scoring game and the difference will be Lehigh's better three-point shooting. The Mountain Hawks shoot 39.8 percent to the Midshipmen's 35 percent. Unless the Lehigh shooters are off in this game, the result will be a slim victory for Lehigh.

Lehigh 88, Navy 84

No. 2 Bucknell vs. No. 6 Colgate

Colgate has a slim advantage in all major stats except for free throw shooting, where Bucknell is about five percent better. One of Colgate's big weaknesses is turnovers. The Raiders will have an easier time in this game because Bucknell does not play tough, pressure defense.

Colgate 72, Bucknell 67  

Championship—Mar. 12, hosted by higher seed, ESPN2

No. 1 Lehigh vs. No. 6 Colgate

Lehigh is too good to lose to Colgate at home. The Mountain Hawks have already handled the Raiders twice, both times beating them by double digits. 

Lehigh 77, Colgate 66

MVC

First Round—Mar. 4, Scottrade Center (St. Louis University)

No. 8 Drake vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois' defense will be able to stop Drake's offense just enough. Drake is a good three-point shooting team, but Southern Illinois' perimeter defense has been improving in the second half of the season.

Southern Illinois 72, Drake 66

No. 7 Missouri State vs. No. 10 Evansville

Missouri State has already beaten Evansville twice by double digits. Evansville has really struggled away from home and will not be able to stay close with a Missouri State team that was one of the hottest teams in the country early in the year.

Missouri State 81, Evansville 60

Quarterfinals—Mar. 5, Scottrade Center (St. Louis University), MVC TV

No. 1 Northern Iowa vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois

Northern Iowa's outstanding defense will be enough to ward off the tough Southern Illinois offense. Northern Iowa will not let Southern Illinois get hot. 

Northern Iowa 59, Southern Illinois 49

No. 4 Creighton vs. No. 5 Bradley

It is hard to tell who has the advantage in this game. Since Creighton swept the season series, I am giving them the edge.

Creighton 78, Bradley 70

No. 2 Wichita State vs. No. 7 Missouri State

Missouri State and Wichita State played in two very close games in the regular season. This will be more of the same. The Shockers and the Bears match up well, and this should be an exciting game.

Wichita State 70, Missouri State 65

No. 3 Illinois State vs. No. 6 Indiana State

Illinois State was on a big winning streak before a close loss at Northern Iowa to end the regular season. When Illinois State lost to Indiana State, it was in the middle of a big slump. When the Redbirds were hot, they beat Indiana State.

Illinois State 72, Indiana State 63

Semifinals—Mar. 6, Scottrade Center (St. Louis University), MVC TV

No. 1 Northern Iowa vs. No. 4 Creighton

Creighton has Kenny Lawson Jr., who can put up with Northern Iowa's post players on offense and defense. But otherwise, Northern Iowa has the advantage. Northern Iowa is a great shooting team and is also outstanding on defense.

Northern Iowa 66, Creighton 56

No. 2 Wichita State vs. No. 3 Illinois State

Wichita State's struggles late in the season make me think that a hot Illinois State team will be able to top them in the semifinals. Wichita State and Illinois State split the season series and match up well on paper. This should be a great game, and anybody who has access to MVC TV should watch this.

Illinois State 79, Wichita State 75

Championship—Mar. 7 Scottrade Center (St. Louis University), CBS

No. 1 Northern Iowa vs. No. 3 Illinois State

The fact that Illinois State was so hot and almost beat Northern Iowa on the road on senior night makes me think that the Redbirds will be able to win. They are now playing their best basketball and have a strong enough offense and defense that they can hold off Northern Iowa, sending two teams from the MVC to the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois State 69, Northern Iowa 65

For more college basketball, follow Jesse Kramer on Twitter by clicking here .

After waking up at the break of dawn, I thought I was going to enjoy another informative edition of Mike & Mike in the Morning.  Unbeknown to me, today was the day Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic helped raise money for the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Don't get me wrong, cancer is a horrible disease that causes great agony to people and their families. However, I feel the name of a charitable organization should not be linked to an individual of questionable character.

Jim Valvano became a legend as a college basketball coach when his North Carolina State defeated the Houston Cougars to a win the national championship in 1983. Valvano was named NC State's athletic director in 1986.

In 1989, the first edition of Personal Fouls: The Broken Promises and Shattered Dreams of Big Money Basketball at Jim Valvano's North Carolina State by Peter Golenbock was published. The book focused on the 1986-87 season and claims that there was corruption in NC State's program.

