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.