MAAC Notes

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MAAC Notes Part of the service of the site is to keep Loyola and MAAC fans apprised of some of the things going on around the MAAC. As part of this committment is the weekly update section, which contains an update from each MAAC school written by a fan of that school's program. Click here to see mini-Bio's on each writer, and below are the most current updates and links to the archived updates which have passed. This week's question in the voting booth: Who will win MAAC Player of the Year this year? Click HERE to vote. Fan Updates: Canisius Fairfield Iona Loyola Manhattan Marist Niagara Rider Siena St. Peter's Official School Pages You are MAAC Fan #

to visit this page since Saturday, October 10th, 1998. Canisius Fan Update     STRENGTHS: The frontcourt will be the deepest it's been in years. 6'5" senior forward Jamie Cammaert (13.9, 6.7) will team with junior Dale Sawyers (6'8", 202) and 6'10" sophomore Darren Fenn (6.0, 4.7) as possible starters with junior Matt Tribul (6'9", 231)-injured most of last season-, freshman redshirt Andy Bush (6'8", 212) and two other freshman prospects Alex Barnhill (6'4"190) and Andre Jackson (6'5", 205) coming of the bench. Sawyers was probably the best player on the court for the Griffs in their late summer tour of Italy in which the team went 3-3. Also seeing a lot of action in the frontcourt will be senior swingman Keith Lambkin (12.0, 5.7) who may see plenty of time at the number three slot as well as some time as shooting guard. This is for the most part a veteran group who have been playing together for a while and, if they can keep their heads in the game and continue to progress, could become a very strong unit. The other strength will come at the point guard position where senior Kevin Worley (8.7, 3.2 assists) improved dramatically when "given" the position by Coach MacDonald last October and said it was his to lose. Another year of similar improvement may lead to conference honors for Worley.
    WEAKNESSES:The rest of the backcourt. After Worley, the unit is extremely thin and questionable. The loss of 6'5" shooting guard Mike McCarthy (left school, mutual agreement) will hurt. The number two position will be a preseason contest between junior college transfer Dorian McClure, untested sophomore Damon Young, presently recuperating from a torn anterior cruciate
ligament suffered this past summer and maybe even Lambkin. Backing up Worley is sophomore Clive Bentick who saw very limited playing time as a freshman. the addition of Lambkin at guard give the Griffs added size and scoring but is a relatively new position for the senior.
    QUESTIONS: Besides the natural question of whether the freshmen can contribute there are a few things in Griffin fans' minds as the season approaches. Will Jamie Cammaert continue to have "concentration" problems which seemed to plague him throughout last season?   Will Darren Fenn mature into the dominant center in the MAAC as was hoped when he was recruited? Will Andy Bush push Fenn for playing time? Is Dorian McClure the answer at the shooting guard position? Can Matt Tribul stay injury-free for the entire season? Who will emerge as the team leader? Is this the year that Dale Sawyers fulfills his potential as one of the premier players for the Griffs- and in the MAAC? Will the team unity that developed during some extremely physical games in Italy carry over throughout the season?
    PREDICTION: This is a team with the potential to develop and finish in the upper echelon of the conference. It is also a team with enough questions to end up at or near the bottom. A key injury or two would be devastating, especially at the point guard position. It seems as if the popular position
pick for most of the "middle-of -the-pack" teams is fourth. Let's say that if all goes perfectly for the Griffs, a third place finish is not beyond belief and then wonder what could happen if the fans of Buffalo fill up the Marine Midland Arena for the tournament and give the Griffs that added extra edge. Fairfield Fan Update by David Klipp     The Fairfield Stags after losing Tim O'Toole first game as head coach at Duke rebounded by winning their own AT&T tournament at Alumni Hall. The Stags bested an apparently talented but undisciplined LIU Blackbirds squard in the opening round 85-60 on Friday and pulled out a tough win over George Mason on Saturday by a score of 93-91. Jeff Van Gundy, Knicks coach, was courtside on Saturday reported taking a look at George Mason point guard, Jason Miskiri.