A 1989 NCAA investigation found that players sold shoes and game tickets illegally. Subsequently, the program was put on probation for two years and was ineligible for the 1990 NCAA basketball tournament.

During that time, stories of players' drug use and game fixing by members of the team ran rapid.

A state appointed Poole Commission later released a report that concluded Jim Valvano and his coaching staff circled around rules to keep players eligible. During Valvano's ten years as coach of the Wolfpack, only three of his recruits graduated from NC State.

Jim Valvano resigned as athletic director in Oct. 1989 and as head coach on Apr. 7, 1990.

Valvano is not the only college basketball coach to succumb to cancer. Unfortunately, the stories of others are not as well known.

John Francis "Jack" Bruen was born on Mar. 25, 1949 in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. At Power Memorial High School, Bruen played with Lew Alcindor, otherwise known as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar.

After high school, Jack Bruen started for three years as the point guard at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. For two of those years, he served as captain. Bruen set school records for most assists in a season and best season assist average.

After graduating from Catholic University, Bruen became an assistant at Dematha Catholic High School under coach Morgan Wootten.

Jack Bruen was always know for his fiery personality. In his first year at Dematha, he was the head freshman coach. In his very first game, Bruen was ejected after arguing the initial call of the game.

In 1982, Bruen was named head coach at his alma mater. He was taking command of a team that posted 11 consecutive losing seasons. In Jack Bruen's first year coaching Catholic University, the team recorded a winning season and defeated a team that was ranked No. 1 in Division III.

Bruen finished his seven-year tenure at Catholic with a record of 110-72. The 1985-86 team captured the first national ranking the school ever had.

In 1989, Bruen was named the head coach at Colgate University. At that time, Colgate nor the Village of Hamilton, New York were places to be.

The Colgate Inn was the only hotel in town. Hamilton didn't even get its first McDonald's until 1994.

Legend has it that in Hamilton, the only time it is not snowing is when it is sleeting outside.

Before Bruen arrived at Colgate, the joke was that the public address announcer stated the names of the fans at the game instead of the starting lineups because it took less time.

In time, Bruen did the impossible by establishing the Raiders, still known back then as the Red Raiders, as a winning team in the Patriot League.

The Raiders played Navy for the conference championship in 1994. Led by Adonal Foyle, Colgate won both the regular season and conference tournament championships in the Patriot League in 1995 and 1996.

The Raiders lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament each time, but the negative results could not detract from the excitement erupting in Hamilton.

Jack Bruen had Colgate playing an up-tempo style, and the team worked hard and played tenacious defense for 40 minutes.

Everything was going smoothly for Jack Bruen until the unbelievable occurred in 1997.

During that summer, Bruen began to complain of stomach pains. In October, doctors diagnosed Bruen with pancreatic cancer. To make matters worse, the cancer had already spread to his liver.

For people with that type of cancer, the prognosis was grim. 50 percent die within six weeks of the diagnosis and few live more than six months to a year.

Jack Bruen was determined to remain the head coach despite his terminal illness. He wouldn't allow questions about his cancer to be asked during press conferences.

He would never lose his self-deprecating sense of humor. Despite aggressive chemotherapy that left him weak and hoarse, Bruen only missed one road game.

At the season progressed, more and more of Bruen's former players from Catholic and Colgate would appear at the games.

Many of those players were at Colgate's home game versus Marist on Dec. 13. The players and fans more than made up for the energy Jack Bruen was laking. Colgate was victorious 80-69.

Six days later at the age of 48, Bruen died at his home. He left behind a wife, an eight-year-old son, and a daughter who was a senior at Virginia Tech.

Jack Bruen's career record at Colgate 109-127. His true impact as a basketball coach cannot be measured in pure numbers. He cared about his players on and off the court.

Foyle was a great player for the Raiders, but Bruen made sure he focused on his classwork. In 1996, Adonal Foyle was named the Patriot League Scholar Athlete of the Year in 1996.

Jack Bruen acted like a second father to Tucker Neale, the all-time leading scorer at Colgate. In 1992, Neale's aunt died from cancer. The next year, Neale's roommate was stabbed to death.

Bruen offered all the time off and help Neale needed and even told Neale a story about a tragic loss he had when he was in high school. In an quote about Bruen obtained by Buster Olney in 1997, Neale said that "Besides my father, his is the only shoulder I've ever cried on."

