Jaden Daly, the most prolific New York City Metro college basketball writer/blogger/play by play announcer around, is graciously again guest blogging on The College Hardwood. With Fordham traveling to North Carolina to take on a streaking Davidson team tomorrow evening, Jaden gives an inside look at a now surging Rams team that has won three out of its last four games.
Jaden has covered in person SEVEN Fordham games this season. No one, and I mean NO ONE, knows Fordham better than Jaden Daly. Enjoy!
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Hello again, everyone, Jaden Daly from A Daly Dose Of Hoops here, giving you my traditional yearly look at the Fordham Rams, who come to Belk Arena this Saturday to take on Davidson for the first time in Atlantic 10 play. Covering the Rams on a regular basis as I do, it is my hope to give you a better idea of what the Wildcats can expect from their latest new opponent.
Game Reviews, Nuggets and Quotes
UMass Lowell vs. Fordham
Siena vs. Fordham
St. John's vs. Fordham
Manhattan vs. Fordham
Howard vs. Fordham
VCU vs. Fordham
UMass vs. Fordham
Starting Guards
Even though he has a better frontcourt than in years past, Tom Pecora will still employ his traditional three-guard set, a system he admits he is, at times, stubborn to change because of how well it has worked for him, both at Fordham and at Hofstra before that. Junior Mandell Thomas will be the first of the three guards in Fordham's offense. A combo guard from Rochester, New York; whose father, Chad, played at Rhode Island and was recruited unsuccessfully by Pecora, Thomas just recently moved to the point guard position after an ineffective showing by freshmen Antwoine Anderson and Nemanja Zarkovic inspired Pecora to try a different hand as the Rams' floor general. Thomas has been the best athlete on the team since arriving at Rose Hill, and he has used his explosiveness to his advantage since the middle of his freshman season, when he was inserted into the starting lineup. Now, Thomas is still adjusting to being more unselfish, and more of a facilitator. This is not to say he is completely sacrificing his scoring, but he is focusing more on his ancillary numbers in the rebound and assist departments as of late, then worrying about points as they come.
One thing Pecora has always been to a fault, and Gary himself will attest to this from years of watching Hofstra, is loyal to his seniors. That alone is the biggest reason why Bryan Smith continues to get the playing time he still receives, despite being an enigma on the floor more often than not. Much like the proverbial box of chocolates that was so vividly described in "Forrest Gump," you truly never know what you're going to get from Bryan. One night, he'll give you 15 points and knock down several clutch three-pointers, the next, he'll struggle through a 1-for-8 outing hampered by foul trouble. Pecora often laments Smith's inconsistency, yet for four years, has believed in the kid, hoping he would find a way through.
Fordham's third guard is one who should play as more of a forward, yet settles way too often for shots he should not be taking. That, for those who don't know, is Eric Paschall. A 6-6 swingman who came to the Rams after winning Mr. Basketball honors in the state of New York, Paschall is a player who is at his best when he attacks the basket and drives inside against bigger competition. However, he decides on way too many mid-range and outside shots, something a player of his physique should be much less reliant on. In spite of his questionable shot selection, his raw talent alone has enabled him to be Fordham's leading scorer, and the frontrunner for Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year honors.
Starting Forwards
If you paid attention to the A-10 last year, you probably know who Ryan Rhoomes is. If not, he's a 6-8 junior that has such a distinct nose for the ball to the point where he can, and more often than not, does, end up with anywhere between ten and fifteen boards per game. Rhoomes has become one of the more underrated big men in the A-10, and that is a credit to his relentless work over the summer in becoming more of an interior presence, something Fordham has admittedly struggled with finding and maintaining throughout Pecora's tenure.
The Rams' biggest surprise, though, is Rhoomes' frontcourt partner, Christian Sengfelder. A 6-8 German power forward, Sengfelder is unique in his ability to space the floor while coming up with rebounds and a deceptively strong outside shot. In his last five games prior to Fordham's most recent win against George Mason Wednesday night, Sengfelder had been averaging a double-double, and has a 16-rebound performance on his ledger against a UMass team led by a walking double-double in his own right, Cady Lalanne. When watching Sengfelder, pay attention to what he does away from the ball before it gets to his hands. While Eric Paschall commands most of the attention, it is his German teammate who is the more polished player, and something Fordham fans have been very satisfied with since his debut in November.
Bench
The Fordham bench looks a little different this season, most notably with the presence of Jon Severe. The sophomore guard, who was the star of the show as a freshman last season alongside Branden Frazier; who has since turned pro, has taken on a new role as somewhat of a high-energy reserve upon returning from a month-long leave of absence. Severe had a string of five consecutive double-figure scoring games before the Rams took on Richmond last week, so his scoring is starting to come together as well. The aforementioned freshman point guard duo of Antwoine Anderson and Nemanja Zarkovic offer a stable hand at the point guard position, but not much else in the way of scoring. In fact, since Mandell Thomas was moved to the starting point guard spot, Zarkovic has seen his minutes drastically decrease. Forwards Manny Suarez and Dekeba Battee-Aston are slowly learning the ropes in their freshman seasons, but neither one is active on the floor for a long period of time, simply used as a fresh body if either Rhoomes or Sengfelder is plagued by foul trouble.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Fordham is a much stronger team up front than in years past, which is a quality Pecora has lacked since his early years at Hofstra, and that even included the three years he got from Chris Gaston when coming to Fordham. The presence of Rhoomes and Sengfelder, and Eric Paschall when the Rams play a smaller lineup, gives Fordham the flexibility to impose their will on teams on both ends of the floor, one of the biggest reasons why the Rams have rebounded to win three of their last four following an 0-9 start to the A-10 schedule.
From a weakness standpoint, one thing the Rams struggle with aside from shot selection is turnovers. When facing a team that likes to press, as was the case against St. John's, Manhattan and VCU, Fordham tends to look like a deer in headlights, and commits way too many careless miscues than they should. If the Rams can handle the ball well, they play at their best.
