by Joseph Landini
Pierce Arrow
We can sit back and sulk about how Franklin Pierce got upset in the first round of this year's NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament, or we can look ahead to the possibility of a national title in 2012.
Despite the early exit in the tournament, due to the 64-62 loss to Pace in the final seconds, the Ravens will be returning every player of the roster and adding two familiar faces. All of this year's freshmen will be returning and will be more seasoned with experience under their belts. Kate McDonald was the on-court general of the team running the point guard position. Throughout the year, she played the best basketball when she was aggressive and took open shots when the opportunity arose. Most likely next year she will be splitting time with Cynthia Gaudet and will learn even more from her senior teammate.
Brooke Coderre became one of the Ravens go-to defenders toward the end of the year. She would come in off the bench to guard the opponent's best wing player in hopes of locking them down. Add that to her three-point shooting, and Coderre can become big time in years to come. Brittany Martelle, as the year went on, was the Ravens outside threat when she got the open shot. The knock on her is confidence -- if she misses her first shot, her body language changes, and she will shy away from shooting. However, when confident, she is as dangerous as anyone. Jessica Hurd will only grow under the greatness of Jewel White. Hurd can rebound and shoot from the perimeter, so versatility will be here upside for the coming years.
Tiffany Johnson and Amanda Saab have only become better looking after their second season with the Ravens. Johnson stepped up this year and scored more, which the Ravens needed due to the loss of superstar Johannah Leedham. Her potential is through the roof and scoring ability is endless. We may not know how good she actually is until next year's senior class graduates and she becomes the focal point of the offense. Saab was one of those players you had to do a double take on this year. Her development from her first year to this past year was nothing short of great. In year one, her main tendency was to shoot the three. Period. This year she shot the three, but added a low post game and a dribble drive to the basket game. If you watched Northeast-10 basketball at all, she really became one of the most versatile players in the conference. Both of these players' roofs are the sky, as development and potential can only get better.
The Ravens will also return two players of the year. Marielle Girould was named the NE-10 Defensive Player of the Year, while Jewel White was the overall Player of the Year. Girould came back from where she left off a year before, playing phenomenal defense and taking the shots at any point she wanted. Averaging double-digits in points and high in rebounds, Girould is set to have a powerful senior campaign. White is exactly what the doctor ordered this year. Since becoming a starter late last season, White has been the go-to player in the Ravens' offense, and a rebounding machine. Averaging a strong double-double, White has a chance to repeat as Player of the Year next year. Jewel White became the Ravens' household player this year and made the pain go away when they lost WNBA Draftee Leedham.
With all that said you may think things couldn't get any better. Well they do, as the Ravens returning from injury will be center Tori Ahrens and point guard Cynthia Gaudet. Both sat out the entire 2010-2011 season, but will be ready to go. Ahrens is the definition of a low post brawler. She rips down almost every rebound and gets open down low for easy shots. She and White will have a twin towers-type deal going on this year. Going into this past year, one of the projected players of the year in the NE-10 was Cynthia Gaudet. Gaudet will now take the reins of this team, which has succeeded in big ways already. Her ability to make her own shot and play make for others is unmatchable to any other player on the Ravens' roster. Her leadership and experience is also unmatchable as she has been in postseason play every year since being a Raven. If Gaudet plays at any level close to what she has in years past, the Ravens have a great chance.
After all of that being said, is the 2012 National Championship coming to Rindge, N.H.?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Final Four
by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
We started with 68 teams, but now we are down to the 2011 Final Four. Two names well known to the biggest stage, one who is a repeat from last year, and one who can make history as the biggest underdog ever.
The University of Connecticut has been run all year by the coaching of Jim Calhoun, and the stellar superstar play of Kemba Walker. In 19 days the Connecticut Huskies have won 9 games. Five straight wins to capture the Big East Championship started this hot streak, followed by an opening round beating on the number 14 seed Bucknell. When the field was narrowed to 32, the Huskies faced off against Big East foe Cincinnati, and defeated them for a second time in a see saw brawl. After that UConn headed to the west coast for their regional Sweet 16 match up against San Diego State. Despite the tenacity of the Mountain West Conference winner, Jeremy Lamb and Kemba Walker combined for 60 points to defeat SDSU. Finally in the Elite 8, Connecticut led by their two stud guards, were able to overcome a late run by Arizona. The Wildcats had two chances to win it at the end, but could not take advantage. Connecticut will go on to the Final Four, being the hottest team in America, adding in the fact that they have a leader like Kemba Walker, who has made big shot after big shot. The Connecticut Huskies may be the team to beat of these four, but as we have seen in this tournament, anything can and will happen.
The Butler Bulldogs will make their second consecutive trip to the Final Four, after making yet ANOTHER epic run. Coming into the season Butler had to face the fact that their best player from a year before (Gordon Hayward) was now gone. Despite losing their best shooter the Bulldogs still had two of the key pieces that brought this team to the promised land a year before. Shelvin Mack has arguably played better then any guard this entire tournament. Matt Howard, the heart and soul of Butler, made game winning shots in both their victory over Old Dominion, and their first upset against the number one seed Pittsburgh. The upsets did not end their as stellar defense held the number four seed Wisconsin to 30% shooting, and sent them home early. The biggest test was yet to come, as they took on the number two seeded Florida Gators who had been streaking as of late as well. Another back and forth battle, saw Butler do the impossible and defeat the Gators who are known to be a tournament team in the recent past. Mack's brilliance shined as he scored 27 points, five in the overtime period. What people may not realize is that Butler has won 13 straight games. Butler will hope for revenge after losing in the National Championship last year against Duke.
