Marist falls in overtime to Bucknell

Maris beat Bucknell in almost every statistical category except the one that truly matters, the final score.
Marist lost a heartbreaker, 70-67, in overtime to the Bucknell Bison. Marist dropped to 0-11 on the season.
Freshman Rob Johnson led all Marist scorers with 17 points and added eight rebounds. Korey Bauer responded with a spirited effort, notching a double-double. Bauer scored 13 points and hauled in 11 rebounds. He shot a perfect 5-of-5 from the field.
Devin Price continued his growth, starting over R.J. Hall and chipping in 13 points as well. Sam Prescott scored nine points off the bench while Daye Kaba, starting in his place, shot 2-of-10 and scored eight points.
Marist trailed, 68-67, with the final possession in overtime. With four seconds remaining, Kaba missed a jumper that would have given Marist the lead.
Kaba previously gave Marist the lead with a lay-up with 30 seconds remaining. Bucknell responded, however, as Mike Muscala buried a three-pointer with 20 seconds left.
Marist made it to overtime by virtue of a Candon Rusin lay-up late in regulation. Darryl Shazier failed to convert a three-pointer that would have won the game for the Bison.
Marist shot 47.8 percent from the field compared to Bucknell's 39.2 percent. Bucknell took advantage at the free-throw line though. The Bison made 20-of-27 free-throws while the Red Foxes went 13-of-18.
Mike Muscala led all scorers with 18 points.
Marist turned over their rebounding effort in the loss, outrebounding Bucknell, 30-28.
Marist returns to action Jan. 2 for a home game against MAAC foe Manhattan. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Manhattan is 6-6 on the season and 1-1 in the conference. The Jaspers handled the Canisius Golden Griffs, 71-57, on the road. Darryl Crawford leads Manhattan in both points scored and rebounding. He averages 15.2 ppg and 6.9 rpg.

Marist can't hold lead in loss to Vermont

Marist held a 37-31 lead at halftime against Vermont, but a long cold-streak doomed the Red Foxes at McCann.
Marqus Blakely paced the Catamounts' offense with 23 points in 35 minutes of action in leading Vermont to a 72-62 win.
Vermont embarked on a 17-2 run in the second half as Marist struggled to find the basket. The Red Foxes scored seven points in 12 minutes after pouring in 37 in the first half.
Marist got as close as four points with 2:30 remaining in the game, but the Red Foxes could not cut the lead any further.
Freshman Candon Rusin led the Red Foxes with 16 points while Daye Kaba added 11 points. Rusin has proved to be a reliable scoring option for Marist despite the team's struggles.
Marist shot 37 percent from the field and went 8-of-24 from behind the three-point arc. Marist also got outrebounded, 44-18. Without Casiem Drummond and Menelik Watson, the rebounding problem will probably remain throughout the season.
Observations:
- Marist may want to consider going really small and simply outrunning teams. Putting Johnson at the No. 5 and playing an uptempo, Golden State Warriors-style offense may be the best solution. The rebounding can't get any more lopsided, can it?
- Dramatic shift in the free-throw shooting tonight. Going 14-of-18 from the line is pretty impressive given the early-season struggles.
- Candon Rusin could have a Will Whittington-type impact on this team. Remember that Jordan and Whittington had an abysmal freshmen year and wound up being Marist legends. Rusin is on the right path anyway.
- Rusin needs more than 22 minutes. He's the best shooter the team has, and with no inside presence, he needs more opportunities to shoot.
- Korey Bauer led the team with 32 minutes. Too big of a role for his type of game. He did go 6-of-6 from the line, however.

Marist unable to complete comeback

Marist put together an inspired second half against Lehigh tonight, but a low-scoring first half led to a hole that was too deep to come out of.
Lehigh led, 43-21, early in the second half, and although Marist chipped away, the Red Foxes fell, 66-55. Marist remains winless on the season.
The Red Foxes cut the lead to 54-50 but were unable to get any closer.
Nine Red Foxes scored but only Daye Kaba finished in double-digit scoring. Kaba scored 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting. He added four rebounds and two assists.
Marist outscored Lehigh, 36-33, in the second half but only managed 19 points in the first 20 minutes.
R.J. Hall tallied nine points and four assists in his second game back.
The team continues to struggle from the field. With no interior presence, most of Marist's shots are contested from the perimeter. As a team, the Red Foxes shot 35.7 percent. The four freshmen combined to shoot 9-of-28.
Almost half of Marist's field-goal attempts, 27-of-54, came from behind the three-point line. The team converted on nine of them.
Marist's next game will come after the holidays. Vermont will travel to the McCann Center for a 7:30 p.m. tilt.
Vermont is 7-5 and boasts a win over Rutgers. The Catamounts did, however, lose by 13 to Loyola.
Elsewhere in the MAAC
- Loyola jumped all over Indiana in the first half and handed the Hoosiers a 72-67 loss at home.
Brett Harvey led Loyola with 25 points and five assists, while Jamal Barney added 13 points.
- Rutgers blew out Saint Peter's, 66-42, as Mike Rosario scored a season-high 28 points. Hamady N'Diaye added 15 points and 10 blocks.
- Niagara notched a 77-71 win over Saint Bonaventure while Canisius edged Southern Mississippi, 59-56. Demetrius Williamson scored 22 points for Niagara and Canisius' Frank Turner poured in 30.

Drummond ruled ineligible

I predicted that Casiem Drummond would win MAAC player of the year next year, but a prerequisite for that award is getting on the floor.
The NCAA ruled that Drummond is not academically eligible to compete, The Poughkeepsie Journal reports.
The 6-foot-10 transfer from Villanova was supposed to change Marist's fortunes when he regained his eligibility. He served his year in residency but apparently did not keep up his grades.
This is a tough blow for a struggling Marist team that is already without freshman Menelik Watson, who is red-shirting this season after coming from England.
The Red Foxes will rely on Korey Bauer as their lone big man. At 6-foot-9, Bauer is the biggest player on Marist's roster.
This loss really hurts the freshmen on Chuck Martin's roster. Drummond would have drawn considerable attention away from the perimeter.
R.J. Hall returned after his ineligibility, but he has another perimeter player. Drummond would have shifted this team's dimensions and likely fortunes.

Binghamton embarrasses Marist

Marist suffered an inexcusable loss today to the lowly Binghamton Bearcats.
Greer Wright led the way with 22 points in 36 minutes as Binghamton won, 70-52.
The much-anticipated debut of Casiem Drummond also never happened. Issues still linger about his eligibility.
If Drummond isn't able to suit up in a Marist uniform, this season is a lost cause. The only positive so far is that the Red Foxes two conference losses have been respectable.
The offense has struggled mightily and they shot just 29.4 percent today. The Bearcats shot 57.4 percent, however.
It's hard to find where Marist will win games. Binghamton is a team that was in complete disarray in the offseason. Players were kicked off the team (six), the coach resigned, and they managed to scrap together a team. This group managed to dominate Chuck Martin's prized recruits in their own gym.
A few observations from today's loss:
- Nice to have R.J. Hall back, unfortunately he isn't a difference maker in terms of wins and losses.
- Sam Prescott and Devin Price combined to shoot 5-of-20, a stark contrast from the days of Jordan and Whittington. Give them time, sadly that doesn't provide relief in the short term.
- Something Chris Douglas-Roberts has said in several post-game interviews, the Nets suffer from a lack of defined roles. The same could be said of Marist. The team does not seem organized and there is no clear pattern to Martin's moves on and off the bench. Daye Kaba (11 points) seemed like he would be a leader in Marist Madness, yet he's coming off the bench. There is something to be said for rewarding rookies, but I don't think there is any leadership on this team.

Foxes fall in home opener

Marist has established a pattern in non-conference play. Go down big at the half and compete in the second half to no avail.
Boston University had its way with Marist on offense to the tune of an 88-72 win. The Red Foxes fall to 0-7.
Corey Lowe and John Holland posted 27 and 21 points, respectively. The Terriers scored 49 points in the first half, a number that will win a team any game.
Two good things came out of today's loss for Marist. 1) Three freshmen scored in double figures and shot well from the field, and 2) Casiem Drummond and R.J. Hall have not played yet. Drummond should have a profound impact on this team, completely changing how the Red Foxes compete. I truly believe he's a player that will win the MAAC player of the year award next season as a senior. Hall may not be a spectacular point guard, but he is consistent and has experience in the system. As a sophomore, he's already one of the veterans.
Back to the freshmen, Devin Price had an impressive showing with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting in 26 minutes. He's the future at the point-guard position, so it's a step in the right direction to finally have a solid offensive performance. Candon Rusin bounced back with a team-high 15 points and Rob Johnson poured in 13 points, albeit on 5-of-12 shooting.
Other observations:
- Surprised that Daye Kaba has not played a bigger role on this team to date. Coming in from the ACC, he should be leading this team in almost every way. He totaled seven points in 17 minutes. Interesting to see how his play changes when Drummond and Hall return.
- Another abysmal showing from the free-throw line. The only positive is that Boston actually shot worse. The two teams combined to shoot 23-46 from the line, while Marist shot 14-of-26. Games (see Siena last season) are won and lost by free-throw shooting, whether Martin shares Calipari's view on this aspect of the game or not.
- A team-high 26 minutes for Devin Price. The future of this team is dependent on his development as an elite point gaurd in the MAAC. A step in the right direction today.
- Eight days until Marist's next game with Drummond and Hall... Should be markedly different than the winless Foxes look now.