Coaching
I've been admittedly critical of Pecora in recent years as he attempts to rebuild a program that has been in a two-decade-long morass since joining the Atlantic 10. Still hopeful of reversing the Rams' fortunes, Pecora appears to have bitten off more than he can chew sometimes, but in recent games, it seems as though Fordham is, slowly; but surely, turning a corner. Granted, Saint Louis and George Mason were not picked to finish near the top of the league this year, but the Rams' victory over reigning A-10 champion Saint Joseph's, projected at the beginning of the year to be a team in the postseason conversation, may have been the most impressive example of Pecora's eternal hope that it can get turned around in the Bronx once and for all.
Intangibles
Fordham's guards have a refuse-to-lose mentality when they realize they are in a winnable matchup. Mandell Thomas and Bryan Smith have had an experience edge in recent games, which should give them confidence against a Davidson team that some may say has overachieved in their first season removed from the Southern Conference under longtime mentor Bob McKillop, for whom Tom Pecora worked as an assistant coach on the Long Island high school circuit in the 1980s.
Overall
While their recent surge has begun to dispel the notion that the Rams are in over their heads in a strong A-10, Fordham remains a work in progress. Playing on the road might be an even bigger weakness for this team, as for some reason, the Rams have had a hard time away from Rose Hill Gym. In fact, Wednesday's win over George Mason was just the second road win in A-10 play during Pecora's near-five-year tenure, the only other one coming at St. Bonaventure in 2013. Fordham has never seen a team like the Wildcats, which is both a blessing and a curse. If this game was played a month ago, Davidson would win handily. Now, I don't know if I can still say that, as Fordham's ever-growing confidence and group of veterans who are starting to tap into their potential will make this a close game that will ultimately come down to the final two or three possessions.
Showing posts with label Tom Pecora. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Pecora. Show all posts
Friday, February 20, 2015
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Miscellaneous Thoughts on Iona/Manhattan, Siena, Wichita State, Duquesne and Fordham
Having been at Draddy for Iona vs. Manhattan previously for a SRO crowd between these two rivals, I can tell you how intense the Gaels-Jaspers rivalry is from a spectator's standpoint. And if you don't think this is a hot ticket, two years ago, tickets for the Iona- Manhattan game were going for $100, which is usually unheard of in NYC mid major basketball. Jaden Daly of Daly Dose of Hoops was there last night and here's his writeup.
It's quite possible that Iona and Manhattan will face each other again in the MAAC Tournament. Despite the loss, Iona has clinched the MAAC regular season championship and the #1 seed for the MAAC Tournament. Manhattan is tied for second with both Quinnipiac and Canisius. The Jaspers host the Golden Griffiths on Sunday for at least third place.
Oh, one last thing. If Iona wins at home over Rider on Sunday, it will be the fourth time in the four seasons Tim Cluess has coached in New Rochelle that the Gaels have won twenty games. Four years ago, I gave a New York metro college advice on who to take as their head coach. Iona took the advice instead and two NCAA Tournament later, with a possible third on the horizon, the Gaels must be quite happy with the decision.
Speaking of MAAC coaches, how about the job Jimmy Patsos is doing with Siena. The Saints are now over .500 in the MAAC at 10-9 and with a win over Monmouth, will be the fifth seed in the MAAC Tournament. Siena has already won six more games than all of last season and six more games in conference from last season as well. Not surprising, given Patsos' history of success with Loyola Maryland.
One last MAAC note. With Cluess, Steve Masiello, Patsos and Jimmy Baron, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference has become a premier coaching conference. MAACTION!
Wichita State has been getting a lot of flack lately on whether they are a #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament . Several basketball "pundits" have questioned their non conference schedule (Yes, Jeff Goodman of ESPN, I am talking about you in particular). Mark Adams, ESPN analyst, put this into excellent perspective on Twitter by stating that the eight power conference teams ranked in the top ten played eighty six percent of their non-conference games at either neutral site or home. As I pointed out to Mark in a reply, I noted Wichita State only played seven of its twelve non-conference games at home (two were neutral site). Saint Louis, the other non power conference team in the top ten played only six of its eleven games at home (two were also neutral site).
Furthermore, compare Wichita State's team to the last Missouri Valley team that went so far into the season undefeated, the 1978-79 Indiana State team. That team of course was led by Larry Bird and went to the NCAA Championship game undefeated vs. Michigan State before losing to Magic Johnson and the Spartans.
That 78-79 Sycamores team only played one NCAA Tournament team during the regular season, New Mexico State, which Indiana State beat twice in that season in conference. In fact, the Sycamores had to have a 50 foot shot by Bob Heaton to force overtime on the road vs. the Aggies. New Mexico State ended up getting an at large bid, losing to Weber State in a first round game. At that time, only forty teams made the NCAA Tournament.
Despite their lack of a signature non-conference win, Indiana State received a #1 seed. Perhaps having Bird helped their chances of getting a #1 seed. Still, Indiana State justified their seeding by making the NCAA Championship game.
This season, Wichita State has played two definite NCAA Tournament teams in their non conference; BYU and currently #10 Saint Louis. The neutral site win over the Cougars was the championship game of the CBE classic and the win over SLU came on the Billikens home court. Until their loss at home to Duquesne this week, Saint Louis had been undefeated in Atlantic-10 play, which is quite impressive considering there is a very good chance that there will be five A-10 teams in the NCAA Tournament (SLU, VCU, UMass, George Washington and St Joseph's).
Wichita State has also won over bubble team Tennessee, along with wins over Davidson, the Southern Conference regular season champion, who knocked off the current #2 team in the SEC, Georgia and NC Central, who won at North Carolina State and who at 22-5 and 13-1 in the MEAC, is the likely MEAC regular season champion (the Eagles have a two game lead over Hampton). Throw in the fact that with basically the same team from last year's Final Four team, if the Shockers can make it through the rest of the Valley regular season and the MVC Tournament undefeated, they should definitely be a #1 seed and have serious consideration as the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Gregg Marshall is my coach of the year (and Jaden Daly, I knew about Marshall for years even before his Winthrop team knocked off Notre Dame).
Gregg Marshall is my coach of the year (and Jaden Daly, I knew about Marshall for years even before his Winthrop team knocked off Notre Dame).