For the people that Jack Bruen touched during his life, he will never be forgotten. It is just unfortunate that the controversial or flamboyant tend to be remembered more vividly than those that were selfless and inspirational.

If you could have guessed the team that would’ve had the strongest showing out of the local March Madness participants, American University would not have been among your top picks.

Largely ignored thanks to the size and location of their school, the American Eagles have assembled a mid-major enigma—a team that is good enough to sustain success, but unremarkable enough to be removed from any regional recognition.

They have a well-known coach, and have recruited talent intelligent and hard-nosed enough to dominate the Patriot League and consistent enough to perform in the national tournament.

AU fans are among the nation’s leading experts at floor-storming, which means they are excited about the program.

And yet, thanks to the Marylands, Georgetowns, George Washingtons, and George Masons of the world, we never seem to pay any real attention to the Eagles until they are in a conference final or up by 14 on a three-seed in the national tournament.

Perhaps there is very little room in our hearts for another basketball program to follow with closeness and anxiousness. We spend our time lamenting the underachievement of Maryland and the return of Georgetown, and with what little attention span we have left, we check in on George Mason. Maybe that’s just fine by the Eagles.

But for the sake of local basketball fandom, we could do a lot better by getting on board with AU’s blueprint for mid-major success. Perhaps if the underdog became the object of our attention, we would know more  about athletes like Bryce Simon, and maybe we won’t be surprised when Garrison Carr positions himself to be this year’s Stephen Curry.

I know, it will take a lot to turn away from the glitter of power conference basketball, but indeed, the power is yours to use wisely.

American depends on it.

Well here you go folks, the first major upset of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Or so we thought.

American University sought out to be the first major upset of the tournament. It looked as if they would do so until the Villanova Wildcats realized that they could not go head-to-head in a shootout.

American, who can shoot the lights out, were deadly early on completing 8-of-15 from three-point range in the first half.

For American, it seemed easy.

Get the ball to No. 5, Garrison Carr.

Carr hit 4-of-7 heading into halftime giving the Eagles a 41-31 lead. That lead was much in large part of holding Villanova's star guard Scottie Reynolds to zero points. He would finish with eight.

Now, everyone knew the Wildcats would make a run one way or another. They just did it the way they were supposed to.

Get the ball inside to the post and get to the line.

Nova did so by entering  Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson. American, who is an all-perimeter team had no answer for the post presence Cunningham and Villanova brought.

Garrison Carr and the rest of American went cold beyond the arc and the Wildcats took advantage by erasing a 14-point deficit.

Carr sat most of the second half on the bench with four fouls and the Wildcats got to the line at will.

Villanova finished the game 26-of-29 from the charity stripe, compared to American's 3-of-5.

They made three times as many free throws as American attempted.

That'll win games come tournament time, which is a big reason the Wildcats finished off the game 80-67.

So, yet again, we'll have to wait for that big upset. There are many games to look forward to and we'll keep an eye out.

No. 14 American University (24-7, 13-1 Patriot) vs. No. 3 Villanova (26-7, 13-5 Big East)

NCAA Tournament First Round—East Region

Thursday, March 19—7:20 PM EST on CBS

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Preview

The Patriot League-winning American University Eagles take on the Big East Villanova Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

The Eagles are currently on a 13-game win streak and have won 19 of their last 20. They defeated second-place Holy Cross 73-57 on March 13 to secure their automatic bid.

After receiving a double-bye in the Big East Tournament, Villanova defeated Marquette by one point on a last-second backdoor cut, but then ran into trouble when they faced top-seeded Louisville. The Wildcats have had a very successful season, though, finishing fourth in a very tough Big East conference.

Their success was noted by the Big East, and they received a number of awards this season, including Jay Wright's Big East Coach of the Year, Dante Cunningham's selection to the All-Big East Second Team, Scottie Reynolds' Big East Honorable Mention, Cunningham's award as the Most Improved Player, and Corey Fisher's Big East Sixth Man Award.

American sports the Patriot League Player of the Year in Derrick Mercer and also has the league's second-highest scorer in Garrison Carr. Both play in the backcourt for the Eagles, and they should match up well against Villanova's guards.

The game is taking place in Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center, which is essentially a home game for the Wildcats since they play a number of games there during the year. This will be an interesting matchup for the Eagles against the guard-heavy Wildcat squad.