On selection Sunday the entire world was shocked to see the name Virginia Commonwealth name be called. Media, critics, and fans all were disappointed as they believed teams like Colorado and Virginia Tech were snubbed. Two weeks later we now find VCU as one of the Final Four teams. VCU has won the most games in this years tournament, as they had to defeat USC to get into the round of 64. After that they took down Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas. For Virginia Commonwealth they have made two statements. The first statement made was that they DID belong in this tournament. This choice by the committee was questioned at first, but no one can argue whether they belong or not. The second statement made was that the little conference teams can compete and defeat the power conferences. In this NCAA run, the Rams have defeated teams in the Pac 10, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the Big East, which sent 11 teams to the tournament. Led by the point guard play of Joey Rodriguez, and the all around game of Jamie Skeen VCU will be playing in the Final Four, and the third 11 seed ever to get to this point.
John Calipari had all the talent in the world last year, but could not vault his young Kentucky team into the final weekend. After seeing the likes of Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton and John Wall all leave early for the draft, what was Kentucky to do? Reload. Kentucky reloaded again with more talent then imaginable with Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight. After early season struggles in winning road games, Kentucky finds themselves winning four games in neutral sites and a trip to the National Semifinals. For John Calipari this is the first time he sees the Final Four since bringing a Memphis team there years ago. That team lost to Kansas in 2008 despite a near triple double by current NBA star Derrick Rose. Kentucky in their past two games went against the toughest number two seed in North Carolina, to go along with their Sweet 16 victory against arguably the best team in the nation in Ohio State. Brandon Knight has been one of the most exciting players thus far, but a familiar face has been the reason for the success. Despite the youth strength Kentucky portrays the accelerated play of big man Josh Harrellson has really paid dividends. For Kentucky everyone is playing well, but the scary aspect is that we have not seen the best of star freshmen Terrence Jones yet.
Final Four Match ups
#11 VCU against #Butler- Cinderella vs Cinderella. David vs David. Only one of these small program teams will move on, but in all reality this may be the most exciting and unthinkable Final Four match up of ALL TIME. VCU will be playing with the chip on their shoulder that they have been playing with all tournament, while Butler seeks gaining the trophy which they see as destiny.
#4 Kentucky vs #3 Connecticut- The rematch. In game one back in November, UConn defeated Kentucky by 17 points, to win the Maui Invitational. The difference between now and then, Kentucky has excelled to be one of the most dangerous teams in the nation due to stellar inside and outside game. Buckle up for the ride, as Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker will be battling at all costs for their chance at the National Title.
The unique Final Four features two big time programs facing off , and two Cinderella hopefuls trying to do the impossible. One thing is for sure, all four teams are here for the same reason... WIN.
High Heat Network
We started with 68 teams, but now we are down to the 2011 Final Four. Two names well known to the biggest stage, one who is a repeat from last year, and one who can make history as the biggest underdog ever.
The University of Connecticut has been run all year by the coaching of Jim Calhoun, and the stellar superstar play of Kemba Walker. In 19 days the Connecticut Huskies have won 9 games. Five straight wins to capture the Big East Championship started this hot streak, followed by an opening round beating on the number 14 seed Bucknell. When the field was narrowed to 32, the Huskies faced off against Big East foe Cincinnati, and defeated them for a second time in a see saw brawl. After that UConn headed to the west coast for their regional Sweet 16 match up against San Diego State. Despite the tenacity of the Mountain West Conference winner, Jeremy Lamb and Kemba Walker combined for 60 points to defeat SDSU. Finally in the Elite 8, Connecticut led by their two stud guards, were able to overcome a late run by Arizona. The Wildcats had two chances to win it at the end, but could not take advantage. Connecticut will go on to the Final Four, being the hottest team in America, adding in the fact that they have a leader like Kemba Walker, who has made big shot after big shot. The Connecticut Huskies may be the team to beat of these four, but as we have seen in this tournament, anything can and will happen.
The Butler Bulldogs will make their second consecutive trip to the Final Four, after making yet ANOTHER epic run. Coming into the season Butler had to face the fact that their best player from a year before (Gordon Hayward) was now gone. Despite losing their best shooter the Bulldogs still had two of the key pieces that brought this team to the promised land a year before. Shelvin Mack has arguably played better then any guard this entire tournament. Matt Howard, the heart and soul of Butler, made game winning shots in both their victory over Old Dominion, and their first upset against the number one seed Pittsburgh. The upsets did not end their as stellar defense held the number four seed Wisconsin to 30% shooting, and sent them home early. The biggest test was yet to come, as they took on the number two seeded Florida Gators who had been streaking as of late as well. Another back and forth battle, saw Butler do the impossible and defeat the Gators who are known to be a tournament team in the recent past. Mack's brilliance shined as he scored 27 points, five in the overtime period. What people may not realize is that Butler has won 13 straight games. Butler will hope for revenge after losing in the National Championship last year against Duke.
On selection Sunday the entire world was shocked to see the name Virginia Commonwealth name be called. Media, critics, and fans all were disappointed as they believed teams like Colorado and Virginia Tech were snubbed. Two weeks later we now find VCU as one of the Final Four teams. VCU has won the most games in this years tournament, as they had to defeat USC to get into the round of 64. After that they took down Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State, and Kansas. For Virginia Commonwealth they have made two statements. The first statement made was that they DID belong in this tournament. This choice by the committee was questioned at first, but no one can argue whether they belong or not. The second statement made was that the little conference teams can compete and defeat the power conferences. In this NCAA run, the Rams have defeated teams in the Pac 10, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the Big East, which sent 11 teams to the tournament. Led by the point guard play of Joey Rodriguez, and the all around game of Jamie Skeen VCU will be playing in the Final Four, and the third 11 seed ever to get to this point.
John Calipari had all the talent in the world last year, but could not vault his young Kentucky team into the final weekend. After seeing the likes of Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton and John Wall all leave early for the draft, what was Kentucky to do? Reload. Kentucky reloaded again with more talent then imaginable with Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight. After early season struggles in winning road games, Kentucky finds themselves winning four games in neutral sites and a trip to the National Semifinals. For John Calipari this is the first time he sees the Final Four since bringing a Memphis team there years ago. That team lost to Kansas in 2008 despite a near triple double by current NBA star Derrick Rose. Kentucky in their past two games went against the toughest number two seed in North Carolina, to go along with their Sweet 16 victory against arguably the best team in the nation in Ohio State. Brandon Knight has been one of the most exciting players thus far, but a familiar face has been the reason for the success. Despite the youth strength Kentucky portrays the accelerated play of big man Josh Harrellson has really paid dividends. For Kentucky everyone is playing well, but the scary aspect is that we have not seen the best of star freshmen Terrence Jones yet.
