Four on the Floor for the Week of December 10

It’s time for our weekly segment – Four on the Floor. This is where we look at four teams and in the case of this week, why they are all successful.  One team, VCU, is now well known to most college basketball fans. The other three teams aren't so well known.

VCU

Shaka Smart’s Rams are in the thick of things again in college basketball this season.  Despite being only 6-3, the Rams have looked particularly impressive in wins over Memphis and Belmont and close losses to Duke, Missouri and Wichita State (those three teams are a combined 26-1).  Their average margin of victory in their six wins is an astounding twenty two points per game.

Last season’s success was based mostly on their ability to turn over the ball on their opponents as VCU was first in turnover percentage defense and steal percentage.  They were also twenty seventh in the country in turnover percentage offense, so when they stole the ball, they held onto it well.  This season the Rams are tenth in turnover percentage defense and fourth in the country in steal percentage defense.  Briante Weber averages over three steals per game for VCU.

This season, the Rams are statistically much better overall than the 2011-12 team that made the third round of the NCAA Tournament and nearly made the Sweet Sixteen. Last season the team was statistically in the lower third in three point percentage offense, two point percentage offense and free throw percentage.  This season, VCU is in the top one hundred in three point percentage offense and two point percentage offense, as well as thirty sixth in offensive rebound percentage.

The concern going into this season was who was going to fill Bradford Burgess’ scoring shoes.  Well, three players in particular, Treveon Graham, Juvonte Reddic and Rob Brandenberg have stepped up and increased their scoring averages from last season.   Graham averages fifteen points and five rebounds per game while shooting fifty percent from the field.  Reddic averages over fourteen points per game, eight rebounds, nearly two steals and shoots fifty nine percent from the field.

The Rams are averaging seven more points per game this season compared to last season.   VCU has five straight non conference home games before A-10 play.  Three games won’t be easy as Alabama, Western Kentucky and Lehigh combined are 22-6.  But considering they have played the Shockers, Blue Devils and two sets of Tigers (Missouri and Memphis), they should be prepared.

Canisius

The Golden Griffins won all of five games in the 2011-12 season.  It was the last season for former coach Tom Parrotta, who was fired in March.   Former Rhode Island coach Jimmy Baron was hired.   He brought his son Billy with him and instant success as well.  Already the Griffs are “bowl eligible”, having won more games than last season.   Their only loss came at 7-2 Stony Brook.  The Griffs already are 2-0 in the MAAC, which is more conference wins than they had all of last season.  Both of those conference games also came on the road.

Simply put, Canisius’ success lies in their offense.  They are thirty sixth in the country in scoring, averaging just under seventy eight points per game.  The Griffs are in the top one hundred in just about every offensive category. They stand out in particular in effective field goal percentage, fifty fourth at 52.2 percent.

Canisius is led by their two guards Harold Washington and Baron, who combine for twenty six points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game.  Washington is shooting a scorching fifty six percent from beyond the arc.   And the Griffs are a deep team, as nine players average fifteen minutes or more per game.

Three of the Griffs’ next four non conference games are all tough ones on the road – at #4 Syracuse, at Temple and at #20 UNLV (they also play at Detroit late this month).    However the Griffs should win their home games vs. Longwood and Alcorn State.   With a seemingly down year for the MAAC, it’s quite possible that Canisius will finish with a winning record.  Considering the Griffs haven’t had a winning record this decade that would be an amazing feat.

Middle Tennessee

Name the Sun Belt team with the most wins last season?  Yes, it was the Blue Raiders with twenty seven wins.   But they got upset in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament and ended up in the NIT where they made the quarterfinals before losing to Minnesota.  MT has picked up where they left off with a 7-2 record, which includes a home win over Mississippi.

The Blue Raiders win by making their opponents cough up the ball, cleaning up the offensive glass and hitting three pointers.  Middle Tennessee is thirty eighth in turnover percentage defense, forty seventh in steal percentage, forty sixth in offensive rebound percentage and fifty fifth in three point field goal percentage offense.