Red Foxes take Broncs to brink

Marist gave Rider everything it could handle in Lawrenceville, N.J. today.
Daye Kaba's missed jumper with four seconds remaining in regulation secured a 55-51 Rider victory. Kaba's jumper would have tied the game at 53.
Sam Prescott re-emerged on offense and Daye Kaba returned from illness to keep Marist in the game against one of the MAAC's elite.
Prescott had a team-high 14 points while Kaba scored 13.
Defensively, Marist held MAAC preseason player of the year Ryan Thompson to one point on 0-of-8 shooting. Although Marist remains winless, there is plenty to be thrilled about from this game. To basically take a team of rookies into Rider's gym and have a chance to win in the final minutes is enough to believe this team will be in good shape in both the short and long terms.
Marist's defense limited Rider to 31.1 percent from the field.
Marist managed just 15 points in the first half but responded in the second half with 36 points. The second half has been kind to Marist this season.
Although Prescott put in a positive offensive performance, the rest of the freshmen disappeared. To stay in the game with three impact freshmen scoring a combined five points is a good sign. Candon Rusin had an off night (1 point) and Rob Johnson went scoreless. Devin Price shot 1-of-7 from the field.
Chuck Martin may not believe in moral victories, but this was a hueg step in the right direction today. To compete without Casiem Drummond and R.J. Hall is a great sign and valuable experience that the young guys will need later in the conference schedule.

Marist loses late lead, game

Marist put forth its best effort of the young season, but a late scoreless stretch resulted in the Red Foxes' fifth straight loss.
Fairfield, entering the game at 4-2, used a 13-1 run in the last eight minutes of the game to win, 70-61.
After playing themselves out of several games earlier in the year, the Red Foxes were in position to win.
Marist led, 45-44, with a little more than eight minutes left in the game. The Red Foxes failed to score in the next 4:19, however.
Playing without red-shirt junior Daye Kaba, Dejuan Goodwin poured in a game-high 18 points. Rob Johnson and Candon Rusin scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Marist gave its fans something to be excited about with this performance. The next time the two teams meet in the McCann Center, Marist will likely have three different starters. Casiem Drummond, R.J. Hall, and Kaba should all start.
Chuck Martin sentenced Kaba to sixth man off the bench, but he's likely to get that spot back. Freshman Sam Prescott has struggled in his last two games, scoring two points and shooting 0-of-8 combined.
Rusin has thrived in the starting lineup though. He's scored in double figures in four straight games and poses a legitimate three-point threat.
The road doesn't get any easier for Marist. The Red Foxes travel to Rider for a 2 p.m. tilt on Sunday. Rider opened the season with a win over then-nationally ranked Mississippi State.

Marist shows promise in loss to Holy Cross

Yes, the Red Foxes lost to an 0-6 team on the road, but a much-needed morale booster in the second half gives them something going into the MAAC opener at Fairfield.
Marist got it going offensively in the second half. Unfortunately, it was too little too late as Holy Cross won, 68-56.
Marist had another miserable opening 20 minutes, scoring just 18 points and trailing by that same number.
While Marist is not likely to knock off a Fairfield team playing incredibly well (three 20+ point scorers tonight in a loss to Hofstra), there were a few good signs.
Candon Rusin continues his exceptional play. For a freshman to come in under the radar and play the most minutes on the team says something about his character and make-up. He scored 12 points in 34 minutes of action. His game will get a huge boost when Drummond returns and draws defenders in the paint.
Daye Kaba came off the bench and produced solid offensive numbers. He shot 5-of-9 from the field and also scored 12 points.
Devin Price had his first good outing of the season. Dejuan Goodwin struggled early and shot 2-of-7 from the field. He dished out three assists, but committed three turnovers and fouled out.
Several observations/concerns from the game:
- The 38-point second half could give some of the younger guys some confidence. The last two games were absolute confidence-crushers.
- Sam Prescott and Rob Johnson struggled mightily tonight, combining for three points on 1-of-12 shooting. No surprise there are some growing pains, but when the older guys aren't clicking on all cylinders, problems are magnified.
- Many have complained about the lack of defense on the team, but that really stems from offensive ineptitude. When Marist is clanking shots off the rim, turning the ball over, and not getting second chance opportunites, opposing teams can run on them. The team will be completely different once Drummond returns. Unfortunately, it won't be different enough to cure all the Red Foxes' woes.
- Nice to see Dorvell Carter ge some minutes tonight and score a few buckets. Marist needs him to produce.
- Walk-on Mike Taylor played 20 minutes tonight and scored nine points. Javon Parris played three minutes...
- Finally, it looks like Chuck Martin brought Memphis' free-throw shooting with him. Going 7-of-15 from the charity stripe is unacceptable. We saw the problems last year (Siena...), but there has to be some improvement.

Marist offense continues to struggle in latest loss

Although Marist struggled last season, two of its wins came against teams that have recently dealt the Red Foxes double-digit losses.
Hartford dismantled Marist 11 days ago, and New Hampshire cruised to a 72-58 win. Marist's best effort came against arguably its toughest opponent on opening day versus Rutgers.
The Red Foxes managed just 36.2 percent shooting from the field. Candon Rusin has put in the best effort so far this season, notching 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Rusin has not been the three-point threat I anticipated he would be, but he has been efficient. After three games, he's the biggest surprise for this team.
Defensively, Marist was abused by Wildcats' center Dane Diliegro. He scored 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds.
Marist's smaller lineup clearly had no answer for either big man. Radar Onguetou chipped in 11 points. Guard Alvin Abreu poured in 15 points as well.
For Marist, Dec. 19 cannot come soon enough. The Red Foxes will continue to struggle without Casiem Drummond and R.J. Hall. Without those two players, it's hard to imagine Marist winning any games. Once they are back, however, Marist will be much more competitive as Drummond will take defenders away from the guards and should open up some lanes in the middle.
In the loss, Dejuan Goodwin also scored a team-high 11 points.
Daye Kaba, the Boston College transfer, continues to struggle offensively. His first three games have been somewhat disappointing after coming over from an ACC school. He has all the physical tools to dominate, but he has endured shooting woes from the field. He managed just four points today.
Even when Hall and Drummond return, Kaba needs to emerge as a scoring threat for Marist to make any noise in the MAAC.

Gavin leads VCU over No. 17 Oklahoma

Former Marist rookie of the year Jay Gavin led his new team to a win over nationally-ranked Oklahoma.
Gavin sparked VCU's offense with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting. VCU beat Oklahoma, 82-69.
Gavin has emerged as a Rams' starter, playing alongside renowned forward Larry Sanders.
Gavin chose to transfer when Matt Brady left the program for James Madison. VCU had initially recruited Gavin before he chose to attend Marist.
VCU is a CAA power and many think the team is destined for the NCAA Tournament. The Rams are now 2-1, having lost their last game to Western Michigan.
It will be interesting to see how Gavin continues to develop in his young career.

Marist embarrassed by Hartford

It's hard to believe Marist beat this team last season by 22 points.
Hartford took Marist out back behind the woodshed and pummeled the Red Foxes to the tune of 75-38.
The 41 points Hartford scored in the first half would have been enough to win against Marist's two-half total.
There are bound to be growing pains, but it is hard to find a silver lining in a game where the deficit reaches 40 points. Marist has far too much talent and athleticism to produce this kind of result.
Luckily for Chuck Martin, Marist has 11 days to pick up the pieces and turn things around when the Red Foxes travel to New Hampshire.
Marist drops to 0-2. Hard to predict anything after a performance like this.