On Thursday night, I watched on TV two bottom A-10 teams play, Fordham and Duquesne. Both teams played good first halves against their respective opponents, VCU and St Louis, as I noted, two definite NCAA Tournament teams. In their respective second halves, only one team maintained their composure and heart. The road team Dukes withstood the Billikens and gave St Louis their first loss in A-10 play.
Duquesne at one time was tied with Fordham in the A-10 standings. Yet, Jim Ferry's 12-15 team has not given up and won two of its last four games. Of their four conference wins, three of those are on the road, including a win over the Rams. The Dukes have lost fifteen games on the season, nine of those fifteen losses have been by nine points or less, including six A-10 conference games. Duquesne's scoring margin on the season is - 0.3. You can certainly say the Dukes have been competitive for the most part this season.
I'm not surprised by Ferry's Dukes playing so hard. His successful LIU teams were high scoring, yet very gutty. I was there when the Blackbirds won over Wagner at a hostile, sold out Spiro Center two years ago in what was quite possibly, given the game was on ESPNU on a Saturday night, the biggest regular season game in the history of the NEC (see picture of the game on the left).
Ferry's LIU teams made the NCAA Tournament two years in a row before he took the Duquesne job. Already the Dukes have a four win improvement from last season. Given his ability to recruit nationally (several of his LIU players came from Texas), Duquesne is in good hands.
Meanwhile, VCU went on an early second half run and Fordham looked like they got run over by a truck. They looked clueless on defense, showed no fundamentals on boxing out as VCU got offensive rebound after offensive rebound (in fact VCU had twenty four offensive rebounds) and basically showed no heart the last twenty minutes of the game. VCU scored FIFTY ONE second half points beating Fordham 85-66. One team looked Ram Tough and another looked Rammed.
Then to top it, Fordham Coach Tom Pecora just torched his team's effort after the loss, as per another great Jaden Daly writeup. Yet not anywhere in the post game press conference notes does Pecora accept any blame for his team's failures that night. He even notes that "Teams that win find ways to win, teams that lose, they know how to lose".
Well who's responsibility is for that demeanor and play? It's the coach.
I have already written about Fordham's struggles this season, in fact, it's been my most read article of the season, and taken Pecora to task. So yes, it's like beating a dead horse. But after his VCU post game press conference comments, the dead horse needs to beaten some more.
Fordham has lost five straight games, all by double digit margins. In their last nine A-10 conference losses on the season , the Rams have lost each game by double digits and by an average margin of NINETEEN POINTS. In fact, in Fordham's seventeen losses on the season, thirteen have now come by double digit margins.
Think about that. In only four of their seventeen losses was Fordham even close to winning.
And even the defensive intensity that Pecora's Hofstra teams used to have is now gone. He now goes with a four guard lineup, yet laments that "You can't let them beat you up on the offensive glass". The Rams are DEAD LAST in the A-10 in scoring defense, allowing seventy nine points per game. They are also dead last in field goal percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot forty six percent from the field. The Rams also allow teams to score fifty two percent of their two point field goal attempts.
I think this last quote about Pecora when there is a question about his team's effort sums it up best
"Oh, without a doubt, and I think that's been an issue for us throughout the season. There's been two major issues in my mind: One is getting that kind of team effort for 40 minutes consistently..."That comes down to one person and one person only. The coach.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Careful For What You Wish For
So many things I saw Fordham do on the court, or actually not do, I had seen before. Players not moving without the ball on offense while waiting for their best player, who is dribbling at the top of the key, to "create" as he finally makes his one on one move to the basket. Too much dribbling, too many bad shots, too many three pointers instead of working the ball inside. Hell, no inside game whatsoever.
Pecora left Hofstra for Fordham after nine seasons, mainly for two reasons. One reason was that he was tired of the southern tilt of the CAA. He felt the Pride never had a fair shot to win in the Colonial and my guess is that he especially felt jaded after the 2005-06 season which ended in a NCAA snub.
Second, Pecora, even the Hofstra administration at the time, wanted to be in the A-10, but there was little hope of Hofstra ever being able to join the A-10. Fordham gave him an opportunity to be in the A-10 and with his ability to recruit, Pecora felt he could succeed in the A-10. Fordham saw a coach who, in his last five seasons, had four twenty plus win campaigns and three trips to the postseason. An amount of success Fordham hadn't seen in ages. It seemed like a perfect match.
Three of those players; Claxton, Richardson and Jenkins have played in the NBA. There's a good chance that Chaz Williams will make it four. It's an impressive list of talent. If I had to say who was the top three of Pecora's all time recruits I would say right now Claxton, Jenkins and Agudio. Chaz is catching up fast though.
And Pecora was successful with Hofstra. He did have four twenty plus win seasons, three NIT appearances and a .552 won lost percentage with the Pride. And it did take time for Hofstra to succeed, as Hofstra had losing records in each of Pecora's first three seasons before breaking through with a 21-9 record and a NIT appearance in the 2004-05 season. So it stands to reason that Fordham fans should be patient with Pecora and let him build a winning program.
Compare that to his Hofstra teams. In Pecora's second season, his team went 8-21 and 6-12 in conference. In Pecora's third season at Hofstra, the team improved to 14-16 and 10-8 in conference. In Pecora's second season with Fordham, the Rams went 10-19 and 3-13 in conference. Last season, they actually were worse, 7-24 and again 3-13 in conference. In Fordham's non conference losses last season, the average margin of loss was sixteen points . In their conference losses, the average margin was thirteen points. Sixteen of their twenty four losses were by double digit margins.
This season, they are 7-6 in non conference, which is certainly better than last season, but again the Rams are on pace for only three wins in conference after their 1-5 A-10 start. In their twelve losses this season, their average margin of loss is sixteen points and they have seven double digit losses. Three of their five conference losses are by twelve points (home loss to Dayton), twenty four points (road loss to St Louis) and after yesterday's drubbing by UMass, thirty eight points respectively. Their only win in conference is over winless George Mason. At this point, there seems to be little or no improvement.