By The Numbers

	Record	Conf	ATS	RPI	SOS	PF	PA
American	24-7	13-1	4-2	73	242	64.5	58.4
Villanova	26-7	13-5	15-13	13	31	76.5	67.0

	FG%	D. FG%	3P%	D. 3P%	FT%	RPG	SPG	APG	TPG	BPG
American	46.6	39.4	37.7	33.0	64.8	35.7	5.4	13.1	13.2	2.5
Villanova	45.7	40.4	36.8	33.9	74.2	41.1	8.0	14.8	13.4	3.2

Stats Leaders

	American	Villanova
PPG	G. Carr - 17.8	D. Cunningham - 16.0
	B. Gilmore - 12.4	S. Reynolds - 15.5
	D. Mercer - 11.5	C. Fisher - 10.8
RPG	B. Gilmore - 5.4	D. Cunningham - 7.2
APG	D. Mercer - 4.4	S. Reynolds - 3.6
SPG	D. Mercer - 1.1	S. Reynolds - 1.6
BPG	J. Nichols - 1.1	D. Cunningham - 1.2

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Prediction

Want to see Ryan's FREE Pick Against the Spread? Please head over to CBBPlace.com!

Wednesday March 4th, @ higher seeds

No. 8 Lafayette @ No. 1 American

American won both games in the regular season including an overtime win @ Lafayette this weekend...but seeing how American has won 10 straight, I can't see them losing a first round matchup....American wins

No. 7 Bucknell @ No. 2 Holy Cross

These two teams split there regular season with each winning on the road, yet I see R.J. Evans picking it up for Holy Cross after a rough shooting night against Bucknell in the loss earlier allowing Holy Cross to take an easy win...Holy Cross wins

No. 6 Colgate @ No. 3 Navy

Colgate comes in on a five game losing streak including a loss to Navy this last weekend...Navy won both regular season matchups and seems to have Colgate's number...Navy wins

No. 5 Lehigh @ No. 4 Army

I feel as tho Lehigh is the better team here...They beat Army by 20 at home and lost in triple overtime to them on the road...I think that Lehigh goes into Army and pulls out the win rather than a triple OT loss the second time around...Lehigh Wins

Sunday March 8th

No. 5 Lehigh @ No. 1 American

American has been dominating lately and beat Lehigh both times they played them in the regular season...I see no reason to advance them...American Wins

No. 3 Navy @ No. 2 Holy Cross

Both regular season matchups were close with the home teams winning each one...The game is very dependent on how Evans does again for Holy Cross, but I think that Navy is too good to be beat by Evans alone and will pull this game off...Navy Wins

Friday March 13th

No. 3 Navy @ No. 1 American

American won both of the regular season matchups but by a total of 6 points overall...I just think that American is on too much of a roll and will be too much for anyone in the league to handle right now, and don't really have any reason to bet against them...I see American heading to the NCAAs

Our next team is one from the Patriot Conference, a league that is only going to get one bid—but it could be a deadly one.

The American Eagles dominated this conference last year, going 10-4 for an overall 21-11 record heading into tournament play.

While they only received a 15 seed, their date with Tennessee in the first round proved to be a near scare. Returning 5'11" senior Garrison Carr (17.4 ppg) went for 27 points, which included six threes, in a 15-point loss.

The Tennessee loss was far from disappointing and just showed how dangerous a confident, strong shooting team can be.

The Eagles have every right to be, seeing how they return their top three scorers from last season in an offense that converts on 52.7 percent of their two-point field goals.

Carr, Gilmore, and Mercer, all seniors, combine for 41 points, almost 64 percent of the total scoring output, and they sit atop the Patriot League with a lofty 7-1 record.

Part of the reason that the Eagles are so successful is their efficiency on offense. They currently lead the conference in both field goal percentage and three-point shooting at 46.5 percent and 36.4 percent respectively, and they are never intimidated by big conference schools.

They also flaunt a 7-1 home record, and while they do not have a marquee win this season, they are likely to get the automatic bid if they can dispose of Holy Cross, who handed them their only loss in conference play. Mark that date folks: Feb. 21 at 2pm.

Unfortunately, the Eagles are on pace for another ugly seed in the tournament. Blowout losses at Oklahoma and Georgetown won’t help their case (even though they weren’t expected to win), and at most, they could get lucky with a 13 seed.

But that won’t stop the Eagles from giving many fans a scare and thoughts of an early exit. They did it last year to Tennessee in what was expected to be a blowout, and with virtually the same team returning, are easily capable of actually pulling it off this year.