This just in: Siena not as good as advertised

Siena 59 Northeastern 53
Despite beating a good-but-not-great Northeastern team, Siena has plenty of reasons for concern.
Any MAAC coaches watching ESPN this afternoon saw a lot of holes that are ready for exploitation. Maybe Tommy Dempsey was right... Early on, his team looks like the horse, or bronc, to beat.
Don't get me wrong, Siena is still a great team... but they're not so great that the season won't need to be played. There are a few teams that could give the Saints a run for their money.
Siena boasts the best player in the conference in Edwin Ubiles, closely followed by Ryan Thompson. What Siena does not boast, however, is any depth whatsoever. If Siena ever gets in foul trouble, it is ripe for the picking.
Clarence Jackson is no Kenny Hasbrouck. He is much more athletic and also wildly inconsistent, but Jackson does not bring the leadership that Hasbrouck did. Rossiter and Franklin are their usual efficient selves, but certainly not spectacular.
Siena's biggest hole is Fran McCaffery's lack of a bench. Kyle Downey is still riding the momentum of one good 10-minute stretch against Marist last season. With that game notwithstanding, he has been non-existent. Owen Wignot is not an impact player and O.D. Anosike is a freshman. McCaffery was furious with his bench's role in allowing Tennessee State to widdle away a large lead in his team's opening win.
Right now, Siena is a five-man team. Ronald Moore had a miserable outing (0-of-6), but everyone knows what he is capable of.
Against Northeastern, Siena leaned heavily on Ubiles. The rest of the team deferred to him and waited for him to make the plays.
Ryan Thompson vs. Edwin Ubiles should be a heavyweight match-up when the two teams meet.
Other Siena observations:
- Unlike last year, Siena has a very soft non-conference schedule. Georgia Tech and Temple are the biggest challenges. Much different from Kansas and Pittsburgh last year.
- Siena's free-throw shooting leaves a lot to be desired (17-of-27).
- Casiem Drummond should have a field day against Rossiter when the two meet Jan. 30 at the McCann Center.
- Unlike Siena, Rider has scheduled a very difficult out-of-conference schedule. The Broncs have already beaten No. 18/19 Mississippi State on the road, and Dempsey has Virginia and Kentucky on the slate. Maybe McCaffery does not want to expose his team to the heavyweights this season because of the potential outcome...
- Siena's defense looked ferocious something the team has to be thrilled about. On the other hand, this was Northeastern's first game. The team only averaged 62.5 ppg last season.
- An early MAAC Christmas present: Rider at Siena on Dec. 23.
In other news:
- The MAAC has started hot so far. Fairfield, Rider, and Siena are all 2-0. Niagara is 1-1 despite losing Tyrone Lewis. The loss came at Auburn.
- Marist returns to action at Hartford tomorrow night. While no game is a must-win at any point in the non-conference schedule, a win would really buoy Marist's spirits. Despite not having Drummond and Hall, the pieces are there to beat a team the Red Foxes rolled over last season in the BracketBuster game. Hartford is 0-2, but they lost, 71-69, to a good Baylor team. Hartford will be no pushover.
- I still maintain the long roadtrip is great for Marist's team chemistry. Since there has been so much turnover, a few long bus trips give the team a chance to get acclimated to one another.

Marist falls in season opener

A sluggish start to the second half sent Marist packing with an opening loss at Rutgers.
Rutgers jumped out to a 16 point lead midway through the second half, but a persistent Marist team clawed back and ultimately fell, 74-67.
Although things looked bleak at times, Chuck Martin has to be thrilled with the performance of freshman Rob Johnson. He has great length and excellent athleticism. He translated those attributes into a game-high 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
Daye Kaba notched a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Korey Bauer pitched in and made a case for significant minutes even when Casiem Drummond returns. Bauer's contributions could keep him in the starting lineup when Drummond becomes available. Bauer gives Martin multiple lineup options depending on if he wants to play big or small.
Bauer scored 11 points and hauled in seven rebounds despite playing an oversized Big East frontcourt.
As far as the freshmen go, Sam Prescott scored 10 points and Candon Rusin chipped in nine. Prescott showed a nice ability to slash and get to the rim while Rusin obviously wants to play outside the arc.
Until Hall and Drummond enter the lineup, Marist will have its hands full in every game. The team isn't nearly as deep without those two and are forced to play Dejuan Goodwin at the point. Devin Price looked outmatched in his first game, which is to be expected. Goodwin's ability to play the point is a plus. Goodwin did a solid job running the point, but one question mark is his free-throw shooting. For a starting guard, 1-of-4 from the charity stripe won't cut it.
Other observations from the opener:
- Not having Menelik Watson will hurt for the first month. The decision to red-shirt him is an interesting one, but during Marist Madness, he seemed out of shape. He has great strength and is incredibly muscular, but he looked like he put on a lot of weight and wouldn't be able to handle the rigor of a full season. A bit surprising because he was so pumped to contribute to the team this season.
- Dorvell Carter only receiving four minutes of action is very surprising. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and can hit the outside shot. Since he's been with Martin a year, you'd think he'd make more of an impact early than a few of the freshmen. Regardless of his one three-point attempt, Marist will need him down the stretch.
- Javon Parris is really only a defensive stopper at this point. His offense remains what it was last season. He played seven minutes in the contest.
- Finally, Rob Johnson looked like an All-MAAC rookie player in the opener. The fact that he can successfully shoot the three and slash inside is a major plus. He can play the No. 3 or 4 spots, making him an asset for any opponent.

Marist opened the game with this lineup:
G Dejuan Goodwin
G Sam Prescott
G Daye Kaba
F Rob Johnson
F Korey Bauer

I'd expect that to remain constant, at least for the first few games. Marist returns to action Wednesday at Hartford. Hartford is a game Marist should win. The Red Foxes thoroughly outplayed Hartford last season in the BracketBuster game and Hartford lost its opener, 85-74, to Quinnipiac.

Rider shocks No. 19 Mississippi State

With the MAAC opening its season tonight, there were a couple big results for the conference.
Rider went on the road and had its way with No. 19 Mississippi State. The Broncs went into Humphrey Coliseum and won, 88-74. Four players scored in double-digits, including 21 apiece from Mike Ringgold and Novar Gadson.
Many questioned the integrity of Rider coach Tommy Dempsey casting the lone first place vote for a team other than Siena, voting instead for his own team, but this victory has to validate that pick. This is one of Rider's biggest wins.
With Niagara notwithstanding (late result), the only MAAC team to lose was Saint Peter's. Seton Hall's Eugene Harvey nailed a three-pointer as time expired to propel the Pirates to a 53-51 win. The Peacocks' defense picked up right where it left off last season. They limited Jeremy Hazell, one of the Big East's best scorers to two points on 0-of-10 shooting. He averaged 22.7 ppg last season.
Marist looks like it will have its hands full this season. With Menelik Watson and Anell Alexis red-shirting, Casiem Drummond will have to play at an All-MAAC level when he becomes eligible against Binghamton. Devin Price and Rob Johnson will also have to grow up in a hurry.

The other scores from around the league:
Siena 85 Tennessee State 68
Iona 82 Boston University 73
Loyola 79 Vermont 66
Fairfield 67 Central Connecticut State 58

Official: Hall ineligible for first semester of season

In one of the more bizarre developments of the 2009 preseason, starting point guard R.J. Hall has been ruled academically ineligible.
The story is interesting for two reasons. 1) Hall was a member of the National Honor Society at Bloomfield Tech in high school and an honor roll student. In my experiences at Marist, I always saw him with a portfolio to-and-from class. He's probably one of the last guys I would've expected this from. 2) Hall has been ruled academically ineligible by Marist, NOT the NCAA. Marist holds students to higher standards and proved that academics still have a place in athletics.
The situation is similar to Ben Farmer's during the first semester of the 2005-06 season.
Hall's absence will open up a tremendous window of opportunity for Devin Price. While he may not be polished, he certainly has the attitude and athleticism to play the position. Dejuan Goodwin will start at the point, but don't be surprised to see some roster shuffling in the backcourt.
Others news and notes
- Korey Bauer has recovered fully from the flu he battled two weeks back. His role will be emphasized since Drummond is not available for the first semester.
- As far as Menelik Watson goes, there won't be any formal announcement in regards to his red-shirting this season. The NCAA does not have a formal deadline, the team just chooses not to play a certain player for the entire season. They then apply for the red-shirt after the season. A player is eligible to be red-shirted for injury purposes as long as he doesn't play in 30 percent or more of his team's games. The post-season declaration of a red-shirt is important because this is where David Devezin ran into trouble with his paperwork.

This just in: Siena is heavy MAAC favorite

Well now that we have that shocking news out of the way, here is how MAAC Media Day played out.
The team and player rankings are in and Marist gets the short end of the stick. Just like last year, Marist was selected 10th and will have to fight for its respect this season. With as many newcomers as Marist has, the politically correct thing to do is pick the team 10th. Marist will not finish 10th though.
Chuck Martin has six true freshmen in the fold and Dorvell Carter eligible as a red-shirt freshman. Depth, however, is key. Almost every player on Marist's roster has a chance to emerge as a primetime player if they got. Daye Kaba will lead this team, and when the first semester ends, Casiem Drummond will join him. Those are the only spots that are set in stone, in my opinion.
R.J. Hall enters the season as the starting point guard, but he will probably be looking over his back at Devin Price. He looked quite impressive at Marist Madness. The No. 3 and 4 spots are up for grabs. A lot depends on whether Martin chooses to go small and quick or add some bigger players like Menelik Watson (20-year old freshman) and Korey Bauer in the fold (when Drummond is back and starting).
With so many uncertainties regarding the Marist roster, no surprise the Red Foxes were tabbed last. The uncertainties aren't a bad thing, it simply means Martin has a lot more options than he did last season. He also has his guys on board, although they are inexperienced.
Here's the fallout from MAAC Media Day.