Final Four Match ups
#11 VCU against #Butler- Cinderella vs Cinderella. David vs David. Only one of these small program teams will move on, but in all reality this may be the most exciting and unthinkable Final Four match up of ALL TIME. VCU will be playing with the chip on their shoulder that they have been playing with all tournament, while Butler seeks gaining the trophy which they see as destiny.
#4 Kentucky vs #3 Connecticut- The rematch. In game one back in November, UConn defeated Kentucky by 17 points, to win the Maui Invitational. The difference between now and then, Kentucky has excelled to be one of the most dangerous teams in the nation due to stellar inside and outside game. Buckle up for the ride, as Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker will be battling at all costs for their chance at the National Title.
The unique Final Four features two big time programs facing off , and two Cinderella hopefuls trying to do the impossible. One thing is for sure, all four teams are here for the same reason... WIN.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Big LEAST, not Big East
by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
It was the greatest thing that could have happened to the Big East Conference two Sundays ago. Eleven of the sixteen teams in the conference were selected to take part in the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. This was a record for representatives from one conference making it into the national tournament. We sit here a week later and see the best case scenario, turn into the worst.
After the first weekend of tournament play, the Big East Conference is only sending two (#3 Connecticut, #11 Marquette) of those original eleven to the Sweet 16. The top EIGHT teams in the conference are all eliminated from the tournament. Of those nine that are back at school, four were a five seed or higher, and three were a three, two or one seeds. Also, of those nine teams, FIVE lost to seeds ten or lower.
The win/loss result is not even the big deal here, it is the way most (not all) of the teams in the conference went out. #9 Villanova lost to #9George Mason in the first round, because they could not execute at the end of the game. It did not help there case that there best players, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes showed up for only the first half. Villanova's season ended with their team losing six straight games. #4 Louisville had their season come to a crashing end, when they were shocked and upset by #13 Morehead State. Louisville may have been looking forward to the next rounds, but they sure overlooked Morehead St. Losing with seconds left on the clock makes this situation worse for the Cardinals. No excuse why a Big East elite, loses to an Ohio Valley team, NONE. Two of the Big East #6 seeds lost in the first round of the dance, as #11 seeds Gonzaga and Virginia Commonwealth defeat St. John's and Georgetown respectively. In a year where St. John's defeated the rest of the Big East, this game held true of how they are overrated. They can't win away from Madison Square Garden, and they struggle against lower teams. The DJ Kennedy injury affected this team, but even with him they get beat by Gonzaga. Georgetown once again could not get into their offense, and could not handle a team that should not be in the tournament. VCU is making noise and all, but the fact is if there were basketball people on the selection commitee, then VCU does not even get that opportunity. Georgetown basically lost to an NIT team when it mattered the most. The highest seeds the Big East had won one game, then got beat in the round of 32. #2 Notre Dame was smothered by #10 Florida State. Notre Dame was never in this game, being down double digits almost the entire game. Florida State defeated Duke, but in all honestly not that great of a team as they have lost to the likes of Auburn, Maryland, and Virginia Tech (twice). Notre Dame was exposed, and proven to be one of the most vulnerable teams in the tournament. Pittsburgh, supposidly the best team in the Big East, gets the pumpkin thrown on them, as Cinderella Butler wins this game. At the end of this game Pittsburgh has a chance to win this game by making a free throw. Pittsburgh misses the free throw with minimal time remaining. To make it worse, the team is set inside the blocks on the free throw line, which they should not have been because at that point there was no time to do anything. As Matt Howard grabs the rebound, Pittsburgh fouls him and Butler wins the game at the line. So for the so called "best," of the Big East, they lose because of coaching, and just lack of common sense in basketball. No blaming the refs for making the CORRECT call. The Big East Conference all year was the class of college basketball, and that one conference everyone feared. Looking at it now, the Big East seems to only fear themselves as #3 Syracuse, and #6 Cincinnati were bounced by the only two BE teams remaining.
The only two remaining teams are two teams that deserve to be there. #11 Marquette took out fellow Big East foe #3 Syracuse, in a ground and pound game. #3 Connecticut defeated #6 Cinncinnati, to continue their hot streak. I am not trying to take anything away from either of these teams, but these are games that they have won already. Before I make my next statement, I would like to say that UConn has been playing arguablly the best basketball in America as of late, and is the hottest team, by far so cudos to them. Both UConn and Marquette defeated their opponent earlier in the year. You csn say that it is harder to beat a team two times in a row, but if you already know how to beat a team, you should be able to beat them again. Period.
So, going into the Sweet 16 the Big East has two teams left representing them. After beating eachother up all year in that conference, they may have been a bit tired, but in all reality the conference as a whole may have been a tad overrated.
High Heat Network
It was the greatest thing that could have happened to the Big East Conference two Sundays ago. Eleven of the sixteen teams in the conference were selected to take part in the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. This was a record for representatives from one conference making it into the national tournament. We sit here a week later and see the best case scenario, turn into the worst.
After the first weekend of tournament play, the Big East Conference is only sending two (#3 Connecticut, #11 Marquette) of those original eleven to the Sweet 16. The top EIGHT teams in the conference are all eliminated from the tournament. Of those nine that are back at school, four were a five seed or higher, and three were a three, two or one seeds. Also, of those nine teams, FIVE lost to seeds ten or lower.