The Blue Raiders only have two players who average double digits in scoring.  Marcos Knight and Shawn Jones combine for twenty three points and twelve rebounds per game.  What helps Middle Tennessee is that they have ten players who average thirteen minutes or more per game.  Including Marcos Knight and Jones, they have eight players who average five or more points per game.

Middle Tennessee has some in state rivalry games before they continue conference play on December 29.  They are at Belmont tonight and have a neutral site game vs. Vanderbilt on December 21.  Pomeroy has the Blue Raiders winning twenty six games and going 18-2 in conference, similar to last season.  Hopefully this time it leads to a NCAA berth for the Blue Raiders.

Eastern Kentucky

OK, name the only team in the state of Kentucky undefeated?  Kentucky?  Of course not.  Murray State?  Nope, lost to Colorado in the Charleston Classic.   And it’s not Western Kentucky.  It’s the Colonels of Eastern Kentucky.

So how have the Colonels won nine straight games?  It’s because they force teams to turn the ball over and they score in the paint.  The Colonels are second in the country in turnover percentage defense at 29.3 percent and nineteenth in the country in steal percentage defense at 14.1 percent.  Eastern Kentucky is FIRST in the country in two point field goal percentage offense at 59.5 percent, eleventh in the country in effective field goal percentage at 56.4 percent and thirteenth in the country in field goal percentage at 49.5 percent.  Simply put, they make you cough up the ball and then make you pay for it.

Three players on Eastern Kentucky shoot over sixty percent from the field.  Glenn Cosey averages nearly eighteen points per game while shooting fifty one percent from the field, including 46.6 percent from beyond the arc.  His teammate, Mike DiNunno averages fourteen points, forty eight percent from the field and shoots forty five percent from beyond the arc.

Belmont and Murray State get all the notoriety in the Ohio Valley, but Eastern Kentucky’s stats show that they are the third team to reckon with in the conference.   They have an incredibly tough test at undefeated and tenth ranked Illinois on Sunday as well as a tough game at West Virginia at the end of the month.   But you have to root for a team with an ABA team name (Colonels).

Seawolves Win On Super Saturday (Recap of Canisius vs. Stony Brook)

Being able to come to New York for Thanksgiving to see my wife and kids gave me the opportunity on Saturday to see one of my favorite teams, the Stony Brook Seawolves. The Seawolves were hosting the Canisus Golden Griffins as part of Stony Brook's Super Saturday.  The men's basketball game was moved up to a noon start time because the football team was hosting a game of their own, a FBS playoff game vs. Villanova.

If you follow Stony Brook Athletics, you could say it was not just a Super Saturday, but a Super Year for the Seawolves.  In the beginning of the year, the men's basketball team won the America East Regular Season Championship, then lost in the tournament final at home to Vermont.  It was their only loss of the season at home, but they did get a NIT bid, their second in the past three seasons.

Then the baseball team had one of the more amazing runs ever in the history of NCAA Division I college baseball postseason.  The Seawolves stunned LSU in Baton Rouge to qualify for the College World Series.  Now the football team was hosting another playoff game after making the Football Subdivision playoffs last season.

As noted, the men's team has been very successful the last three seasons.  Including the two NIT appearances in the 2009-10 and 2011-12 seasons, the Seawolves also made the America East championship game in the 2010-11 season as well.  Stony Brook would lose that game in the last seconds to Boston University.  Coach Steve Pikiell has built a strong program and he is looking to finally break the glass ceiling and make the NCAA Tournament this season with a veteran team.

Pikiell's 2012-13 Seawolves have several returning players including Dave Coley, Ron Bracey, Anthony Jackson, Marcus Rouse and Alex McAllister.  But the one returning player my color analyst,aka my seven year old son Matthew, was looking forward to see again was the preseason America East Player of the Year, senior forward Tommy Brenton, the hardest working man in college basketball.