Teams, First-place votes
1. Siena, 9
2. Niagara
3. Rider, 1
4. Fairfield
5T. Loyola
5T. Saint Peter's
7. Canisius
8. Manhattan
9. Iona
10. Marist

Prediction: Marist finishes ahead of Canisius, Manhattan, and Iona.
Far too early to tell beyond that. This season will be an improvement on last year. In Chuck Martin's mind, 2010-11 is the Red Foxes' year to win the conference. Siena will lose almost all their big impact players. The top three teams will have also lost Ryan Thompson, Bilal Benn, Tyrone Lewis, and Rob Garrison.
Prediction 2: Daye Kaba finishes the season as a second-team All MAAC selection.
No surprise he wasn't selected since he's come off his transfer year, but he will replace Schneider's efficiency and leadership.

Here are the preseason teams:

Player of the year:
Ryan Thompson, Rider

First team:
Ronald Moore, Siena
Edwin Ubiles, Siena
Ryan Thompson, Rider
Bilal Benn, Niagara
Tyrone Lewis, Niagara

Second team:
Alex Franklin, Siena
Ryan Rossiter, Siena
Greg Nero, Fairfield
Jamal Barney, Loyola
Wesley Jenkins, Saint Peter's

Third team:
Mike Ringgold, Rider
Novar Gadson, Rider
Darryl Crawford, Manhattan
Frank Turner, Canisius
Greg Logins, Canisius

Red Foxes debut for Poughkeepsie faithful

The Red Foxes started the season tonight in front of a crowded McCann Center.
The night served as a kick-off to the relationship between the crowd and the two programs. It was more about skill than basketball technique and intensity.
The men's team looked entirely different than last year, which is a good and bad thing. The good is that this is the most freakishly athletic team in the MAAC. Granted that doesn't translate into good basketball and wins, but there is a ton of talent there. The bad is there is no David Devezin and Ryan Schneider. They emerged as the faces of this team, so it is an obvious change. They played the game without flash, but were consummate professionals.
This team has an infusion of youth. The core is built of freshmen. There is a camraderie with this group that I haven't seen since I've followed Marist basketball. They celebrated boisterously, displayed their skills, and showboated at will. At least there won't be any shortage of confidence.
There was probably a bit of disappointment regarding the team's intensity level during the scrimmage, but that's the way these events go. The New Jersey Nets opened their annual practice to the public in early October, and the intensity was just as bad, and they are professionals. These events are to showcase the newcomers and the talent, not the dribble-drive offense and tight man-to-man defense.
Based on what Marist displayed, these are my following observations:
R.J. Hall did not play in the scrimmage and Korey Bauer has the flu.
Devin Price is one of the most athletic point guards I've ever seen. Jared Jordan and David Devezin certainly could not dunk like him. Hard to say how that translates into the game since tonight was basically a skills contest.
Expect Marist to go small to start the season. Korey Bauer should be healthy, and my guess is he is the only true "big" in the lineup. Menelik Watson, although of freakish strength, did not appear to be in shape just yet to play 30 minutes a night. He did not get involved in the scrimmage as much as I was hoping. Based on what I saw, he does not start against Rutgers.
Daye Kaba and Casiem Drummond could bring this team further than anyone is anticipating come March. Drummond displayed the kind of enthusiasm and effort you love to see. Although most hope he does not bring the ball up court in real action like he did tonight, he at least worked hard during the scrimmage.
Daye Kaba will be this year's Ryan Schneider. He will be a team leader that everyone will look to. Prediction: he is an All-MAAC selection.
Sam Prescott could start. He's everything he was cracked up to be by the coaching staff in the offseason. His speed, agility, and vertical leap make him a huge asset in this offense.
Rob Johnson and Dorvell Carter are probably vying for the same starting spot. Nod may go to Carter, but Johnson will make an impact in some shape or form.
Anell Alexis was present and in uniform. He also was not wearing a brace. Just speculation, but maybe the injury was not a full tear. Based on the numbers, I'd still redshirt him.
The wildcard for this team is Candon Rusin. In warmups, he knocked down several NBA three-pointers. He air-balled a few as well, but he seems to be a silky-smooth shooter, probably the best the team has at this point.
Finally, I'm curious to see the roles that Javon Parris and Dejuan Goodwin play. Parris' game translates to Bruce Bowen in that he's probably only a defensive-stopper that can knock down the occasional shot. Goodwin is the same player but with better talent around him, especially once Drummond is active. He knows the offense and can knock down shots. Martin will probably look to him early, like he did last year in the first three games with Kaylen Gregory, because of his seniority.
Final word: this is not a 10th place team in the MAAC. Granted, that's not exactly going out on a limb. Finishing middle of the pack and looking to get hot in Albany with Drummond is a safe bet.

Marist Madness slated for Oct. 23

Marist fans will get their first look at the 2009-10 Red Foxes when the men's and women's programs host Marist Madness.
This is the sixth annual event and the doors open at 6:30 p.m. The festivities will kick off at 7 p.m.
The night will feature the red/white scrimmage, shooting contests, and a dunk contest.
Like every year, both Brian Giorgis and Chuck Martin will give a speech to the fans to set the mood for the upcoming season.
The men's team will have nine new players and eight new contributors. Anell Alexis is expected to miss the season with an injured ACL. Dorvell Carter, Daye Kaba, and Casiem Drummond are in their second year with the team, but this will be their first year of eligibility.
Admission to the event is free and concessions will be available. One fan will be selected to shoot for $10,000.

Marist releases new-look roster

Marist's revamped roster has been announced by GoRedFoxes.com.
A couple interesting notes regarding the roster release:
Coming from someone that interviewed Menelik Watson extensively in the offseason, I'm kind of surprised Marist or The Poughkeepsie Journal did nothing to announce his arrival to the program. Based on his highlights, age, and body-frame, he should contribute immediately in a big way.
Devin Price is going with the No. 0. An interesting choice.
Chuck Martin has a roster full of talented players. He won't be able to say he doesn't have enough players this season. Enough "experienced" players is another story.
Expect Anell Alexis to redshirt this season after tearing his ACL in offseason workouts. Due to the Red Foxes depth, it would not make sense to carry him in case he's available for the final few games.
Based on what I heard over the summer, expect Rob Johnson to have a huge impact this season. Think starter. They see a Ryan Schneider-type player in him.
It will be interesting to see where Candon Rusin fits in the rotation. He is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. He could become a huge part of the team and rotation if he can get hot on a team that loves to drive the basket.

For the opening game at Rutgers on Nov. 14, here is my projected lineup:

G R.J. Hall
G Daye Kaba
F Rob Johnson
F Menelik Watson
F Korey Bauer

First off the bench:
G Dejuan Goodwin
G Sam Prescott
G Devin Price
F Dorvell Carter

Obviously the team will change when Casiem Drummond becomes eligible. Although Price and Prescott may play a larger role later in the season, I think Martin will choose to go with experience early on. Watson's age and experience in Spain makes him a huge asset as a freshman. He is not the typical freshman.

Marist unveils 2009-10 schedule

Marist released the Red Foxes full schedule for the upcoming season today.
Marist will play 29 games this season, including 13 at home. The team will play its first six games on the road, something I think will benefit a new team's camaraderie.
The good news is that Casiem Drummond will only miss two MAAC games, neither of which is against Siena. Marist plays at Fairfield and Rider in consecutive games prior to Dec. 20th, Drummond's first eligible game.
The middle portion of the schedule is packed with home games. The only home game that won't include the full lineup will come against Boston University on Dec. 12.

The full schedule is below, courtesy of GoRedFoxes.

Nov. 14 - at Rutgers
Nov. 18 - at Hartford
Nov. 28 - at New Hampshire
Nov. 30 - at Holy Cross
Dec. 3 - at Fairfield
Dec. 6 - at Rider
Dec. 12 - BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Dec. 20 - BINGHAMTON
Dec. 22 - at Lehigh
Dec. 28 - VERMONT
Dec. 30 - at Bucknell
Jan. 2 - MANHATTAN
Jan. 4 - at Saint Peter's
Jan. 6 - PRINCETON
Jan. 9 - CANISIUS
Jan 11 - RIDER
Jan. 15 - at Loyola
Jan. 18 - NIAGARA
Jan. 21 - FAIRFIELD
Jan. 23 - LOYOLA
Jan. 28 - at Iona
Jan. 30 - SIENA
Feb. 5 - at Manhattan
Feb. 7 - IONA
Feb. 12 - at Canisius
Feb. 14 - at Niagara
TBA (Feb. 20-22) - at BracketBusters
Feb. 26 - SAINT PETER'S
Feb. 28 - at Siena
March 5-Mon., March 8 - MAAC Tournament (Albany, N.Y.)