The win/loss result is not even the big deal here, it is the way most (not all) of the teams in the conference went out. #9 Villanova lost to #9George Mason in the first round, because they could not execute at the end of the game. It did not help there case that there best players, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes showed up for only the first half. Villanova's season ended with their team losing six straight games. #4 Louisville had their season come to a crashing end, when they were shocked and upset by #13 Morehead State. Louisville may have been looking forward to the next rounds, but they sure overlooked Morehead St. Losing with seconds left on the clock makes this situation worse for the Cardinals. No excuse why a Big East elite, loses to an Ohio Valley team, NONE. Two of the Big East #6 seeds lost in the first round of the dance, as #11 seeds Gonzaga and Virginia Commonwealth defeat St. John's and Georgetown respectively. In a year where St. John's defeated the rest of the Big East, this game held true of how they are overrated. They can't win away from Madison Square Garden, and they struggle against lower teams. The DJ Kennedy injury affected this team, but even with him they get beat by Gonzaga. Georgetown once again could not get into their offense, and could not handle a team that should not be in the tournament. VCU is making noise and all, but the fact is if there were basketball people on the selection commitee, then VCU does not even get that opportunity. Georgetown basically lost to an NIT team when it mattered the most. The highest seeds the Big East had won one game, then got beat in the round of 32. #2 Notre Dame was smothered by #10 Florida State. Notre Dame was never in this game, being down double digits almost the entire game. Florida State defeated Duke, but in all honestly not that great of a team as they have lost to the likes of Auburn, Maryland, and Virginia Tech (twice). Notre Dame was exposed, and proven to be one of the most vulnerable teams in the tournament. Pittsburgh, supposidly the best team in the Big East, gets the pumpkin thrown on them, as Cinderella Butler wins this game. At the end of this game Pittsburgh has a chance to win this game by making a free throw. Pittsburgh misses the free throw with minimal time remaining. To make it worse, the team is set inside the blocks on the free throw line, which they should not have been because at that point there was no time to do anything. As Matt Howard grabs the rebound, Pittsburgh fouls him and Butler wins the game at the line. So for the so called "best," of the Big East, they lose because of coaching, and just lack of common sense in basketball. No blaming the refs for making the CORRECT call. The Big East Conference all year was the class of college basketball, and that one conference everyone feared. Looking at it now, the Big East seems to only fear themselves as #3 Syracuse, and #6 Cincinnati were bounced by the only two BE teams remaining.
The only two remaining teams are two teams that deserve to be there. #11 Marquette took out fellow Big East foe #3 Syracuse, in a ground and pound game. #3 Connecticut defeated #6 Cinncinnati, to continue their hot streak. I am not trying to take anything away from either of these teams, but these are games that they have won already. Before I make my next statement, I would like to say that UConn has been playing arguablly the best basketball in America as of late, and is the hottest team, by far so cudos to them. Both UConn and Marquette defeated their opponent earlier in the year. You csn say that it is harder to beat a team two times in a row, but if you already know how to beat a team, you should be able to beat them again. Period.
So, going into the Sweet 16 the Big East has two teams left representing them. After beating eachother up all year in that conference, they may have been a bit tired, but in all reality the conference as a whole may have been a tad overrated.
What We Learned Day 4 of NCAA Tournament
by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
Here is some aspects we learned from Day 4 of the NCAA Tournament:
It is not over until the clock hits zero- Playing the best team in the ACC, and an argument can be made that they are the most complete team in the tournament, Michigan fought back from 15 points to push Duke to the limit. By hitting shots and playing good defense, Michigan shook Duke by cutting the lead down to two. Unfortunately, Michigan missed a runner with no time remaining. Michigan was a team who was tied for last in their conference for an amount of time this season, and led by heart and passion almost pulled off an unthinkable comeback.
The stars come out to play at the right time- Down two and under ten seconds against Texas, Arizona star Derrick Williams made a circus shot and hit the free throw to complete the and one, that put Arizona ahead. Arizona completed the win and move onto the next round. Williams had 17 points, and 14 of them came in the second half. Despite the shaky ending, Nolan Smith of Duke proved why he is a player of the year candidate, scoring 24 in Duke's winning way. Harrison Barnes the star and standout at North Carolina hit timely threes and led the Tarheels to a tough victory over the #7 Washington Huskies as well, moving them to the Sweet 16.
Even good coaching goes bad- Coach Rick Barnes can make mistakes. Barnes a good, veteran coach may have lost this game for the Longhorns today (losing to #5 Arizona). Having a freshmen inbounds the ball that late in a game is not the correct call. This showed as soon as the ref blew the whistle and Texas got called for a 5 second violation. Coach Barnes... tisk tisk it meant the season. Coach Boheim of Syracuse also was at fault as late in the game he didn't use timeouts when appropriate. Instead of calling a play late to shorten a lead, he let his team play which hurt the game. Scoop Jardine missed a forced three and #11 Marquette takes the upset in heroic form. Darius Johnson-Odom hit the go ahead three pointer before the Jardine force.
Final Scores of Day 4
(2) North Carolina 86, (7) Washington 83
(1) Duke 73, (8) Michigan 71
(1) Ohio State 98, (8) George Mason 66
(5) Arizona 70, (4) Texas 69
(11) Virginia Commonwealth 94, (3) Purdue 76
(11) Marquette 66, (3) Syracuse 62
(1) Kansas 73, (9) Illinois 59
(10)Florida St 71, (2) Notre Dame 57
We are now on to the Sweet 16. Check back for the thoughts on the Big East, and the reaction to the "great," conference only getting two of their eleven into the round of 16.
High Heat Network
Here is some aspects we learned from Day 4 of the NCAA Tournament:
It is not over until the clock hits zero- Playing the best team in the ACC, and an argument can be made that they are the most complete team in the tournament, Michigan fought back from 15 points to push Duke to the limit. By hitting shots and playing good defense, Michigan shook Duke by cutting the lead down to two. Unfortunately, Michigan missed a runner with no time remaining. Michigan was a team who was tied for last in their conference for an amount of time this season, and led by heart and passion almost pulled off an unthinkable comeback.