The first obvious reason is that the A-10 is stronger than the CAA. Much stronger. The only exception might have been the 2010-11 season where the CAA had three teams make the NCAA Tournament. And two of those teams, VCU and George Mason are now in the Atlantic Ten. There are no days off in the A-10 and there are no Towsons (well the Towson we used to know, not the good Pat Skerry teams of now) or Benny Moss' UNCW teams to feast on during the season. Every team in the A-10 has a lot of talent.
As for the facilities argument, I don't buy that. The Rose Hill Gym doesn't seat a lot of people, but it's a nice gym and if the Rams play well, it would sell out regularly (which it doesn't) and then you could have an argument for a larger arena.
But there's another point to be made. One, if you look a little closer under the hood and if you watched the Hofstra games in person, you would know why Fordham can't compete with the UMass', VCU's, St Louis' or even Rhode Island.
I'll be blunt. It's the Xs and Os on offense. It's the coaching.
I want to take the time to note that what is about to be written here is not personal. I have heard a lot of good things about Pecora over the years, that he is a nice guy. I have that based on several people I hold in high regard. What I am writing about is strictly from a coaching standpoint.
Defensively, I have never had a problem with Pecora. Pecora's teams could always rebound. The Rams are currently 58th in the country in rebounds.
After the 2006 NCAA snubbing, the Pride were favored to win the CAA in the 2006-07 season. In the 2006-07 season, they led the CAA shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. But the Pride only finished third in the CAA that season and got upset in the CAA Quarterfinals by George Mason, a team they had dominated earlier in the regular season.
So what happened?
Well that 2005-06 team that went 26-7 was truly special. Not only did you have Stokes, Agudio and Carlos Rivera, easily the best three guard group in the history of Hofstra, but you also had a very good frontcourt of Uter and Kieza. Uter just missed averaging ten points per game, otherwise you would have had a starting lineup that all averaged in double figures in scoring. Uter and Kieza could also rebound (both were in the top ten in rebounding in the CAA that season) and Uter perfectly played the part of the dominant shot blocker as he was fourth in the CAA in blocks per game. It was a balanced offensive team, where all five players could score, as well as a very solid defensive team.
In that quarterfinal game against George Mason, Pecora inexplicably started Sestokas at the four, along with Davis Sabb, despite Mason's tall, talented beefy front line of Darryl Monroe and Will Thomas, who outrebounded Hofstra 36-27. Urbutis would have been a better choice at the four (and I was saying that before the game started).
As a result, the Patriots jumped out to a fifteen point halftime lead. The Pride rallied and had a chance to tie late in regulation, but Greg Johnson inexplicably drove the lane down three points, along with two Mason players who inexplicably followed him and put up a wild floater instead of kicking out to an open shooter beyond the arc. I know. I was there at Richmond Coliseum that day. The Pride lost 64-61.
In those three seasons with Stokes, Agudio and Rivera, Hofstra was 40-14 in conference but only made the CAA championship game once, in 2006. In fact, in Pecora's nine seasons, Hofstra only made the CAA championship game once and the semifinals three times.
After Stokes and Rivera left, the Pride struggled the next season, the 2007-08 season, despite the amazing Agudio and the CAA Rookie of the Year, Jenkins. Agudio would often win games by himself at the end of a game. Despite Agudio and Jenkins, the Pride finished 12-18, including 8-10 in conference in Agudio's senior season.
The season after, the 2008-09 season,the Pride won twenty one games, including an 11-7 record in conference. But upon closer look, the record is not truly indicative of how Hofstra did that season.
In conference, Hofstra was 2-7 against teams that finished over .500 in conference; home wins vs. Northeastern and Old Dominion, home and road losses to Drexel, home and road losses to VCU, a road loss to Northeastern, a twenty four point loss at George Mason and a one point loss in the CAA Tournament to Old Dominion. If you include their two wins over James Madison, who finished 9-9 in conference and 21-15 overall, then the Pride were 4-7 against above .500 teams overall in the CAA.
Hofstra won only two games ALL SEASON against Division I teams that finished over .500 overall; Fairfield and Northeastern. All nine of their conference losses, eight in regular season and one in CAA Tournament came against teams above .500 in conference. Their only wins against teams above .500 in conference were again Northeastern and Drexel.
By the way, all the pictures you see in this article are from the 2009-10 season.
Over Pecora's last two seasons with the Pride, Hofstra's record against teams above .500 in the CAA was 4-16 (including the two CAA Tournament losses). Four and Sixteen. This is not the first time I noted this. I noted this when I was pushing Tim Cluess for head coach of Hofstra. (see how Cluess has worked out for Iona?)
Now think about that record in regards to now playing quality teams in the A-10 every night. Enough said.
So what I often hear from friends and college basketball bloggers I follow on Twitter (many of whom follow me as well) is "Imagine if Pecora stayed. Imagine what could have been with Jenkins, Chaz and Halil". It's something I have thought of many times myself.
Well after yesterday's game and all the evidence I have shown above, I am here to tell you something. It probably would have been more of the same of the 2009-10 season.
Heck, they went 10-8 together that 2009-10 season in a CAA that was nowhere near as tough as the 2010-11 season where three CAA teams made the NCAA Tournament, two teams won a NCAA game; VCU and George Mason, one team lost to the eventual National Runner up Butler on a buzzer beater; Old Dominon and one, VCU, went to the Final Four. Perhaps with the addition of Mike Moore and Frazier, who Pecora first recruited to Hofstra, things would have been different. But what makes you think Pecora would have got more out of them?
And despite what has happened since Cassara's magical first season, I would rather have Hofstra now under Mihalich than with Pecora, considering Mihalich's long, successful tenure at Niagara. Having watched several of Hofstra's games this season online and one in person, Mihalich's offense is fun to watch. They actually move without the ball. And he has the Pride already with three wins in conference, a team that was picked to finish last in the CAA and is basically a placeholder until four of Mihalich's players (three transfers) are eligible next season.