Drummond to debut against Binghamton

Marist fans will get their first look at the Villanova transfer on Dec. 20 in a home game against Binghamton.
In case there was any ambiguity as to when his eligibility took effect, this should clear up the situation. Marist has had issues in the past with NCAA paperwork, but as it stands, Drummond will be eligible once the first semester ends.
Since Louie McCroskey had an issue with the NCAA, I wanted to look into when Casiem would play his first game. Since he did not get enrolled immediately after the first semester ended this past year, I thought it might be one year from his enrollment. Fortunately for Marist, he will play once the academic semester ends.

Marist releases out-of-conference schedule

The Marist Athletics Department unveiled the Red Foxes competition for the 2009-2010 season.
Marist will open the season against Rutgers on Nov. 14, one year to the day that the two teams opened up last season as part of the Garden State Tournament. Marist suffered a two-point loss at the RAC last season.
The Red Foxes open up with four straight road games, which in my opinion, is a brilliant piece of schedule making. Marist is an entirely different team from last year and a long road trip can build chemistry and form a bond.
Marist will host the home opener on Saturday, Dec. 12, against Boston University. Binghamton, Vermont, and Princeton also journey to the McCann Center.
The schedule is solid from a competition standpoint. It's hard to predict wins and losses when there will be so many new faces in the Marist lineup, but it would have made no sense to schedule a team like Memphis again following a last place finish in a mid-major conference. All of the games should be competitive, and Marist should be well prepared for its MAAC schedule.

Schneider signs in Portugal

Ryan Schneider's surge in his final year at Marist propelled the forward to a professional contract. He signed with CAB Madeira in Portugal.
Schneider has said in the past that he never expected to play professionally, but a strong senior campaign led to international interest.
Schneider joins former Marist teammate Jared Jordan in European basketball. Schneider served his transfer year from Vermont during Jordan's senior season.
Schneider saw limited action under Matt Brady after transferring from Vermont, but his role increased dramatically with Chuck Martin.
The Yorktown Heights native led the MAAC in most major categories, earning second-team All-MAAC honors. Had Marist not finished 10th in the MAAC, he likely would have been a first teamer.

Meet Menelik Watson, the next MAAC force

Menelik Watson has his sights set big.
The 6-foot-8, 260-pound forward is thankful for the opportunity to play Div. I basketball, and he's poised to make the most of his opportunity.
Watson caught Marist head coach Chuck Martin's eye while on a tour to the tri-state area with his team, the Canarias Basketball Academy.
Watson also competed against current Marist freshmen Rob Johnson and Devin Price in the tournament.
Watson said he likes to play physical and fashions his game after Carmelo Anthony and Rhode Island's Ben Eaves. Watson noted that he speaks to Eaves regularly and thinks of him as his mentor. Eaves is 6-foot-7, 225-pounds and plays the No. 3.
Expect Watson to be in the Marist starting lineup for the season opener.
The full interview can be heard below:

Folahan verbally commits to Marist

Naofall Folahan has verball committed to Marist, according to several sources including ESPN.com.
Folahan's signing is incredibly enticing for Marist because he gives the Red Foxes a big man to replace Drummond following the 2010-11 season. Folahan, or "Ming" as he's called, stands at 6-foot-11.
According to ESPN's scouting report, he needs to improve and get stronger...That's a shock seeing as how he just finished his junior year in high school. The one attribute they listed I found incredibly intriguing. Folahan has great vision and the ability to find the cutting man. This should work incredibly well with the extra-athletic Sam Prescott for years to come.
Folahan emanates from Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Massachusetts and plays on the club team, the New England Playaz.
Picture courtesy of NERecruitingReport.com.

Jordan signs to play in Germany

After earning roughly $20,000 playing in the NBDL last season, Jared Jordan has signed a contract to play for Bonn Telecom in Germany.
The deal is expected to pay a player of Jordan's caliber about 10 times that amount at $200,000.
Jordan still hopes to one day play in the NBA, but right now he realizes this is the best path for his career in basketball and in life.
For the full story, click on this story in the Hartford Courant.

Proving the critics wrong...one game at a time

That's what it will take for Marist basketball this upcoming season.
The MAAC's dedicated Steve Amedio predicted Marist to finish last next season, not exactly a shock. While people I know are hesitant about predicting anything better next season than what happened in 2008-09, I'm pretty surprised people aren't giving Marist and Chuck Martin more credit.
While The Sporting News will no doubt give you an in-depth look about the ins-and-outs of Marist basketball, it's not as simple as looking at a list of recruits and predicting a finish. A lot will go into next season. I can't speak for the other nine teams in the MAAC, but I can speak for this one.
For the better part of the summer, I have gone to the gym everyday, and I cannot recall one day at least one Marist basketball player was not there as well. While Matt Brady's Red Foxes were not dedicated to the gym, Chuck Martin's surely are.
While speaking to him earlier this summer prior to his camp, he said he was pleased at the work his players were putting into the offseason. It also helps most of his players were assisting Martin and the camp's main director, Will Lanier.
After Rider bullied Marist around last season in the McCann Center, an irate Martin vowed that his team needed to and would get stronger and tougher. Enter Casiem Drummond and Daye Kaba. If nothing else, these two major-conference recruits give Marist a much needed size advantage. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my source told me that the MAAC has never seen a body like Casiem Drummond's. Although injuries and potential foul-trouble are major concerns, he brings much needed physicality to the table. Ryan Rossiter (listed at a generous 6-foot-9, 227 pounds) physically does not match up to Drummond (6-foot-10, 275).
The same goes for Daye Kaba. While the idea has been floated out there that there's a reason why players transfer, Kaba brings size, if nothing else. Amedio points out that Clarence Jackson, the MAAC's sixth man, will step up for Hasbrouck. If Hasbrouck truly was the MAAC player of the year (which he wasn't, Ryan Thompson should've been, he did more with less), shouldn't losing him cause the team to take some sort of hit? Anyway, compare Marist's No. 2 with Siena's. Jackson and Kaba will likely guard each other when the team's meet next season. Kaba stands at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds. Jackson measures 6-foot-3, 183.
While I am in no way suggesting Marist is poised to steal the conference crown from Siena, I am intimating that Marist will not be pushed around by any team in the MAAC. Most of Marist's recruits share two things in common: freakish athleticism and size. Sam Prescott, described to me by people in the know as the most athletic player at his respective position that Marist has ever brought in, will see considerable minutes. And as my source said,"If Joe Mihalich was recruiting him, then he's good enough for me." Assuming Menelik Watson attends Marist, he too will see time. Rob Johnson could start next season, assuming Kaba plays the No. 2 spot. According to my source, the coaches hope that Johnson can play a similar role that Ryan Schneider did. They want him to play inside, rebound, but also sport the ability to stretch the defense from the perimeter. Devin Price, while not likely to start, is an upgrade over R.J. Hall in size. He has three inches and 15 pounds on Hall. Don't expect Price to start, however. Not only is he a freshman, Hall gained valuable experience last season in the dribble-drive and is familiar with what Martin is trying to accomplish. He also led Marist to a win on the road at Delaware and came close to upsetting Binghamton (an NCAA Tournament entry) on the road in a 73-71 loss.
The point of this post is to provide something that Steve Amedio can't: an inside view. It's certainly not his fault he doesn't see the team up-close-and-personal. Fact is, I don't know the details about any of the other MAAC teams like I do Marist. None of this conference's beat-writers do. I do think Amedio's projections are somewhat inauspicious, however. That said, I have followed his blog for some time and appreciate the quality work he puts into it.
Siena is not a slam-dunk to win the MAAC. Niagara and Siena will duke it out, but don't sell Niagara short. How does Siena lose one of the program's best players and not take a drop-off? Jackson is a superior athletic talent, but is he consistent? I wasn't the biggest Hasbrouck fan in terms of pure statistics, but he did have all the intangibles.
I also take umbrage with Iona being ranked sixth. This was not a good team and in their favor, they return five players who started or played a significant role... Marist does lose Devezin, which is a huge blow, but Hall is capable of starting as he proved last year. Plus, there are a number of players who will demand the ball. Hall will not be the focal point of the offense. There's only so many shots to go around.
The loss of Schneider is the biggest, but Marist has a wealth of options to go to now. I don't see Rusin and Alexis playing as big a role as Price, Johnson, Watson, and Prescott do. Price will play out of necessity because he's the only other true No. 1 on the roster. Prescott's athleticism makes him a go-to option off the bench. Watson's size (assuming he is signed) is too hard to pass up for considerable minutes. His hands can't be any worse than Marist's other big men last year, could they? Finally, Johnson was mentioned as a possible starter to me. The lineup will probably be very conservative starting out. Martin went with Gregory last year before he became seasoned in the dribble-drive due to his veteran presence. There will be a feeling out period. In the first game, think:

G R.J. Hall
G Daye Kaba
F Dorvell Carter
F Rob Johnson
F Korey Bauer

First off bench:
Dejuan Goodwin

Martin is not going to throw an inexperienced lineup to the wolves. He will let them feel their away around NCAA basketball. It might not take long to get other freshmen in there if they wow the coaches early though. While Carter is a freshman in the NCAA's eyes, he's been around the team long enough to fit a role, especially early.