The stars come out to play at the right time- Down two and under ten seconds against Texas, Arizona star Derrick Williams made a circus shot and hit the free throw to complete the and one, that put Arizona ahead. Arizona completed the win and move onto the next round. Williams had 17 points, and 14 of them came in the second half. Despite the shaky ending, Nolan Smith of Duke proved why he is a player of the year candidate, scoring 24 in Duke's winning way. Harrison Barnes the star and standout at North Carolina hit timely threes and led the Tarheels to a tough victory over the #7 Washington Huskies as well, moving them to the Sweet 16.
Even good coaching goes bad- Coach Rick Barnes can make mistakes. Barnes a good, veteran coach may have lost this game for the Longhorns today (losing to #5 Arizona). Having a freshmen inbounds the ball that late in a game is not the correct call. This showed as soon as the ref blew the whistle and Texas got called for a 5 second violation. Coach Barnes... tisk tisk it meant the season. Coach Boheim of Syracuse also was at fault as late in the game he didn't use timeouts when appropriate. Instead of calling a play late to shorten a lead, he let his team play which hurt the game. Scoop Jardine missed a forced three and #11 Marquette takes the upset in heroic form. Darius Johnson-Odom hit the go ahead three pointer before the Jardine force.
Final Scores of Day 4
(2) North Carolina 86, (7) Washington 83
(1) Duke 73, (8) Michigan 71
(1) Ohio State 98, (8) George Mason 66
(5) Arizona 70, (4) Texas 69
(11) Virginia Commonwealth 94, (3) Purdue 76
(11) Marquette 66, (3) Syracuse 62
(1) Kansas 73, (9) Illinois 59
(10)Florida St 71, (2) Notre Dame 57
We are now on to the Sweet 16. Check back for the thoughts on the Big East, and the reaction to the "great," conference only getting two of their eleven into the round of 16.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
What We Learned from Day 3 of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
Here are a few things that we learned after the first games of the third round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament:
Teams that go in on fire, continue streaking and vise versa: Richmond continues to roll as they kill Morehead St, and are streaking since taking over the Atlantic 10. The Big East will be another perfect example. UConn, despite struggling shooting for a majority of the night, defeated a Cincy team that was out for revenge, after losing to the Huskies on their own home court earlier in the year. UConn continues to roll since their major run in the Big East Tournament. After stumbling into the Big Dance with an early exit in the B.E.T, Pittsburgh falls on their face and under estimate Butler.
Cinderella is still spelled B-U-T-L-E-R: Butler takes down another elite opponent and advances to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. This was also the second straight game that Matt Howard played hero. Butler may be the team to beat in the region, now that they took out the number one seed.
Jimmer may prove to be real with one more win- Still am not sold on Jimmer, but with another amazing performance he may be one step closer to gaining my respect. After defeating Gonzaga today they will play a formidable opponent in Florida, as they defeat UCLA today.
Wisconsin has officially shut up the critics- With another strong showing throughout the entire game, all the critics that said Wisconsin is not that good, and will lose in the first and second round need to sit down and shut up. Wisconsin seems to be playing peak basketball, and with the Pittsburgh loss may be able to take over the region, watch out for the glass slipper in the next round.
Final Scores of Day 3
(4) Kentucky 71, (5) West Virginia 63
(2) Florida 73, (7) UCLA 65
(12) Richmond 65, (13) Morehead State 48
(2) San Diego State 71, (7) Temple 64
(8) Butler 71, (1) Pittsburgh 70
(3) Brigham Young 89, (11) Gonzaga 67
(4) Wisconsin 70, (5) Kansas State 65
(3) Connecticut 69, (6) Cincinnati 58
High Heat Network
Here are a few things that we learned after the first games of the third round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament:
Teams that go in on fire, continue streaking and vise versa: Richmond continues to roll as they kill Morehead St, and are streaking since taking over the Atlantic 10. The Big East will be another perfect example. UConn, despite struggling shooting for a majority of the night, defeated a Cincy team that was out for revenge, after losing to the Huskies on their own home court earlier in the year. UConn continues to roll since their major run in the Big East Tournament. After stumbling into the Big Dance with an early exit in the B.E.T, Pittsburgh falls on their face and under estimate Butler.
Cinderella is still spelled B-U-T-L-E-R: Butler takes down another elite opponent and advances to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. This was also the second straight game that Matt Howard played hero. Butler may be the team to beat in the region, now that they took out the number one seed.
Jimmer may prove to be real with one more win- Still am not sold on Jimmer, but with another amazing performance he may be one step closer to gaining my respect. After defeating Gonzaga today they will play a formidable opponent in Florida, as they defeat UCLA today.
Wisconsin has officially shut up the critics- With another strong showing throughout the entire game, all the critics that said Wisconsin is not that good, and will lose in the first and second round need to sit down and shut up. Wisconsin seems to be playing peak basketball, and with the Pittsburgh loss may be able to take over the region, watch out for the glass slipper in the next round.
Final Scores of Day 3
(4) Kentucky 71, (5) West Virginia 63
(2) Florida 73, (7) UCLA 65
(12) Richmond 65, (13) Morehead State 48
(2) San Diego State 71, (7) Temple 64
(8) Butler 71, (1) Pittsburgh 70
(3) Brigham Young 89, (11) Gonzaga 67
(4) Wisconsin 70, (5) Kansas State 65
(3) Connecticut 69, (6) Cincinnati 58
Friday, March 18, 2011
Day Two Recap of the 2011 NCAA Tournament
by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
The "second" round of the NCAA Tournament is now complete, here is a look back at the day 2 events.
West Region
(4) Texas 84, (13) Oakland 81- Despite all the hype of how Oakland is an older team, who can make this upset happen, they simply could not get the job done. Keith Benson was tamed by Texas' Tristan Thompson, as the freshmen outplayed him by scoring 17 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking 6 shots. Jordan Hamilton led the longhorns with 19, while Reggie Hamilton led all scorers with 25 for the Golden Grizz.