And yet, four years later, I see the same things in Fordham games that I did in Hofstra games. No ball movement, a guard oriented dribble drive offense where the guard stands at the top of the key and tries to "create", while four other players stand around and no post play on offense whatsoever. Pecora only recruited and developed four good post players at Hofstra; Adeleke, Uter, Kieza and Kanacevic. He inherited Chris Gaston when he took over Fordham, so he doesn't count.
Pecora's teams have basically become guard oriented and have been since the 2006-07 season. You could get away with it for the most part in the CAA against teams with less talent or with three outstanding guards like Stokes, Agudio and Rivera. However, the last two seasons at Hofstra showed he couldn't beat good teams when necessary. The problem is you need good inside post play to balance your offense. Talented A-10 teams have exploited and exacerbated that with Fordham, especially this season.
What's ironic is that the teams Pecora was trying to get away from in the Colonial; southern based teams like VCU and Mason are now in the A-10. Meanwhile, the CAA is basically now the old America East with a couple of Southern teams sprinkled in.
It was similar to that 2007-08 season, where time after time Pecora had Agudio run that same play at the end of games. Though my friends Mal, Tieff and I hated that play, Agudio would often succeed (and also would take the shot and not pass back).
But Frazier is not Agudio. UMass is not the 2007-08 James Madison. And the A-10 is not the 2007-08 CAA, or the 2008-09 CAA or 2009-10 CAA for that matter.
My guess is that Fordham fans have finally figured this out. The question is, has the Fordham administration figured that out?
Monday, January 14, 2013
Fordham Scouting Report by A Daly Dose of Hoops
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Hi everyone, this is Jaden Daly from A Daly Dose Of Hoops here, providing a closer look at the Fordham Rams as they prepare to invade Halton Arena for their first Atlantic 10 road game of the season against Alan Major and Charlotte. I cover the Rams on a regular basis, having already seen them six times this season, and would like to share some of what Charlotte can expect to see.
Game Reviews, Nuggets and Quotes
Starting Guards
Tom Pecora routinely plays a three-guard set, and junior Branden Frazier is the centerpiece of the Ram backcourt. Frazier, a Brooklyn native who was Pecora's first recruit at Fordham; and would have gone to play for him at Hofstra if Pecora were still there, has improved considerably in this, his third campaign in a Fordham uniform, coming into this contest as the Rams' leading scorer. Frazier, whose tendency to take ill-advised shots was once off the charts, has improved his shot selection dramatically, and has become more of a facilitator too as evidenced by his two double-doubles against Siena (20 points, 10 assists) and Duquesne. (16 points, 13 assists)
Bryan Smith is usually the second option out of the backcourt, and is honestly like a box of chocolates: You never truly know what you're going to get from the sophomore. One night, Bryan can knock down several threes from the corner like he did against Monmouth, (18 points) while he can be an enigma on others, like he was against Manhattan, fouling out and only managing one point on a free throw.
Finally, Mandell Thomas is the third member of the starting backcourt. A freshman who has just recently found his way into the opening five, Thomas is arguably the best pure athlete on the squad, finding ways to drive inside while also displaying a relentless defensive game. Thomas also has a flair for the dramatic block late in regulation, as he has rejected potential game-tying shots in the final minute on three separate occasions to offset his lack of offensive productivity.
Starting Forwards
The Fordham front line begins and almost always ends with Chris Gaston. A senior from New Jersey, Gaston is a first team all-Atlantic 10 selection this season, and is recovering from a torn meniscus that sidelined him for a month earlier in the season. When healthy, he is a walking double-double that can burn teams with his patented mid-range jumper, which sometimes looks like he is literally pushing the ball into the basket. Since returning from the injury in December, Gaston has lost half a step rebounding the ball, but is still far and away the Rams' best threat on the glass, which complements his natural scoring talent.
Ryan Canty usually gets the start alongside Gaston, and if there were an award for Most Improved Player in the A-10, it would go to the sophomore from Massachusetts. Canty was forced into the lineup while Gaston was injured, and has stuck in the starting five with several breakout performances such as his 18 points against Manhattan and double-doubles against St. John's, Princeton and Mississippi. With an average of seven boards per game, he is the second-leading rebounder on the team behind Gaston.
Bench
The Fordham reserves are a double-edged sword for Tom Pecora, primarily because of their youth. As high as the potential for these players is, each of the four major players in Fordham's contingent of substitutes is a freshman, all of whom are working on multiple facets of their game.
Travion Leonard is a 6-9 power forward who could be an all A-10 big man in the next two years, and has responded much better than most would have expected after losing 65 pounds in the offseason just to get himself into average playing shape. Ryan Rhoomes, another forward whose journey to Rose Hill mirrored the long and winding road that Mike Glover took to Iona, is a 6-8 forward with a natural knack for rebounding the ball in his limited playing time.
As far as Fordham's reserve guards, Jermaine Myers was getting the start at the point guard position and playing over 30 minutes per game until Mandell Thomas' emergence and Myers' lackluster offensive numbers forced the switch in Tom Pecora's lineup. Myers also needs to improve his defense, as he has been battling Branden Frazier for the dubious distinction of leading the team in turnovers.
Jeff Short has recovered from two knee surgeries to see significant minutes as a redshirt freshman, but his major flaw is more often than not trying to do too much to carry the Rams, especially if Frazier is on the bench. Every now and then, he'll hit the occasional three, but his offensive capabilities have by and large yet to materialize.
Strengths and Weaknesses
First and foremost, Fordham's greatest strength is its rebounding ability. The Rams have two gifted rebounders in Chris Gaston and Ryan Canty, with solid help from Travion Leonard and Ryan Rhoomes in that department as well, but that's about it. As far as weaknesses, we'll start out with the fact that Fordham has been unable to consistently play defense, especially in transition. Fordham commits more turnovers than it forces, and when matched up against faster competition, as they were against UMass with Chaz Williams at point guard against Branden Frazier, it does not usually end well. Fordham also struggles at the free throw line, shooting 67 percent from the charity stripe while their physical nature allows opponents to get to the line more frequently, creating for a higher percentage. Fordham is also much more vulnerable away from Rose Hill Gym, as they have yet to win any of their eight games on the road, a recurring theme for this program even before Pecora took over in 2010.