As far as the rest of the predictions, Iona and Manhattan are given way too much credit. One of my colleagues on press row was never a fan of Rohrssen's coaching, and he's been around Marist for longer than most. Loyola and Canisius could be argued as better than Marist, but that's not a given. Saying so-and-so's coaching will keep a team competitive is not saying much. I do agree with Amedio about Saint Peter's though. They play terrific defense and have a nice, young core that impressed last season, especially at home. The top four are pretty accurate. Marist can finish anywhere between 5 and 10...If nothing else, Chuck Martin's coaching will keep the team in it...Seriously though, Martin will have people forgetting about Brady (lawsuit or not) in a hurry. He's a true players coach and when I talked to Schneider and Gregory, they both spoke of how great a person he was in addition to his basketball knowledge. According to them, he brought the best out of them on and off the floor. Here's hoping six freshmen learn the same lesson.

Marist lawsuit goes national

When you've made it onto Deadspin, you know the story is big.
The popular blog site weighs in on Marist's lawsuit against former head coach Matt Brady. While the biggest case made by Deadspin writer Barry Petchesky and Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora revolves around the transfer of recruits, Brady's departure is missing in their argument.
One of the focal points of this lawsuit includes wording in Brady's contract and James Madison's knowledge of the contractual status.
This case, to me, is not as complicated as everyone is making it seem. This clause is nothing new. Boston College football coach Jeff Jagodzinski was fired after not receiving consent to talk to the New York Jets about their previous coaching vacancy. In the NHL, Brent Sutter needed consent to talk with the Calgary Flames before taking their job opening.
While recruiting is an issue, this case centers on breach of contract. JMU is involved because they either knowlingly aided Brady in breaching his contract, or they were ignorant and didn't read the fine print. Either way, Marist has a case.
Unlike in professional sports, you can't be awarded draft-pick compensation. Therefore, Marist is gunning for financial renumerations to cover all the expenses of cleaning up Brady's mess. Imagine Julius Wells being forced to attend Marist as compensation for Brady's error. It's impossible. Where recruits attend school is not that big of a deal. A coach violating his contract is.
Granted, Marist is far better off with Chuck Martin as head coach. It's not even close. Brady pulled off one of the great heist's in college coaching history. He took the previous coach's phenomenal recruiting class and parlayed it into another job. Martin has already recruited more talent than Brady ever did in his tenure.
As far as a future precedent, I don't see the issue being nearly as large as most would make it seem. This case simply means that coaches will have full knowledge of all the provisions going into a contract. The idea floated out there that coaches will now only sign one or two year contracts is ludicrous. Imagine Martin attempting to get a bigger job after just two seasons. A two-year deal would not allow coaches to build a sufficient resume. This case does mean that coaches are more likely to hammer out the details before signing. There is the possibility a coach would not sign at a mid-major if there is the possibility the college would not allow him to talk to other schools. The thought that coaches would not want to coach here and recruits would not want to come here because of this lawsuit is erroneus, in my opinion.

Marist files lawsuit against Brady, JMU

The Poughkeepsie Journal has learned that Marist is suing former men's head coach Matt Brady over his departure to James Madison University in Virginia.
According to Brady's contract, he had to have written consent from Marist College before pursuing any other job opportunities. In addition, JMU apparently knew about this and signed Brady anyway. This came months after Brady signed a four-year extension with Marist.
I talked to Marist AD Tim Murray days after this occurred back in 2008, and he did say he was really surprised Brady leftt, but made no mention that Brady violated his contract.
Evidently, Brady's contract stipulated he could not take any recruits with him to JMU, which he obviously did. Julius Wells went on to have an excellent season in the CAA.
There had been some rumblings in previous days that Marist was planning on making an announcement in regards to a legal matter, and today we learned of the report.
For the initial story, click here.

Jared Jordan Tracker: DNP in win vs. Bulls

Anthony Randolph tied a Summer-League record by scoring 42 points as the Warriors defeated the Bulls, 95-83, tonight.
Randolph was really the only thing worth watching in the game as Stephen Curry played miserably and Jordan did not see the floor. As far as I could tell from watching the game, he wasn't even on the bench. Cartier Martin and Lawrence Roberts also did not play for Golden State.
Acie Law IV was the only other point guard to see minutes. He played 11:20 off the bench while Curry handled the point for 34:24. Curry shot 3-of-15 for 10 points, dished out eight assists but turned the ball over four times. His only real highlight from a scoring point-of-view was a long bank shot from the left wing.
Tonight marks another missed opportunity for Jordan to showcase what he can do. It's obvious he won't be with Golden State, but he hasn't had the chance to make another NBA squad think about picking him up. According to the announcers, 22 other teams are represented in Las Vegas with coaches and scouts.
The Warriors moved to 3-1 with the win and will take on the Hornets Thursday in their Summer-League finale.

Marist musings for 2009-10

I had an opportunity to discuss next year's team at some length with my source inside the Marist athletics department. There were a number of interesting things that came about regarding next year's team. This is good food for thought when predicting what next year's team will look like:

* The biggest player to watch is Casiem Drummond, although his performance won't be the most fascinating part. My source mentioned that Drummond's success in the MAAC will be in large part due to how the officials treat him. Drummond is a superior athlete, one that the MAAC has rarely seen, if ever. If the officials call a lot of ticky-tack fouls because of his size and his ability to out-muscle people, he could find himself in foul trouble. Theoretically, Drummond should own the MAAC because there is no one near his size with his Big East background. If Ryan Rossiter is allowed to flop and Drummond picks up the charge, he could see more time on the bench than anyone on staff anticipates.

* The starting lineup is far from set in stone. There are any number of possibilites, especially when it comes to Daye Kaba. He has not be officially listed as either a No. 2 or a No. 3, so it's quite possible match-ups dictate what position he will play. It's obvious that will be the case for much of the team for most of the year. I have predicted he starts at the No. 3 spot, but it's also possible he plays the No. 2 guard position and Dorvell Carter and Rob Johnson occupy the No. 3 and No. 4 spots.

* Don't be surprised if Sam Prescott is in the starting rotation. That is just me guessing, but from everything I've heard about him, he should be a star in the MAAC. It also helps that he's been working out with the team all summer, and I also saw him helping out Martin and his assistans at the Marist camp two weeks ago. My source says that Prescott, "could be the most athletic recruit we've ever brought in at that position." Tyrone Weekes can get credit for bringing Prescott on board. He has Philly ties and saw flashes of greatness from Prescott when he was still coming off the bench and averaging four ppg in high school. Before he signed with Marist, Niagara and Joe Mihalich showed considerable interest. ESPN also regards Prescott as an outstanding prospect, giving him a score of 85. Alex Vouyoukas received a 40 from ESPN when he was recruited here.

* Although a freshman or Kaba could start at the No. 2, don't write off Dejaun Goodwin just yet. He's been in the gym all summer working on his game, and there's still the possibility that he starts. Don't rule it out just yet...

* As far as Jared Jordan goes, odds are he will not stay in the States if he does not make an NBA roster. He's looking to go back to Europe, and since his window of opportunity for playing in the NBA is closing, he will try and make more money in Europe than staying in the NBDL. He's currently wasting away on the Golden State Warriors' Summer-League roster. He did not dress last night and averaged just seven minutes in the two previous games.

* Regarding the new recruit, most of you know it's Menelik Watson. That said, the signing is not official yet. The NCAA paperwork has not been totally completed, and until it is, I am waiting for Marist to break the news. There have been NCAA issues with paperwork here recently that have not gone in Marist's favor. Louie McCroskey missing the first three games of the 2007-2008 season and David Devezin losing his final year of eligibility come to mind. When the paperwork is completed and Chuck Martin decides the time is right to announce it, you all will know. As far as contacting him, that is not possible. The people at Marist that issue the official press releases would also be the same people with his contact information. They will not relinquish that information if he has not been officially signed yet.