Watch those crazy Eagles fly this year, and be sure to keep an eye on them in the remainder of the season. The hot shooting, conference dominant teams are always the most dangerous, and American can certainly keep up with the best.

This article is also featured on www.thebracketbusters.com.

Jimmy Patsos is a coach who is not intimidated by anybody.

He is not afraid of hollering at referees, his players, or his players' parents. In fact, sitting in the stands with the fans does not daunt Loyola Maryland's head coach—yes, he took a seat in the second row and watched his Greyhounds fall 82-72 to Cornell on Nov. 18.

Tonight's game at Manhattan wasn't even 30 seconds old, but Jimmy Patsos' voice was already hoarse—considering the way he coaches a game, it is hard to believe that his vocal chords are still functioning. 

Loyola's star player, sophomore transfer Jamal Barney, scored eight straight points in the beginning of the first half, but he followed the streak with a fall-away three-pointer from the wing, which prompted Patsos to shout, "You disgust me! You're disgusting!"

Play stopped in the ensuing seconds and Patsos pulled Barney out of the game, grabbed his jersey, sat him down, and scolded him for taking one bad shot. Barney was clearly embarrassed.

The star player was punished for five minutes. The Greyhounds scored one basket in that span and Barney hit a trey as soon as he re-entered the game. Hmmm...Logic, Jimmy Patsos? (His substitution strategies deserve a separate article, but to get straight to the point, he changes his lineup every two minutes and does not let his team get into a rhythm.)

Barney's theme song at Loyola must be, "I hate you, you hate me." Unfortunately, he has to deal with Patsos for two more years. He already transferred from Providence, so the only way he can play college basketball and receive a college education is to remain at Loyola.

Well, I shouldn't be speaking for Jamal Barney.

In Barney's absence, Loyola struggled; however, they were lucky that Manhattan could not score from anywhere on the floor, including the foul line where they shot 13-28. 

Patsos yelled at Barney throughout the game, but the sophomore was not the only player who took a scolding from his coach. A different player was rebuked during every timeout—on multiple occasions half the team was chastised. 

Patsos' method is not like every other coach's. He doesn't just single a player out. He singles them out and then gets right in their faces and shouts. If you're having trouble picturing this, think about Lou Piniella and an umpire—only, at Loyola, the players are too afraid to shout back. 

This tactic makes fans wonder why anyone would want to commit to play for Patsos—it also makes the players second-guess their choice to sign up.

Get this: A fan sitting near the Loyola bench claims to have heard Patsos shout, "I swear if you f*** this up," as Marquis Sullivan approached the foul line with a chance to ice the game. If the fan could hear it, you better believe that the words reached Sullivan's ears. 

Luckily for the senior, both shots found their way through the rim, so coach Patsos was satisfied (for once). 

I left the game incredulous as to how a player would want to sign up to play for Patsos.

The Associated Press wrote about the incident against Cornell, and said, "[Patsos] contends he's now a changed man who doesn't drink, wears a peace sign on his wrist, and has far more patience with his players."

I refute that statement based on what I witnessed tonight. The only changed aspect of Patsos is his slimmer stomach. That's it. 

In a small conference such as the Patriot League, the reality is that only one team can make the NCAA tournament. Started up in 1990 (formerly the Colonial League), Patriot League teams have only won tournament games twice. Bucknell won in consecutive years in 2005 over Kansas and 2006 over Arkansas.

Only one current NBA player came out of the Patriot League. Adonal Foyle, who attended Colgate, is a center for the Orlando Magic. Future Hall of Famer David Robinson attended Navy, but that was pre-Patriot League.

The Patriot League is one of the few conferences that values the academic part of the student athlete. The league ranked first in the most recent NCAA graduation rate report, even above the more heralded academic conference, the Ivy League.

The Patriot League does not have any one-and-dones. The league only added athletic scholarships very recently. Players play for these teams because of the love for the game, not as a one year shoot around before they bounce for the NBA draft.

In the Patriot League you will find four-year senior leaders, and not five-star recruits. Recruiting is one of the hardest things for Patriot League teams.

Last season, American (21-12 overall, 10-4 in conference) captured the Patriot League automatic bid. It came after six of the last seven bids were earned by either Bucknell or Holy Cross.

The Eagles earned a 15 seed and lost to Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA tournament. American fought hard until the end against Tennessee and what was supposed to be a blowout turned out to be a close game until the closing minutes of the second half. American, Navy, and Lehigh are all contenders to capture the bid this year.