    In the first round, Fairfield used a smothering, in your face defense to defeat the LIU Blackbirds. If you were to name a best player in the tourney before it started you might have picked Richie Parker of LIU who was recruited by various major conference schools before legal issues caused them to back off. The Stags, primarily Didier Boucard with help from Andy Buzbee, Chris Rivers and Jermaine Clark frustrated Parker pretty thoughly. About half of his 14 points came after the game was effectively over. The Stags were in control most of the way though LIU pulled within 5 about half way through the second half before the Stags pulled away. Fairfield's defense forced 33 LIU turnovers though they committed 28 themselves. Didier Boucard scored 22 points in addition to his defense of Parker. Kyle Commodore enjoyed playing 2G on offense and scored 21 by hitting 5 of 8 treys. Jermaine Clark chipped in 16 and Darren Phillip scored 9 and pulled down 14 rebounds.
    On Saturday, Fairfield beat a good, big George Mason team. Tim O'Toole showed the fire in his personality by lighting into Darren Phillip for less than inspired play early on as the Stags fell behind. Phillip responded with probably the best game of his career - 23 points and 18 rebounds and was named tournament MVP. Jermaine Clark hit for 30 points including 6 threes. Boo Farrow and Chris Rivers were solid off the bench scored 11 and 12, respectively. Fairfield had the game in hand coming down the stretch but seemed to let up or lose concentration resulting in some turnovers and defensive lapses. George Mason, being a solid ball club, took advantage and could have stolen the game except that Didier Boucard got an offensive rebound of a missed free throw with less than 5 seconds remaining.
    The Stags go on the road for the next three games including Boston College on Saturday. Tim O'Toole seems to have the Stags pointed in the right direction. He is getting solid play all nine players in the rotation. Jermaine Clark is proving to be everything he was touted to be. Kyle Commodore and Didier Boucard are having good results thus far. Chris Rivers, Andy Buzbee and Boo Farrow have all markedly improved. And Leroy Robertson whom I thought looked like their best player in the exhibition season won't be back from his broken foot until January. Things are looking up in Connecticut.

Iona Fan Update REPRESENTATIVE NEEDED Loyola Fan Update by Anthony Macri PERSONNEL:
    The Greyhounds return four starters from last year's 12-16 (9-9 MAAC) squad, a squad which reached the MAAC Tourney semi-finals. The only significant loss was First Team shooting guard Mike Powell and his 23.1 ppg. Returning starters for this year's team are: center Rod Platt - a 6'10" rebounder, point guard Jason Rowe - a 5'10" ball of fire, Jamal Hunter - a 6'5" slasher who can play both off guard and small forward, and Brian Carroll - a 6'8" shot-blocking athlete who can switch between the small forward and power forward positions. Other returners include: shooting guard Ryan Blosser - a 6'4" pure shooter, point guard Brant Mack - a 6'1" speed demon, Apostolis Nasiou - a 6'7" hardnosed European player, and Blanchard Hurd - a 6'7" scoring rebounder who has missed the past two years because of injuries and academic ineligibility.
    New to Loyola this year are: JUCO transfer point guard Jeronme Adams - a 5'1" floor leader who shoots well, Damien Jenifer - a 6'1" slasher who plays both guard spots, and Anthony Walker - a 6'4" athletic shooter. Two recruits, 6'7" small forward Clifford Robinson (athletic rebounder), and 6'6" small forward Melvin Robinson (slashing scorer), are ineligible to play until after the first semester if at all.