Jared Jordan Tracker: Not in uniform tonight

Jared Jordan's pro prospects took another hit tonight as the former Marist star did not suit up for Golden State's match-up with Detroit.
Anthony Morrow returned, so someone had to sit. The fact that Jordan is not in uniform for a Summer League game is not a positive sign for his NBA hopes. It was a foregone conclusion that Jordan would not latch on with the Warriors, but the goal had to have been to showcase his skills for other teams come training camp and preseason. It seems like a long time ago that Jordan was seeing 25 minutes a night with the Clippers Summer League squad.
While there are guys that don't dress routinely for Summer League games, such as Morrow, Jordan is a young player looking to earn a job. Morrow played significant minutes with the Warriors in last year's NBA season, so his job is secure. Since Jordan loses another opportunity to audition for other NBA teams, his future prospects look bleak at this point.
Even Acie Law IV has seen his minutes dwindle. With eight minutes remaining in the game, Law has seen only nine minutes of action. It's obvious the Warriors are looking to see what Curry can do at the point guard position. Maybe Kenny Hasbrouck had the right idea when he passed on the Summer League for the Heat. Unfortunately for Jordan, the late trade for Law killed any chances he had for significant playing time.
Another bad sign is that Cartier Martin, a player who has started every game for the Warriors in Vegas thus far, will not be on Golden State come the regular season. The announcer said he's just looking to showcase his skills and hopefully "latch onto another team." This is a guy that scored 27 points last game.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the Warriors next game against the Chicago Bulls tomorrow night at 8 p.m. I'm guessing Jordan will be in uniform, but he needs to make his minutes count, however sparse they might be.

Hasbrouck passing on summer league; Heads for Heat

Recent Siena graduate Kenny Hasbrouck is also trying to find a niche in the NBA. Apparently working his way there through the Summer League is not on his list of priorities.
Hasbrouck passed on an opportunity to play with Hasheem Thabeet, Sam Young, and the Memphis Grizzlies. Instead, he will play with the Miami Heat. Ironically, the Heat do not have a Summer League team. According to the Albany Times Union, Hasbrouck will compete with 18 other players for a roster spot in camp.
Providing that Hasbrouck does not make the Heat, which is probably a safe bet, he has an offer to play professionally in Israel.
He opted to skip out on Memphis because they have too many guards, and he felt Miami provided a better opportunity. It remains to be seen if he will be taking any minutes away from Dwyane Wade...

Jared Jordan Tracker: Warriors (1-1)

Stephen Curry stole the show in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
With Golden State trailing Sacramento, 95-94, the Warriors' first-round pick cut through the lane and went up-and-under for a spectacular lay-up to give his team the lead. Following a Kings' moving screen violation, Curry calmly knocked down two free-throws to give the Warriors a 98-95 win, their first of the Summer League season in overtime.
The Warriors gave Curry an extensive look at point guard, which meant barely any minutes for Jared Jordan tonight. Acie Law IV also saw his minutes take a hit as Curry handled the load.
Curry played 36:45 out of a possible 42 minutes and tallied 29 points on 8-of-22 shooting. Cartier Martin chipped in a surprising 27 points, including several long three-pointers down the stretch. Anthony Randolph, the Warriors first-round pick last season, had another strong game with 24 points. Outside of those three, only Australia's 6-foot-8 forward Joe Ingles saw significant minutes. The rest of the team saw its minutes divided.
Jordan saw 4:12 of action to start the fourth quarter. It was not a memorable four minutes. Jordan ran an effective point but failed to score on his one true opportunity of the game. He ran a two-on-one break down the floor, attempting a running lay-up, only to have hit shot blocked by Sacramento's Michael Landry. Stephen Curry soon returned from the bench.
This game obviously served as an experiment for the Warriors' coaching staff. With Monta Ellis not really a true No. 1 guard, Curry was given the opportunity of playing the point for most of the night. He took a number of his patented long-range threes, connecting on a few, clanking some others. His performance from the free-throw line was the most impressive, especially in the clutch. The Davidson guard went 10-of-11 from the line.
Law saw his minutes drop significantly to 12:22. He also had a forgettable night. The former Hawks' lottery pick shot 0-of-4 from the field but dished out three assists with only one turnover.
The night ultimately belong to Stephen Curry, however. He went step-for-step with fellow top-10 pick, Tyreke Evans. Evans would have been the star had it not been for Curry's late heroics.
Evans scored a double-double, including 25 points. Law tried covering Evans when he was in the game, but Evans bigger frame made it difficult for Law.
Evans looked quite impressive, showing off his mid-range jumper while driving to the basket. His only weakness was from the free-throw line. His 7-of-12 effort made the difference in the end.
Jason Thompson, former Rider product, tacked on 17 points for the Kings on 5-of-10 shooting. He struggled from the free-throw line early but finished the night at 7-of 12. Thompson struggled on his mid-range jumper but proved to be a strong presence down low. Thompson did have nine fouls though.
Jordan and the Warriors will be back in action Monday at 10 p.m. against the Detroit Pistons.

Jared Jordan's final stats:
Minutes: 4:12
FGM-A: 0-2
Total Points: 0
Assists: 0
Rebounds: 0
Steals: 1
Turnovers: 0

Jared Jordan Tracker: Warriors (0-1)

Jared Jordan had a ho-hum debut with the Golden State Warriors Summer League team today against the Houston Rockets.
Jordan saw 9:40 of action, nearly one-quarter of the game that the Warriors lost, 73-69. He posted modest numbers but did not put up the kind of stats that are most likely necessary to make the Warriors opening-day roster. That said, the goal for Jordan right now is simple. He needs to perform well enough to earn another invite to any team's training camp.
If he is going to make an NBA roster, it is likely not with the Warriors. His chances were good before they traded Jamal Crawford for Acie Law IV and Speedy Claxton. While I don't think the Warriors have any attachment to those players since the move was a cost-shedding measure, they are likely to opt for experience over Jordan.
Today's game did not showcase much for the former Marist star. While Houston used a steady rotation and split minutes among most of their players, Golden State made a point of getting Stephen Curry and Anthony Randolph the most minutes. Acie Law IV also saw considerable action, which is probably a sign that the Warriors are looking to see if he's worthy of a back-up spot to Monta Ellis.
Acie Law IV played 31:31 out of a possible 40 minutes. Law tallied eight points, four assists, and one rebound. He did turn the ball over four times, however.
The Warriors return to action tomorrow against Sacramento at 8 p.m. The game marks a reunion of sorts as two MAAC players of the year will meet up. Rider's Jason Thompson will greet Jordan when the two face.

Here are the final lines from the Warriors' loss to Houston today:
Jared Jordan
Minutes: 9:40
FGM-A: 0-1
Total Points: 0
Rebounds: 1
Assists: 2
Turnovers: 1
Steals: 1

Acie Law IV
Minutes: 31:31
FGM-A: 3-6
Total Points: 8
Rebounds: 1
Assists: 4
Turnovers: 4
Steals: 1

Stephen Curry went 4-of-14 for 16 points with seven personal fouls, while Anthony Randolph scored 20 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Randolph picked up nine fouls. Obviously, the rules are a little different in the Summer League as rookies and younger players learn the NBA style.
For Houston, Chase Budinger picked up 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

Schneider signs agent; looks to Europe

For those that didn't listen to the interview Schneider gave about his future plans, the full story can be found in today's Poughkeepsie Journal.
Schneider signed with the Glass Family and hopes to play in Western Europe, but he and his agent will analyze all the options available.
Schneider surprised the MAAC last season after former head coach Matt Brady used him sparingly. Under Chuck Martin, Schneider emerged as a first-team All-MAAC caliber player and finished the season on the second team. Marist's 10th place finish is the likely cause of Schneider finishing on the second team.
The former Vermont product led the conference in most major categories for the duration of the season.

No word on new recruit [EDIT]

Although Chuck Martin mentioned that there would be six freshmen on next year's team, the actual name of the sixth freshman will not be released for some time.
According to my source, Marist may not reveal the name until the fall semester is about to start. He likened it to the Javon Parris signing.
Many of you were wondering so I felt I would pass that information along. When a name is officially announced, you will know. It could be later rather than sooner, however.

[EDITED] To clarify, when I say the Javon Parris situation, I'm referring to the date when the signing was announced. Both Kaba and Parris were announced on September 5th. The similarities between the player and Parris are in date only.

