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.