(8) Michigan 75, (9) Tennessee 45- This may have been coach Bruce Pearl's last game as coach of the Vols. The distractions off the court may have been too much for Tennessee this year as they're roller coaster years comes to a crashing close. Five Wolverines scored in double digits, while only Tobias Harris scored above 6 points with 19.
(5) Arizona 77, (12) Memphis 75- Derrick Williams 22 and Lamont Jones's 18 leads Arizona past the feisty and young Memphis Tigers club. Despite a strong effort and speed by Will and Antonio Barton, Williams was able to block a last second shot to earn the victory in the West region.
(1) Duke 87, (16) Hampton 45- Kyrie Irving scored 14 in his return to the Duke rotation as they blow out Hampton. Seth Curry and Nolan Smith each had quiet afternoon's with 9 each, but the Blue Devils now go on.
Southwest Region
(2) Notre Dame 69, (15) Akron 56- Despite a poor shooting day for one of the Big East's elite players, Ben Hansbrough played a role like Kemba Walker did for UConn last night. He dished the ball and made the right decisions by trusting his teammates. Notre Dame's defense stifled the Zips as only one scorer reached doubled digits. Tim Abromaitis chipped in for Notre Dame with 14.
(10) Florida St 57, (7) Texas A+M 50- Florida State picks up there first tournament win since 1998, as the Seminoles pull off the upset. Derwin Kitchen led them with 15 points to go along with his 7 rebounds. Chris Singleton returned to the Florida State rotation, but struggled in the victory.
(1) Kansas 72, (16) Boston University 53- Boston University could not bring the first 16 seed to beat a 1 as we officially will have to wait another year to see if this can happen. The Morris brothers for Kansas combined for 31 points, while Brady Morningstar chipped in 13. Kansas will play the winner of UNLV/ILL.
(3) Purdue 65, (14) St. Peters 43- Despite a great run in the MAAC to get into the tournament, St. Peters never showed up for it. The experience of E'Twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson was way too much, as Purdue continues strong tournament play stemming back to last year.
(9) Illinois 73, (8) UNLV 62- No more gambling for Las Vegas Nevada this year. Behind the strong play in the front court by Mike Davis, the Illini succeeds over UNLV. Davis scored 22, while Demetri Mcamey chipped in 17. Next for the Illini, a date with the Morris brothers and KANSAS.
(11) VCU 74, (6) Georgetown 56- VCU deserved to be in the tournament after all. VCU defeats another Big East representative, as Georgetown could not find theyre offense even with guard Chris Wright in the lineup. VCU moves on.
East Region
(8) George Mason 61, (9) Villanova 57- George Mason ends the game on an 13-3 run, as they make the statement that they are back in the NCAA Tournament for a reason. Villanova's season ends in the free fall as they lose their last 6 games of the season. This game was a tale of two halves, as Nova seemed to be rolling in the first half with Corey x2 (Fisher and Stokes) were hitting every shot it seemed like. In the second half they were absent, meaning Villanova goes back to Philadelphia empty handed.
(1) Ohio State 75, (16) UT San Antonio 46- Ohio State dominated through and through. William Buford scored 18 in the winning effort, while Jared Sullinger missed a double double by one rebound (11 points 9 rebounds).
(2) North Carolina 102, (15) Long Island 87- Despite Carolina having the lead the majority of the game, Long Island gave a great fight in this 2/15 match up. Three North Carolina players scored over 20 points in the win (Tyler Zeller 32, John Henson 28, Harrison Barnes 24). For Long Island, Julian Boyd scored 18 points in the losing effort.
(11)Marquette 66, (6) Xavier 55- Marquette makes a statement in this game, as they hold a large lead most of the way. Holding Tu Holloway to 5 points, Marquette played a solid game, and showed the rest of the tournament how good their defense can be. Darius Johnson-Odom scores 19 in the winning effort.
(7) Washington 68, (10) Georgia 65- Despite a very late run by Georgia, Washington continues to fuel the engine as they defeat the Bulldogs. Washington finally wins a tournament game in the state of North Carolina. Bench scoring was a major factor as Georgia did not have a player score off the bench, while Washington dialed in 27. Isiah Thomas stole the show again with 19 points and 7 assists.
(4) Syracuse 77, (14) Indiana State 60- Rick Jackson played like a NBA type front court player tonight in the winning effort. Indiana St stood tall for a while, giving Cuse a run for their money, but the Orange were too much. Syracuse will go on to play fellow Big East rival Marquette in the next round.
Check back tomorrow for a recap on Saturday's action.
High Heat Network
The "second" round of the NCAA Tournament is now complete, here is a look back at the day 2 events.
West Region
(4) Texas 84, (13) Oakland 81- Despite all the hype of how Oakland is an older team, who can make this upset happen, they simply could not get the job done. Keith Benson was tamed by Texas' Tristan Thompson, as the freshmen outplayed him by scoring 17 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking 6 shots. Jordan Hamilton led the longhorns with 19, while Reggie Hamilton led all scorers with 25 for the Golden Grizz.
(8) Michigan 75, (9) Tennessee 45- This may have been coach Bruce Pearl's last game as coach of the Vols. The distractions off the court may have been too much for Tennessee this year as they're roller coaster years comes to a crashing close. Five Wolverines scored in double digits, while only Tobias Harris scored above 6 points with 19.
(5) Arizona 77, (12) Memphis 75- Derrick Williams 22 and Lamont Jones's 18 leads Arizona past the feisty and young Memphis Tigers club. Despite a strong effort and speed by Will and Antonio Barton, Williams was able to block a last second shot to earn the victory in the West region.
(1) Duke 87, (16) Hampton 45- Kyrie Irving scored 14 in his return to the Duke rotation as they blow out Hampton. Seth Curry and Nolan Smith each had quiet afternoon's with 9 each, but the Blue Devils now go on.
Southwest Region
(2) Notre Dame 69, (15) Akron 56- Despite a poor shooting day for one of the Big East's elite players, Ben Hansbrough played a role like Kemba Walker did for UConn last night. He dished the ball and made the right decisions by trusting his teammates. Notre Dame's defense stifled the Zips as only one scorer reached doubled digits. Tim Abromaitis chipped in for Notre Dame with 14.