Jordan to the Warriors Summer-League team

As I mentioned in the Kenny Hasbrouck post, Jared Jordan would be an excellent fit for the Golden State Warriors. Now he will have a shot to do just that.
According to The Monitor, the Grand Valley Rapids announced that Jordan would play with the Warriors Summer-League team.
Jordan is now the third Grande Valley product to take part in the Summer League. Last year, current Rockets' starter Aaron Brooks played there, along with the Warriors' C.J. Watson and the Raptors' Desmon Farmer.
The reason Jordan would be an asset for Golden State is the uptempo offense and Don Nelson's indifference to defense. While watching Jordan compete in the Summer League in the past, he struggled to cover the opposing guard. Offensively, he showcased that great knack for finding the open man anywhere on the floor. Monta Ellis, while the starting PG, is more of a combo-guard and newly-acquired Stephen Curry is best suited to play the point.
Jordan is the prototypical point guard that looks to find his teammates. With playing time, he'd most likely never shoot. Golden State has plenty of offensive options the Warriors could make use of. In addition, former Nets' first-rounder Marcus Williams was largely a bust in Oakland. His inability to run the fast break made him a liability. Williams rarely saw the floor.
Jordan has a realistic shot to make the Golden State lineup based on his performance in the Summer League. The Hornets loved what they saw from him last year during preseason but opted to keep two roster spots open. Providing Golden State has no qualms about filling a roster, Jordan could break through with the Warriors.

Strickland and Martin interviews

Martin did not have much to say on the front of how the team would shape up next season. He did say that there were six freshmen coming in and two transfers (Drummond and Kaba). The team will look completely different, but Martin is finally getting his type of athletes in here.
I saw Sam Prescott at camp today and he has excellent size for a guard. It didn't hurt to have Rod Strickland there to give him some advice.
When it comes to the interviews, Strickland was battling a sinus infection, hence the interesting opening. The audio also drags for about 30 seconds after we finish.

Spending the day with Chuck Martin and an NBA Legend

I had the good fortune of speaking with former NBA great Rod Strickland today at Chuck Martin's Basketball camp. Strickland and Martin were colleagues at Memphis before Martin came to Poughkeepsie.
Strickland is currently an assistant coach with John Calipari at Kentucky. He ranks in the top 10 all-time with close to 8,000 assists.
Martin participated in a question and answer session with the campers before turning the floor over to Rod. Strickland also participated in some drills that featured pick-and-roll and focused on the responsibilities of the point guard. R.J. Hall certainly as a good outlet to pick up some of the nuances of the game.
Strickland told me that he and Chuck are in constant communication, and Martin played a major factor in his development as a coach.
The full story will appear in tomorrow's Poughkeepsie Journal and on their website. I will post the audio of the conversation's I had shortly.
I also spoke with Ryan Schneider who will be playing in Europe next season. Schneider is assisting Martin and Will Lanier at the camp. Current Red Foxes Dejuan Goodwin, Daye Kaba, Casiem Drummond, Korey Bauer, Javon Parris, and R.J. Hall were also on hand to help Martin out.
Schneider said he signed with the Glass Family, specifically Tyler Glass. Keith Glass, Tyler's father, is the agent for Larry Brown, Gregg Popovich, and Scott Skiles. The full story on Schneider will appear Sunday in the Poughkeepsie Journal along with the area's High School All-Stars Section.
All the audio will be available later.
For now, here are some videos of Rod Strickland in action in the NBA:

Hasbrouck works out with Nets

With the draft approaching at the end of this month, Jared Jordan is not the only MAAC product looking to make it into the NBA.
Siena's Kenny Hasbrouck had a pre-draft workout with the New Jersey Nets, per Albany's Times Union.
According to the report, Hasbrouck felt like he did well, but he "didn't kill it."
Hasbrouck's draft hopes are bleak at best. His 2-for-20 against Niagara late in the season won't win him much fanfare from scouts.
In my opinion, I have a hard time seeing Hasbrouck latching on to an NBA club. Jared Jordan has far more value to an NBA team, and he has yet to make an opening-day roster. Hasbrouck makes his living with jump shots, something that are a dime-a-dozen in the NBA. He doesn't really create his own shot and doesn't look to get into the lane as often as he should.
I don't see him as a valuable NBA commodity. I do think Jordan has something to offer a number of clubs, however.
The New Orleans Hornets liked what they saw from Jordan during the preseason, but they decided to release him and Courtney Sims in order to keep two roster spots open.
Jordan could help clubs like the Knicks or Warriors, teams that run an uptempo offense. Jordan did say he would rather return to Europe than play in the NBDL again, despite his success there. It will be interesting to see where Jordan and Hasbrouck wind up in the preseason prior to roster selections.

Foxes add two new faces

According to GoRedFoxes.com, Chuck Martin and the Marist Red Foxes will welcome forward Rob Johnson and guard Devin Price to the team next fall.
Both players signed letters of intent to play in Poughkeepsie, despite hailing from far regions. The 6-foot-7 Johnson played his high school ball in Georgia while the 6-foot-1 Price will migrate from Los Angeles.
Both players fit into Martin's dribble-drive scheme, but Price is probably the player who will make a more immediate impact. With star guard David Devezin's departure, Marist was missing a backup point guard to R.J. Hall, the player assuming Devezin's starting role. Price averaged eight assists per game while at Edison Prep.
Martin issued his stock quotes to Marist's Sports Information Department.
"We're really excited to have Rob and Devin become a part of our program at Marist," Martin said. "It's going to be exciting to watch their development and our growth as a program."
Martin commented on the versatility in fit for the team's scheme as the major selling points.
Although Martin is renowned for his local recruiting, three recuits are far from local. They come from North Carolina, Georgia, and California.
Martin seems to be changing the look and attitude of the team. Forward Lawrence Williams will leave the program while a host of new faces will enter.
Recruits:
Anell Alexis
Rob Johnson
Devin Price
Sam Prescott
Candon Rusin

Marist reloads for next season

Following Marist's 65-44 loss to St. John's at Madison Square Garden, Marist head coach Chuck Martin's defeated demeanor said it all.
"We need to get more [players]," Martin emphasized following the drubbing to the Red Storm.
The first year head coach left coach John Calipari and perennial NCAA Tournament bids in Memphis for greener pastures in Poughkeepsie. Instead of success, Martin found adversity. He inherited a team in flux after all of its recruits followed former head coach Matt Brady to James Madison. Martin also took over the team so late in the signing period that there were virtually no recuits left.
Martin capitalized on his recruiting savvy, however, and was able to land R.J. Hall, a New Jersey product that de-committed from Florida Atlantic after its coach left for San Francisco. Hall emerged as a MAAC All-Rookie selection in the 2008-09 season. Martin also nabbed 6-foot-9 center Alex Vouyoukas, a player that had previously signed with Davidson. Impressive findings considering his predicament.
After a 10th place finish in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference [MAAC], Chuck Martin can now smile. His second offseason as head coach has proved far more fruitful than the first. Those players that Martin was pining for are now enrolled and set to suit up with the Red Foxes in the 2009-10 season.
Martin was known for his recruiting talent in the New York area, and according to ESPN's Scouting Department, Marist has the best recruiting class in the MAAC. Marist inked three players with ratings above a 79. For a comparison, Alex Vouyoukas entered last season with a 40 rating according to ESPN. Martin recruited 6-foot-3 shooting guards Sam Prescott (85 rating) and Candon Rusin (79 rating). Marist's last recruit is Anell Alexis, a heralded 6-foot-6 recruit that could start next season with the departures of Ryan Schneider and Lawrence Williams.
While Marist's biggest rivals Siena and Niagara recruited size, Martin opted for guards and wing players that can play in his dribble-drive offense.
The transfers will bring the most skill though. Boston College guard Daye Kaba and Villanova center Casiem Drummond will be eiligible to play next season. Drummond's eligibility does not come into effect until the Fall semester ends, however.
Martin said the team needed to get bigger and stronger in the offseason, and these major-conference players bring just that. Kaba is a 6-foot-3 guard weighing in at 215 pounds while Drummond is a 6-foot-10 center listed at 275 pounds. Both players will start during conference play.
KEY ARRIVALS: Casiem Drummond, Daye Kaba, Dorvell Carter, Anell Alexis, Sam Prescott, Candon Rusin
KEY DEPARTURES: David Devezin, Ryan Schneider, Lawrence Williams, Kaylen Gregory

Projected Starting Lineup:
G R.J. Hall
G Dejuan Goodwin
G Daye Kaba
F Dorvell Carter
C Casiem Drummond

Marist rival looking at Kansas forward

Quintrell Thomas, a 6-foot-8 power forward, is exploring transfer options. Heading his list is Marist foe Siena.
According to the Times Union's Pete Iorizzo, Thomas will visit Siena and UNLV. While Thomas did not factor much into the Jayhawks rotation, the freshman was considered an elite player coming out of high school.
Kansas also looks to lose guard Tyrone Appleton.
Both players want a larger role in college basketball than they currently have at Kansas.
"During our season-ending meetings, Tyrone and Quintrell discussed their roles with me and have expressed their interest to transfer," Bill Self said on the team's website. "They have chosen to attend a university where they can have expanded roles."

Thomas would provide an excellent response to Marist's recuitment of Casiem Drummond in the 2010-11 season.