STRENGTHS:
    Backcourt, Starting Talent: Jason Rowe and Jamal Hunter come together to form one of the best backcourts in the MAAC. Rowe, sporadic at times last season, will look to buckle down and make his teammates better not only with his fine passing but also with his leadership. Hunter, who emerged as a player in the MAAC at the end of last season, has added weight over the summer and can handle some of the scoring load. Sophomore forward Brian Carroll will be asked to be a defensive stopper at both the three and four slots. The long-anticipated return of junior Blanchard Hurd gives Loyola a consistent scorer at the power forward position, while hardworking Rod Platt is an intimidating bruiser in the middle, who has improved every year and owns the boards in the MAAC. Hopefully the addition of both Clifford Strong and Melvin Robinson in the middle of the season will add depth and have a positive effect.
WEAKNESSES:
    Depth, Schedule: Much of the rest of the Greyhound squad is still unproven. For the ‘Hounds to succeed in Coach Dino Gaudio's system, other players will have to step up. Damien Jenifer, Ryan Blosser, and Apostolis Nasiou will be forced to play a lot of minutes at least until Strong and Robinson are eligible and here. The Greyhound schedule is not terribly imposing, with the feature game being the contest against a weak Virginia team. This schedule weakness can be percieved in two VERY different ways; while it may serve to provide this young Loyola team with much-needed confidence, it won't necessarily prepare them for the rigors of a full MAAC schedule.
PREDICTION:
    This year is near impossible to predict for the ‘Hounds. 16-12 overall (11-7 MAAC) sounds good enough for a 4th place MAAC finish. At the MAAC Tourney, with the talent posessed, the Greyhounds may be the most dangerous team in the post-season. Manhattan Fan Update by Kevin Reilly     The Manhattan Jaspers enter the '98-'99 campaign with high hopes and several question marks. Coach John Leonard lost his workhorse Travis Lyons to graduation. It was on Lyons' broad shoulders that the Jaspers traveled to the MAAC tourney semifinals last March. On an optimistic note, the Riverdale squad looks to have brought in its second consecutive talented recruiting class.
    The backcourt of sophomores Alvin Anderson and Mars Mellish, along with junior Phil "Boo" Lane, is both skilled and experienced. Anderson was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team last winter, and is the club's top returning scorer. Mellish can stretch the defense with his long range shooting. Lane is a solid defender and looks to hit the open man. It's possible you may see Leonard go small and use all three at times.
    Durelle Brown (6'7") leads the way up front and can play inside as well as move out to the perimeter with his nice medium range touch. The sophomore got considerable minutes down the stretch last season, and was a force in the MAAC tourney. Senior Kyle Crandall (6'10", 240) struggled in his first year as a Jasper, but he and Anderson were selected to play on the conference team that traveled to Japan this summer. He is a physical presence. If he can just rebound and clog the lane, he would be contributing vitally. Ken Kavanagh (6'9") and Phil Murray (6'8", 235) are two transfers with Division I experience and legitimate size to help fight the wars in the paint.
    Freshman Justin Boeker (6'9", 230) comes in highly touted from a Texas high school state champion squad. He may push for time immediately. Newcomers Tydrayll Coleman and Noah Coughlin have size and talent to compete at this level as well. Coleman supposedly plays above the rim at 6'6", and Coughlin is a potential three-point weapon.
    Senior Kyle Dye, junior Badou Kane and sophomore Frank Drejaj are three other players who could be thrown into the fray. Dye has been a role player, seeing limited time during his first three seasons. Kane has never panned out, despite some obvious athletic ability. Drejaj may be the one who eventually contributes, especially since he can bury it from behind the arc. Daryl Palmieri is a sophomore walk-on who scored his first varsity points last season.
    The MAAC is well balanced this year with Rider, Siena, Loyola, Niagara and Canisius all chasing front runner Iona. The Jaspers will shoot to finish above the .500 mark and achieve an upper division placing in the conference. If the newcomers (freshmen and transfers) contribute, and the sophomores continue to improve, they have a shot at reaching these goals. Leonard may find himself using a nine or ten man rotation. The Jaspers non-conference schedule has some winnable games, including Buffalo, Fairleigh Dickinson, Army, Colgate, Fordham, and Denver.