(10) Florida St 57, (7) Texas A+M 50- Florida State picks up there first tournament win since 1998, as the Seminoles pull off the upset. Derwin Kitchen led them with 15 points to go along with his 7 rebounds. Chris Singleton returned to the Florida State rotation, but struggled in the victory.
(1) Kansas 72, (16) Boston University 53- Boston University could not bring the first 16 seed to beat a 1 as we officially will have to wait another year to see if this can happen. The Morris brothers for Kansas combined for 31 points, while Brady Morningstar chipped in 13. Kansas will play the winner of UNLV/ILL.
(3) Purdue 65, (14) St. Peters 43- Despite a great run in the MAAC to get into the tournament, St. Peters never showed up for it. The experience of E'Twuan Moore and JaJuan Johnson was way too much, as Purdue continues strong tournament play stemming back to last year.
(9) Illinois 73, (8) UNLV 62- No more gambling for Las Vegas Nevada this year. Behind the strong play in the front court by Mike Davis, the Illini succeeds over UNLV. Davis scored 22, while Demetri Mcamey chipped in 17. Next for the Illini, a date with the Morris brothers and KANSAS.
(11) VCU 74, (6) Georgetown 56- VCU deserved to be in the tournament after all. VCU defeats another Big East representative, as Georgetown could not find theyre offense even with guard Chris Wright in the lineup. VCU moves on.
East Region
(8) George Mason 61, (9) Villanova 57- George Mason ends the game on an 13-3 run, as they make the statement that they are back in the NCAA Tournament for a reason. Villanova's season ends in the free fall as they lose their last 6 games of the season. This game was a tale of two halves, as Nova seemed to be rolling in the first half with Corey x2 (Fisher and Stokes) were hitting every shot it seemed like. In the second half they were absent, meaning Villanova goes back to Philadelphia empty handed.
(1) Ohio State 75, (16) UT San Antonio 46- Ohio State dominated through and through. William Buford scored 18 in the winning effort, while Jared Sullinger missed a double double by one rebound (11 points 9 rebounds).
(2) North Carolina 102, (15) Long Island 87- Despite Carolina having the lead the majority of the game, Long Island gave a great fight in this 2/15 match up. Three North Carolina players scored over 20 points in the win (Tyler Zeller 32, John Henson 28, Harrison Barnes 24). For Long Island, Julian Boyd scored 18 points in the losing effort.
(11)Marquette 66, (6) Xavier 55- Marquette makes a statement in this game, as they hold a large lead most of the way. Holding Tu Holloway to 5 points, Marquette played a solid game, and showed the rest of the tournament how good their defense can be. Darius Johnson-Odom scores 19 in the winning effort.
(7) Washington 68, (10) Georgia 65- Despite a very late run by Georgia, Washington continues to fuel the engine as they defeat the Bulldogs. Washington finally wins a tournament game in the state of North Carolina. Bench scoring was a major factor as Georgia did not have a player score off the bench, while Washington dialed in 27. Isiah Thomas stole the show again with 19 points and 7 assists.
(4) Syracuse 77, (14) Indiana State 60- Rick Jackson played like a NBA type front court player tonight in the winning effort. Indiana St stood tall for a while, giving Cuse a run for their money, but the Orange were too much. Syracuse will go on to play fellow Big East rival Marquette in the next round.
Check back tomorrow for a recap on Saturday's action.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Day One Recap of the 2011 NCAA Tournament
by Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
Here is a recap of all of day one's action in the NCAA Tournament.
East Region
(5) West Virginia 84, (12) Clemson 76- Despite a strong game overall put together by Clemson, Mazzula and Co. were too much to handle. It seemed like the short time between the first round and second round was too much for Clemson, as they ran out of gas in the second half.
(4) Kentucky 59, (13) Princeton 57- Freshmen Brandon Knight was the hero as he hit a running layup with less then 3 seconds to go in the ball game. Princeton stuck with, and even were leading the Wildcats during points of this game. Kentucky will move on, while the IVY League will be sent home packing early again. Kentucky will face West Virginia in the next round.
West Region
(6) Cinncinnati 78, (11) Missouri 63- Despite a slow start from the field, the Bearcats open up this game behind Yancy Gates 18 points. Cincy also shot 52% from the floor which is impressive on any night, let alone a tournament game.
(3) UConn 81, (14) Bucknell 52-Kemba Walker and Connecticut continue to roll, as they started hot from the field and stayed hot. The Patriot League winner played there worst game of the year, and for that they will go home. The Big East will battle again in the next round as Cinncinnati will face UConn.
(7) Temple 66, (10) Penn St 64- In one of the wilder endings of the day Juan Fernandez hits the game winning jumpshot with minimal time remaining. The possession before that saw star Talor Battle hit a deep three to tie the game. Fernandez and Battle scored 23 points each, while Ramone Moore so Temple also bucketed 23.
(2) San Diego State 68, (15) Northern Colorado 50- It was never a game as SDSU continues there hot streak, and gains there first tournament win. Kawhi Leonard led with 21, and San Diego State will now go on to play Temple Saturday.
Southwest Region
(12) Richmond 69, (5) Vanderbilt 66- Kevin Anderson scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half as Richmond continued to roll after winning the Atlantic 10 tournament to get into the Big Dance. Jenkins and Ezeli both scored 21 points for Vanderbilt.
(13) Morehead St 62, (4) Louisville 61- Morehead State shocked the world by going for the win in the final seconds by taking a three point shot, and then shocked the universe when Demonte Harper hit it. Morehead State wins the shocker of the day as they down one of the Big East elite, and send Pitino and the Cardinals packing. Morehead St will now move on to face Richmond in the battle of the underdogs.
Southeast Region
(1) Pittsburgh 74, (16) UNC ASHEVILLE 51- Simple recap here. The only number one seed to play on Thursday dominated on Thursday.