Coaching
Tom Pecora is really trying to make something out of one of the closest situations to nothing. With all due respect, Fordham is arguably the most difficult situation in the nation to inherit, and it appears that the former Hofstra coach may be biting off a little more than he can chew in his third season with the Rams. A positive, however, is that he was able to reunite with former assistant coach Tom Parrotta after he was fired by Canisius last season. Parrotta, who worked with the big men as a Pecora assistant at Hofstra, is doing the same at Fordham; developing Ryan Canty, Ryan Rhoomes and Travion Leonard, with each showing their own flashes of brilliance.
Intangibles
Based on last year's matchup where Charlotte stole a heartbreaking win at Rose Hill against Fordham last season, the Rams have a winnable game on their hands for their Atlantic 10 road opener. A key will be to win the matchup of the Chrises, as Chris Gaston faces a player cut from a similar mold in Charlotte's Chris Braswell.
Overall
As good as Fordham has looked in their wins this season, they are still a major work in progress, and the relative youth on this team has come back to hurt them as they develop the experience that will serve them better over the next two seasons. The Rams stand a chance in this one, but they will need a near-perfect game based on their road history in order to come away from North Carolina victorious.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
For Hofstra Fans, It's Not As Bad As It Seems
If you are one of my marines, aka the few, the proud, the readers of my site (or my now 300 plus Twitter followers), even though I make Columbia, South Carolina my home, you know I bleed blue and gold. I still have my Pride season tickets and I was in Brooklyn last weekend for their Barclays Center debut.
It's been a very rough last couple of months for the Hofstra Pride. First their two best players, Taran Buie and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel were suspended for violation of team rules, which sparked concerns about their previous problems at other schools. Second there was of course the arrests of the four players, two starters and two key reserves, on burglary charges. Right now, there is currently the eight game losing streak, punctuated by a 20-0 Tulane second half run at the Barclays Center last Saturday. Finally, when maybe his return would spark some hope with the Pride faithful, it was learned last Friday that Coombs-McDaniel would be out for the season (and perhaps longer) due to problems with his micro-fracture surgery on his knee.
I did not include for comparison purposes George Mason, ODU and UNC Wilmington, because, in fairness, they have each made at least three NCAA tournament appearances in that time frame - UNCW has three NCAA appearances - 2002, 2003, 2006. ODU has four NCAA appearances - 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2011 and an NIT appearance in 2006. George Mason's NCAA appearances were of course 2006, 2008 and 2011.
These are just a few examples of colleges with struggling programs. Several such as Providence (who lost to Brown last night), DePaul and San Francisco have long, storied programs. There are many other schools that would love to have had six winning seasons, five twenty plus win seasons and three NIT appearances the past eleven seasons.
Yes, Hofstra is struggling right now and that is mainly due to injuries and suspensions, not to lack of talent - see their win over South Dakota State, the only team to have defeated New Mexico and that was at the Pit. Will it take some time for Hofstra to regain its footing in the CAA? Likely. But it may not take the four seasons that it took Tom Pecora to turn Hofstra into a winning program.
Despite the last season and a half, Hofstra fans need to look at the longer body of work of this basketball program. Compared to a lot of other Division I programs over the past eleven seasons, there is a lot to be thankful for if you are a Pride fan. It just may not look that way right now.
Some might tell you, like the Statler to my Waldorf, aka Defiantly Dutch, that Hofstra has no luck at all. You could say the Pig Pen dark cloud years started with the NCAA Tournament snubbing of Hofstra in 2006, when our "arch rival", the team the Pride beat convincingly both times that season, George Mason, made it as an large team while Hofstra had to settle for the NIT and Tom O'Connor conspiracy theories.
Then the Patriots proceeded to twist the knife in that wound by making the Final Four that season. Until Florida knocked off Mason in the semis, Hofstra was the last team to have beaten them that season. It was followed up by the next season, where Hofstra, the preseason favorite to win the CAA, went down in flames to "arch rival" George Mason and a late game vapor lock by Greg "Playstation" Johnson in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Then the Patriots proceeded to twist the knife in that wound by making the Final Four that season. Until Florida knocked off Mason in the semis, Hofstra was the last team to have beaten them that season. It was followed up by the next season, where Hofstra, the preseason favorite to win the CAA, went down in flames to "arch rival" George Mason and a late game vapor lock by Greg "Playstation" Johnson in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Then there was Tom Pecora in 2011 leaving behind a successful team that had Charles Jenkins for a bigger payday and finally achieving his goal of being in the A-10 by taking the Fordham head coaching position. This resulted in the abdication of Hofstra by two All CAA Rookies in Chaz Williams and Halil Kanacevic. Then there was the infamous thirty days of Tim Welsh as coach of the Pride until a DWI arrest and failure to let the then athletic director Jack Hayes know about the arrest resulted in his resignation.
Despite what turned out to be a heroic aftermath of the 2010-11 season led by new coach Mo Cassara and Charles Jenkins that resulted in 21 wins, a third place finish in the CAA (where the other top three teams made the NCAA Tournament) and their first CAA Tournament semifinal appearance since 2006, there was always a "What if" had Kanacevic and Williams stayed. That was followed with an ugly 10-22 record last season which included a 3-15 conference record, topped with a drubbing by Georgia State in the first round of the CAA Tournament. Which leads us to all that has happened with this season.
Heck, you could even say that the dark years started after the last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2001, when Jay Wright packed up and left for Villanova, which turned out to be a great move for him. Yes, Hofstra hasn't made a NCAA Tournament appearance since Wright's departure.
Well, when I was reviewing the draft of Alan Kelly's George Mason vs. Richmond recap article, the idea for this article hit me. Despite all the bad that has seemingly happened the last six, heck even eleven years, Hofstra has had it good compared to many other teams, including many in the CAA.
Let's look at some facts since the start of the 2001-02 season.