Brenton is a man in constant motion. He averages five assists per game. If he is not setting up a player for a basket, he is setting a pick, or blocking out for a rebound, or hustling for a loose ball. Or in the case of the beginning of this game, Brenton was causing turnovers.  Brenton caused a turnover by pressuring a Golden Griffin player to step out of bounds on the opening tip.  He then stole the ball another two times early in the game.  Meanwhile, Jackson buried two three pointers and the Seawolves were up 11-2 not even four minutes into the game.

A season ago, this likely would have been another thrashing for Canisius.  Last season, the Golden Griffins team won all of five games.  But in the offseason, Tom Parrotta was fired and former Rhode Island coach, Jimmy Baron was brought in.  Baron brought his son Billy with him. The Barons already have given the Canisius faithful some hope.  The Golden Griffins came into the game undefeated at 3-0 with wins over Boston University, Saint Bonaventure and Buffalo.

Canisius showed why they are 3-0 by responding with a 12-3 run over the next four plus minutes. The Griffs, as they are known as, used their size advantage with Jordan Heath and Freddy Asprilla.  The Canisius big men helped cut the deficit to one, 15-14.

But a Stony Brook big man responded with a run of his own.  Freshman Jameel Warney would score the next nine Seawolves points. His three point play would make the score 24-14 with just less than nine minutes left.  Varney is quite impressive, with good post moves, a nice touch, relentless on the glass and plays as if he is a junior or senior.  Pikiell has a real find in the six foot eight inch forward from Plainfield, New Jersey.

A Rouse three extended the Stony Brook lead to 27-16.  But Canisius refused to go away.  Led by Harold Washington, Alshwan Hymes and Billy Baron, the Griffs and cut the lead down to six.  The Seawolves would lead 36-30 at the half.

Early on in the second half, my color analyst pointed out to me something that I believe would lead to some chippy play and frustrations later on in the half.  About three and a half minutes into the second half, Matthew pointed out to the scoreboard and said "They already have five fouls?!" Sure enough, the Griffs had been called for five fouls and the Seawolves only one.  A few Griffs' fans behind me had been chirping about the foul calls the entire game.

This might have led to some tempers flaring when Coley and Jordan Heath had an altercation near the Canisius basket after a foul by Carson Puriefoy.  Simultaneous technical fouls were called on Coley and Heath.  Also, Griffs' freshman Tyrel Edwards was ejected for leaving the bench.  Billy Baron made two free throws and Canisius was now down only two 43-41.

But Brenton and Warney made sure the Griffs would get no closer.  Led by the senior and the freshman, the Seawolves went on a 15-3 run over the next four minutes.  It would be capped by a floater from the freshman Puriefoy. I remember watching his dad, who was a three year starting guard at Bucknell and  I have got to know over Twitter (@CarsonPuriefoy).  His dad came over to meet me before the game.  As I noted on Twitter, it was my honor to meet him.

During this run, Coach Baron received a technical, likely frustrated by the foul call situation.  But his team did not lose its fighting spirit.  The Griffs would cut the lead down to six with a little over a minute left.  But Canisius would not get any closer as the Seawolves would hit their free throws, going 27 of 31 for the game.  Stony Brook would lead wire to wire and win 82-75.

Brenton, was the ultimate stat sheet stuffer on the day.  He just missed a double double with nine points, fourteen rebounds, six assists and three steals.  Jackson led Stony Brook with twenty one points. Warney added eighteen points while Coley contributed fourteen points.  The Seawolves also outrebounded the Griffs 40-26.

Billy Baron led all scorers with twenty two points, including ten of eleven from the free throw line. Jordan Heath had fifteen points and Washington added fourteen. The Griffs are now 3-1 on the season.

On Super Saturday, the men's basketball team held up their end of the bargain. Then the football team held up their end as well, defeating Villanova 20-10 in the first round of the Football Subdivision playoffs.  Miguel Maysonet, the nation's leading rusher in yards per game, had one hundred and sixty yards rushing.

For Stony Brook, it was truly a Super Saturday.