    Coach Leonard has been a competitor and over-achiever throughout his athletic career. He wasn’t drafted by the NBA’s New York Knicks in the early ‘80s without an old fashioned work ethic. If he can get some of that to rub off on his young squad, the Jaspers may begin to regain their status of a few years back, when they were perennial MAAC contenders. Marist Fan Update Begins 10/19 Niagara Fan Update by David Lefeber PERSONNEL:
    Joe Mihalich, beginning his first season as the NU Head Coach, looks to bring a new attitude after replacing former Coach Jack Armstrong. The Purple Eagles return "four" starters who are seniors: F/G Alvin Young, C Kevin Jobity, PF Mike Piwerka, and PG Jeremiah Johnson. Niagara should be a senior dominated team, yet "2" newcomers are slated to play important roles for NU. Junior college transfer Terry Edwards has been inked into replace graduated Jeff O'Conner at small forward. Edwards, 6-7, signed at Wichita State out of high school but went to Paris Junior College in Texas. Edwards has the ability to drive to the basket as well as hit the outside shot. Freshman Daryll Greene is a classic combo guard. He can play point or off-guard position. Greene comes from a great program at Dematha Catholic where he was third on his team in minutes last year and made several game winning shots.
STRENGTHS:
    Senior leadership, four starters returning, ALVIN YOUNG: Alvin Young, last year's leading scorer, will handle the two guard spot. Young finished 4th in MAAC scoring last year and averaged 15.7 points and 2.5 assists last year. Quick off his feet, Alvin averaged 5.1 rebounds per game despite his 6-3 size. Seniors Mike Piwerka and Kevin Jobity will be the starters in the frontcourt. A 6-10 center, Jobity averaged 11.6 points and 6 rebounds as a junior. Jobity had 17 double figure scoring games as a junior and led the team in rebounding in 12 games. Piwerka, a 6-9 forward, is a physical player in the post and averaged 5.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. Piwerka was Niagara's top free throw shooter during the second half of the season and had 13 boards against LC in the MAAC Tourney. The starting point guard will be senior JJ Johnson who ranks 9th all-time at NU with 330 career assists. In addition to his play making role, Johnson scored in double figures 17 times last year including a 22 point effort against NU's 86-63 win over St. John's.
WEAK AREAS:
    Depth: Depth could be problem this year with the loss of seniors Jeff O'Conner and Jermaine Young. Newcomer 6-8 forward Christos DeFoudis and Junior Peter Strobel along with senior Akbar Waheed will add depth to the frontcourt. Also, junior Nate Beronsky who is a versatile player with tremendous leaping ability will back up Terry Edwards at small forward. Junior Luke Dobrich and freshman Daryl Greene will split backup duties at the point. Dobrich is a steady player who scored a career high 13 points in NU's loss to LC in the MAAC Tourney. If the bench contributes for the Purple Eagles, NU should challenge Rider, Siena and Iona for the MAAC Title this year.
OUTLOOK/PREDICTIONS:
    Most pre-season MAGS have picked Niagara anywhere from 3rd to 7th in the MAAC, consensus seems to be 4th. However, Mihalich inherits a team that went 9-4 in its last 13 games and had 20 point+ wins over LaSalle and SJU. One of the keys to the season will be how the big guys play in the paint. Mihalich needs Jobity and Piwerka to fill the hole left by the graduation loss Jermaine Young. These two seniors need to attack the glass, establish a presence in the middle and score on the blocks. If the "3" seniors (JJ, Jobity, Piwerka) finally live up to their previous press clippings, coupled with JUCO Terry Edwards contributing at small forward, Niagara may find themselves playing in the MAAC Final this year in Buffalo. My read: 4th place finish in MAAC. Rider Fan Update by Mike Basford     Rider was victorious in its first two MAAC games this season, with a home victory against Manhattan and a win at Fairfield. Against the Jaspers, senior Kevin McPeek scored 19 points and 10 rebounds, but hit two free throws with six seconds left to put the Broncs up five, 57-52. Senior point guard Kevin Finefrock scored 10 points and had 8 assists.