If American gets the bid again come March, look for American to be an upset special. Garrison Carr wreaked havoc on Tennessee last year, and he will be looking for a tournament win to end a great career.

Preseason All-Patriot

Guard - Garrison Carr, Senior, American - As a junior, Carr was the leading scorer for the Eagles and helped them get their first tournament bid in almost 50 years. In American's first four games, Carr is averaging 20.4 points per game. Carr is a favorite for Patriot League Player of the Year.

Guard - Marquis Hall, Junior, Lehigh- Marquis Hall is averaging 15.8 points per game, 4.8 assists per game, and 6.6 rebounds per game to lead Lehigh to a 5-1 start. He scored 28 points in Lehigh's victory over the Big East's Rutgers.

Guard - Chris Harris, Junior, Navy - Averaging 19 points per game through 5 games, he has led Navy to a 4-1 start to the season.

Forward - Brian Gilmore, Senior, American- Although not big for a forward and therefore not the best rebounder, Gilmore is a great scorer to complement Carr for American. He is averaging 11.2 points per game including an 18 point performance against Jacksonville.

Forward - Zahir Carrington, Junior, Lehigh- Carrington is off to a hot start for the Mountain Hawks, averaging 14.8 points per game and 4.8 boards per game.

Preview

1. American - American looks to repeat its Patriot League Championship from last year and earn a second straight tournament bid. They return their leading scorer from last year in Garrison Carr as well as Derrick Mercer and Brian Gilmore.

Coach Jeff Jones signed a long extension to stay with American instead of moving onto a bigger conference school. American lost two starters but both of them were role players and return all of their top scorers.

He scheduled a few tough contests in the non-conference schedule, including games against Georgetown and Maryland.

2. Lehigh -Finished tied for third in the league last year, and return two of their stars from last year, aforementioned Marquis Hall and Zahir Carrington. Although they lost Bryan White, who averaged 10 points and eight rebounds a game, Lehigh should be able to recover.

They are off to a 5-1 start, including a win against Rutgers and a one point loss to a solid Rider team. Lehigh looks to challenge American for the the championship this year.

3. Navy -Finished second a year ago and return two high scoring guards from last year's squad. Chris Harris and Kaleo Kina look to lead the Midshipmen's backcourt. The frontcourt is led by Adam Teague and Mark Veazey.

They have a couple of formidable opponents coming up, including games against Virginia Tech and Villanova. Navy should be able to win this year's rivalry matchup with Army, which gets less press coverage than its football counterpart but is just as intense.

4. Colgate -The Raiders finished tied for third in the league last year and made it to the Patriot League tournament final only to lose to American. Colgate lost three starters from last year's team and will rely on sophomore guard Mike Venezia, who came off the bench last year.

Colgate plays Syracuse and Cal in the upcoming weeks. Colgate adds three solid freshmen in Yaw Gyawu, Nick Pascale, and Anthony Hill.

5. Lafayette -The Leopards are led by a scoring trio of guards Jeff Kari and Andrew Brown along with forward Jared Mintz. They finished 5th in the league last year and are off to a 2-3 start, with losses to Temple, Rider, and Colorado. The Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry is another one to look out for this season. The Leopards wisely chose to keep their non-conference schedule relatively easy this season.

6. Holy Cross - The Crusaders started this season with an overtime upset victory over St. Joseph's, but then proceeded to lose four straight and now sit at 2-4. The loss of Tim Clifford will hurt Holy Cross this season.

Freshman guard R.J. Evans has looked good so far this season and junior forward Adam May has also provided points. Holy Cross finished last in the Patriot League and looks to move out of the cellar this season.

7. Bucknell -A few years ago a Patriot League powerhouse, the Bison are currently in the rebuilding stage. Last year, they finished second to last in the league and this year they currently sit at 1-3 overall.

Justin Castleberry and Bryan Cohen form a strong backcourt duo but the Bison need to get better on defense if they want to make any noise in the league. They are currently allowing 75.8 points per game.

8. Army -Army finished tied with Bucknell and Lafayette for second to last in the league last year. The Black Knights won their opener against Dartmouth but then proceeded to lose their next five games, three of them to Ivy League opponents. Guards Josh Miller and Cleveland Richard lead Army with 11.6 and 11.2 points per game respectively.

Army looks like it is going to have a tough time holding its own this year in the Patriot League, and one can expect a loss in their rivalry game against Navy.