- Hofstra has had six winning seasons and five seasons of twenty or more wins. Compare that to Tom Pecora's Fordham, who has had one winning season over the past eleven seasons, the 2006-07 season when the Rams were 18-12 and no twenty win seasons. St John's has had five winning seasons, three with 20 or more wins. Stony Brook has had three winning seasons during that time, two seasons with twenty or more wins. Manhattan has had six winning seasons, four with twenty or more win seasons. Iona has had four winning seasons, all with twenty plus wins. LIU Brooklyn has had three winning seasons, two twenty plus win seasons.
As far as CAA comparisons, Drexel has had seven winning seasons since the start of the 2001-02 season, but only three times with twenty or more wins. James Madison has had two winning seasons, both with twenty or more wins. Northeastern has had six winning seasons, two times with twenty or more wins. William and Mary has had two winning seasons with one twenty plus winning season. Delaware has had three winning seasons, but no twenty or more win seasons. Towson has had no winning seasons in the past eleven seasons. - Hofstra has three NIT appearances since 2001-02 season. St John's has two NCAA appearances and one NIT championship. Manhattan has two NCAA tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. Iona has two NCAA Tournament appearances. LIU Brooklyn has two NCAA tournament appearances. Drexel has five NIT appearances. Stony Brook has two NIT appearances. Northeastern has two NIT appearances. William and Mary has one NIT appearance. Delaware, James Madison and Towson have no NIT appearances.
- Hofstra has one player in the NBA, Charles Jenkins (who sealed Golden State's seven point win last night over Philadelphia with a steal and two free throws with eleven seconds left). Of the current other CAA teams, only ODU (Kent Bazemore, Jenkins' teammate on Golden State), Northeastern (Minnesota's Jose Juan Barea) and Towson (San Antonio's Gary Neal) have NBA players as well.
- Hofstra has made at least the CAA Tournament semifinals three times including their inaugural 2001-02 season. Drexel has made at least the CAA Tournament semifinals three times as well. Since they joined the Colonial in the 2005-2006 season, Northeastern has made the CAA Tournament semifinals twice, while since 2001-02 Delaware and William and Mary have each made the semis twice (with William and Mary also making the finals twice as well) and Towson made it once. James Madison has never made the CAA Tournament semifinals in the last eleven seasons.
So if you look at the numbers, you can say that Hofstra may not have the number of NCAA tournament appearances of several teams CAA teams like Mason, ODU or UNCW or local teams like St John's, Manhattan, Iona and even LIU Brooklyn. But as far as winning seasons, twenty or more win seasons and NIT appearances, they are on par or ahead of most CAA and local teams.
Then if you look at the big picture of other national major, mid major or low major teams that have struggled for years, things look brighter for Hofstra. For example, until this season, Canisius hasn't had a winning season in this century. Since they joined Division I in the 2005-06 season, Kennesaw State hasn't had a winning season and including so far this season, the Owls have won a total twelve games since the beginning of the 2010-11 season.
USF has a legendary history as far as NCAA championships, thanks to Bill Russell. San Francisco won two national championships in 1956 and 1957 with Russell and made an additional Final Four appearance in 1958. Yet, despite having five winning seasons since 2001-02, the Dons have had only one twenty or more win season in the past eleven seasons and haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 1998.
Providence has made the NCAA Tournament fifteen times and made the Final Four twice in their storied history. Yet since the 2001-02 season, the Friars have made the NCAA Tournament only once, have three NIT appearances and only one twenty plus win season among their four winning seasons in that time frame.
DePaul has twenty two NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Four appearances. Yet they only have one NCAA appearance since the 2001-02 season (2004), three NIT appearances (defeated Hofstra in 2007) and three twenty or more win seasons during that time frame. The Blue Demons have not had a winning season since the 2006-07 season.
DePaul has twenty two NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Four appearances. Yet they only have one NCAA appearance since the 2001-02 season (2004), three NIT appearances (defeated Hofstra in 2007) and three twenty or more win seasons during that time frame. The Blue Demons have not had a winning season since the 2006-07 season.
These are just a few examples of colleges with struggling programs. Several such as Providence (who lost to Brown last night), DePaul and San Francisco have long, storied programs. There are many other schools that would love to have had six winning seasons, five twenty plus win seasons and three NIT appearances the past eleven seasons.
Yes, Hofstra is struggling right now and that is mainly due to injuries and suspensions, not to lack of talent - see their win over South Dakota State, the only team to have defeated New Mexico and that was at the Pit. Will it take some time for Hofstra to regain its footing in the CAA? Likely. But it may not take the four seasons that it took Tom Pecora to turn Hofstra into a winning program.
Despite the last season and a half, Hofstra fans need to look at the longer body of work of this basketball program. Compared to a lot of other Division I programs over the past eleven seasons, there is a lot to be thankful for if you are a Pride fan. It just may not look that way right now.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Six Degrees of Hofstra Separation - Part I - Growing Pains for Pecora's Rebuild of Fordham
I wanted to do something crazy for the 800 games Played Project. An opportunity arose a few weeks ago to be able to see three games in one day; Charlotte vs. Fordham, Georgia State vs. Hofstra and Iona vs. Manhattan. The time schedules were perfect; 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 7:00 PM. With a little luck and a lead foot, I thought I could make all three games.
When I planned out my triple header for yesterday, I noticed that the three games all had something in common; Hofstra. Thus the theme for all three stories is the "Six Degrees of Hofstra Separation". The first of the three games involved Charlotte at Fordham at Rose Hill Gym. Fordham is coached by Tom Pecora, the former head coach of the Pride.
Pecora was first an assistant at Hofstra under Jay Wright, whose teams made back to back NCAA Tournaments in 2000 and 2001, as well as a NIT appearance in 1999. When Wright left for Villanova, Pecora was hired as the coach. Under Pecora, the Pride had three straight NIT appearances in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Yes, we all know about 2006. Let's not go there. Hofstra also had four twenty plus win seasons under Pecora as a head coach.
He is also known for being a strong recruiter, especially when it comes to guards. Speedy Claxton, Norman Richardson, Rick Apodaca, Loren Stokes, Antoine Agudio, Carlos Rivera and Charles Jenkins were all very successful Hofstra guards that were recruited by Pecora. Three of those players; Claxton, Richardson and Jenkins have played in the NBA. Apodaca played for Puerto Rico in the Olympics. Jenkins was three times the Haggerty Award winner for the best player in the New York City metro area. Stokes and Jenkins were both CAA Players of the Year (Jenkins twice). Agudio and Stokes were each two time First Team All CAA players.