    On Monday night, Rider routed Fairfield, which was riding high with a five game winning streak, 88-68, to up its record to 3-2 (2-0 MAAC). Greg Burston got things started right off the bat as the Broncs jumped out to a 11-2 lead. The margin was twenty-two at halftime, 52-30, and never got any closer than thirteen. Sophomore Michael Crawford scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, including 12-12 from the foul line. Monday's game also marked the return of forward Ken Lacey, who missed the Mahanttan victory after suffering a concussion. On Saturday, Rider will host NEC opponent Monmouth, and ten days later head to Philadelphia to meet Villanova.

Siena Fan Update by Bill Murray PERSONNEL:
    Siena returns all five starters, however, they did lose two players from last year's much improved club. Lost were Jim Secretarski, a senior whose role diminished throughout the year and, more importantly, Kolin Weaver, a beefy 6'8" post player that did much of the dirty work, rebounding, defending and occasionally scoring in the low post. With Weaver's transfer to Arkansas State, the Saints are still thin up front, even with the addition of 6'9" Dale Taylor from Thayer Academy. Taylor is not a strong post player, but is athletic and a good defender, albeit not a physical one.
    The starting five, consisting of point guard Melvin Freeny, the conference assist leader; Scott Knapp, last year's rookie of the year; Marcus Faison, a first team all MAAC player; Jim Cantamessa, a deadly 3 point shooter and Dave Deters, will still be running and shooting at every opportunity. This year's team will have even more depth, with the addition of three new recruits, (Jim Clinton, a 6'8" small forward from St. Augustines in NJ, Dale Taylor, 6'10" forward/center and Dwayne Archbold, a 6'4" shooting guard from NYC public school power Robeson)all of whom are quick, athletic and able to enhance the up-tempo style instituted by Coach Paul Hewitt last season. Of these three, Archbold will be the one to emerge early as a contributor. Also augmenting the roster will be the return of Micah Ogburn, a 6'4" guard, who missed last season while recuperating from an off-season car accident.
STRENGTHS:
    Shooting and team depth: Siena will come at opponents with a full court pressing and running style that is complimented by good depth at each position. Shooting will continue to be the teams major strength, with Faison, Cantamessa, Knapp, Ogburn and freshman Jim Clinton all being able to light it up from the outside. In addition, Faison, Knapp, Freeny and the newly acquired Archbold are able to put the ball to the floor and slash to the hoop. The rest of the roster, Cory Osinski, Isaiah Stewart, Dale Taylor, Brandon Fields and Dave Deters can all run and are interchangeable in Hewitt's fast paced style.
WEAKNESSES:
    Low post play, both offensively and defensively: With the loss of Kolin Weaver, the Saints are left with a combination of Dave Deters, senior Brendan Fields, junior Jim Cantamessa, and freshman Dale Taylor to man the post. None of these players are big, physical players and, while Deters and Cantamessa have shown a good shooting touch away from the basket, none have demonstrated the capacity to consistently score in the low post. This dimension is necessary when the break is well defended and Siena is forced to go to a half court set. Without the big guy to make the defenders respect the post, defenses can "cheat" on the backcourt players and make it difficult for Siena to score in the half court set.
PREDICTION:
    More fast paced action with Siena winning it's share of high scoring affairs. Greater depth should yield additional Ws this season and Siena should challenge for the league championship. If Siena doesn't win the MAAC tournament, look for them in the NIT, with some good opportunities to win some games at the Pepsi Arena. St. Peter's Fan Update REPRESENTATIVE NEEDED Click HERE for the MAAC ARCHIVE for stories previously contributed to MAAC Notes. Be sure to visit the Email/Links section to visit other sites with MAAC info. Official MAAC Links Canisius               Fairfield             Iona             Loyola           Manhattan Niagara              St. Peter's          Siena               Marist                   Rider