In his sophomore season, Frazier has moved to the two guard as the Rams have Devon McMillan playing the point. While sitting in the Xavier section for Fordham's game against the Musketeers, I was very impressed with Frazier's improvement. Against one of the best teams in the Atlantic Ten, he had twenty two points, five steals, five rebounds and three assists. It was the classic stat sheet stuffer performance I have seen from so many Pecora guards over the years.
When my son Matthew, my friend Tieff and I got to our seats up in the balcony of Rose Hill Gym yesterday a few minutes before another Saturday Mass, the gym was surprisingly nowhere as filled as it was for the Xavier game. Yes, I know the 49ers are not quite the Musketeers, but Pecora has brought an energy to the Rams' fan base. As I suspected, it turned out it was a late arriving crowd for the game that was on the YES network. Once we were a few minutes into the game, Rose Hill was filled pretty well as the listed crowd was near 2,500.
But after those first few minutes, both teams realized that they had a inside presence on offense. For Charlotte, that was Chris Braswell. Braswell actually scored the team's first four points but was a key in their 9-0 run late in the first half to put the 49ers up 27-16 with five minutes left. Braswell would have nine first half points for Charlotte.
At the start of the second half, Fordham quickly outscored Charlotte 6-0 to take a 34-32 lead. But Jamar Briscoe buried two long three pointers to put the 49ers back up 38-34. The teams would exchange the lead a couple of more times and the game was very close for the first ten minutes. Charlotte was only ahead by one, 48-47 with ten minutes left.
But the 49ers extended that lead with a 8-0 spurt as a result of five offensive rebounds in the span of five minutes. This was due in large part to Braswell and DeMario Mayfield. The duo combined for thirty seven points and twenty six rebounds as each had a double double on the game (Braswell 20 and 12, Mayfield 17 and 14). The 49ers outrebounded the Rams 53-36 with eighteen offensive rebounds.
Gaston did his best to keep Fordham in the game as he scored fifteen second half points to score twenty five for the game. He shot ten of seventeen from the field and added fourteen rebounds as well. He hit a layup to cut Charlotte's lead to four, 60-56. With the under four minute media timeout, the Rams were still down only four, 62-58 and the Rose Hill crowd was soundly into the game now.
And no one was colder than Frazier. Frazier hit his only two three pointers in the first half. In the second half, Frazier was one of six from the field and two of nine overall from beyond the arc. A series late in the game highlighted Frazier's struggles on the day. With a little over one minute left in the game and the Rams down five points, 65-60, Frazier had an open look for a three pointer. He missed the three, then right afterwards committed his fifth foul. Frazier only had eight points on the day, four under his average on the season.
Charlotte would go on to win 69-62. It was only their third win in the Atlantic Ten this season. But the 49ers evened their overall record at 11-11.
But for a coach that's used to having several twenty plus win seasons, Pecora knows that he still has a lot of work to do. Fortunately for him, he has Gaston, Frazier and Bryn Smith, who had fourteen points yesterday, all returning next season. The Rams will continue to improve. But as yesterday showed, there will continue to be growing pains along the way for a rebuilding Fordham program.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Saturday Mass at Rose Hill (Recap of Xavier vs. Fordham)
Fordham's opponent on Saturday was Xavier, another Jesuit catholic school. At one time Xavier was undefeated and highly ranked. Then came the game against crosstown rival Cincinnati and the well publicized brawl at the end of the game. Since then, the Musketeers have lost five of their last six games. Call it karma or call it penance for what transpired on December 10, but the basketball season has made Xavier pay for their transgression. The Musketeers had to be desperate to find their groove again
A .500 record may not seem like a good record. But considering they had seven wins all of last season and were 2-26 two seasons ago, a .500 record is significant improvement. And the fans have taken notice as they filled Rose Hill to the brim, selling out the 3,200 seat gym, which is filled with many historic NIT and NCAA banners that date back to the forties. They wanted to see if the Rams could add another notch in the win column at the expense of the struggling Musketeers.
The game would remain close for the next five minutes. The Rams' Alberto Estwick hit a three pointer made the score 23-22 Xavier with less than seven a half minutes. But the Musketeers responded with a 11-1 run capped by a Dezmine Wells dunk that made the score 34-23 Xavier. With three and half minutes left, Fordham called timeout.
Thus Fordham would have to depend on their guards and their outside shooting. Enter sophomore Branden Frazier. Frazier nailed a three pointer to cut the deficit to 34-26. Then late in the half, he cut the lead even further with a three point play. Instead of being up by double digits, Xavier entered the half only up by five, 35-30. The Rose Hill crowd gave Fordham a standing ovation as they left for the locker room at halftime.
But Frazier refused to let Fordham fade away. He scored twelve of Fordham's next nineteen points and with a little less than four minutes left, the Rams were down only seven, 60-53. The Rose Hill crowd was rocking with loud chants of "DE-FENSE".
Frazier led all scorers with twenty two points. Freshman Bryan Smith added twelve points for Fordham. Gaston only scored ten points, six less than his season average, on only three of eleven shooting. Lyons had twenty points for Xavier and Wells added thirteen. The most amazing stat was Holloway, Xavier's leading scorer on the season with eighteen points per game, was held scoreless and only had three field goal attempts.
A year ago, I watched Richmond, a similarly talented team to Xavier, play Fordham at Rose Hill Gym. The eventual Sweet Sixteen Spiders thoroughly outclassed the Rams 77-60. A year later, the Rams gave the Musketeers all they could handle. Though I am sure the Fordham fans went home disappointed, they could hold their heads high. The team will be more competitive in the Atlantic Ten over the next couple of months. Also, Frazier, Smith and Gaston will all be back next season.
The rebuilding process is coming along just fine. And in time, the Rose Hill parishioners will be leaving many Saturday afternoon and weekday evening masses with a winning smile on their faces.
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