(8) Butler 60, (9) Old Dominion 58- Who said Cinderella can't come by twice. Well the tournament started in Cinderella format as Matt Howard beats the buzzer with a layup. Butler showed why senior leadership, and teammate basketball succeeds over talent. Butler will go on to play Pittsburgh in the next round.
(5) Kansas State 73 (12) Utah State 68- Despite a second half comeback by Utah State, Kansas Sate wins this game and advances. Jacob Pullen scores 22 for KSU.
(4) Wisconsin 72, (13) Belmont 58- Coming into the tournament the consensus upset seemed to be that Belmont would prevail. Wisconsin had something to say about that though. Jon Leuer scored 22, while star Jordan Taylor goes for 21. Belmont will go home, while Wisconsin will face off against KSU next.
(11) Gonzaga 86, (6) St. John's 71- St. John's was exposed on the biggest stage. They could not run or shoot with Gonzaga's athletic lineup. They could not be the giant killer away from Madison Square Garden. The absence of DJ Kennedy made a difference. Gonzaga proves again to be a tournament team. As for St. John's look for a brand new team as most of the Red Storm is headed for graduation in the spring.
(3) BYU 74, (14) Wofford 66- Despite a strong effort by Woff, it was Jimmer time again. 32 points later all you can say is JIMMER JIMMER JIMMER.
(7) UCLA 78, (10) Michigan State 76- Despite a heroic type comeback by Tom Izzo's crew, UCLA finishes a well played game and defeats Mich St. UCLA hit on all cylinders and held Kalin Lucas to 4-14 shooting.
(2) Florida 79, (15) UCSB 51- From start to finish Florida played with a chip on their shoulder. After being granted with a number 2 seed last Sunday, all the critics (including myself) said they did not deserve it. I'm not saying yet that they do, but this is the correct step in the right direction.
High Heat Network
Here is a recap of all of day one's action in the NCAA Tournament.
East Region
(5) West Virginia 84, (12) Clemson 76- Despite a strong game overall put together by Clemson, Mazzula and Co. were too much to handle. It seemed like the short time between the first round and second round was too much for Clemson, as they ran out of gas in the second half.
(4) Kentucky 59, (13) Princeton 57- Freshmen Brandon Knight was the hero as he hit a running layup with less then 3 seconds to go in the ball game. Princeton stuck with, and even were leading the Wildcats during points of this game. Kentucky will move on, while the IVY League will be sent home packing early again. Kentucky will face West Virginia in the next round.
West Region
(6) Cinncinnati 78, (11) Missouri 63- Despite a slow start from the field, the Bearcats open up this game behind Yancy Gates 18 points. Cincy also shot 52% from the floor which is impressive on any night, let alone a tournament game.
(3) UConn 81, (14) Bucknell 52-Kemba Walker and Connecticut continue to roll, as they started hot from the field and stayed hot. The Patriot League winner played there worst game of the year, and for that they will go home. The Big East will battle again in the next round as Cinncinnati will face UConn.
(7) Temple 66, (10) Penn St 64- In one of the wilder endings of the day Juan Fernandez hits the game winning jumpshot with minimal time remaining. The possession before that saw star Talor Battle hit a deep three to tie the game. Fernandez and Battle scored 23 points each, while Ramone Moore so Temple also bucketed 23.
(2) San Diego State 68, (15) Northern Colorado 50- It was never a game as SDSU continues there hot streak, and gains there first tournament win. Kawhi Leonard led with 21, and San Diego State will now go on to play Temple Saturday.
Southwest Region
(12) Richmond 69, (5) Vanderbilt 66- Kevin Anderson scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half as Richmond continued to roll after winning the Atlantic 10 tournament to get into the Big Dance. Jenkins and Ezeli both scored 21 points for Vanderbilt.
(13) Morehead St 62, (4) Louisville 61- Morehead State shocked the world by going for the win in the final seconds by taking a three point shot, and then shocked the universe when Demonte Harper hit it. Morehead State wins the shocker of the day as they down one of the Big East elite, and send Pitino and the Cardinals packing. Morehead St will now move on to face Richmond in the battle of the underdogs.
Southeast Region
(1) Pittsburgh 74, (16) UNC ASHEVILLE 51- Simple recap here. The only number one seed to play on Thursday dominated on Thursday.
(8) Butler 60, (9) Old Dominion 58- Who said Cinderella can't come by twice. Well the tournament started in Cinderella format as Matt Howard beats the buzzer with a layup. Butler showed why senior leadership, and teammate basketball succeeds over talent. Butler will go on to play Pittsburgh in the next round.
(5) Kansas State 73 (12) Utah State 68- Despite a second half comeback by Utah State, Kansas Sate wins this game and advances. Jacob Pullen scores 22 for KSU.
(4) Wisconsin 72, (13) Belmont 58- Coming into the tournament the consensus upset seemed to be that Belmont would prevail. Wisconsin had something to say about that though. Jon Leuer scored 22, while star Jordan Taylor goes for 21. Belmont will go home, while Wisconsin will face off against KSU next.
(11) Gonzaga 86, (6) St. John's 71- St. John's was exposed on the biggest stage. They could not run or shoot with Gonzaga's athletic lineup. They could not be the giant killer away from Madison Square Garden. The absence of DJ Kennedy made a difference. Gonzaga proves again to be a tournament team. As for St. John's look for a brand new team as most of the Red Storm is headed for graduation in the spring.
(3) BYU 74, (14) Wofford 66- Despite a strong effort by Woff, it was Jimmer time again. 32 points later all you can say is JIMMER JIMMER JIMMER.
(7) UCLA 78, (10) Michigan State 76- Despite a heroic type comeback by Tom Izzo's crew, UCLA finishes a well played game and defeats Mich St. UCLA hit on all cylinders and held Kalin Lucas to 4-14 shooting.
(2) Florida 79, (15) UCSB 51- From start to finish Florida played with a chip on their shoulder. After being granted with a number 2 seed last Sunday, all the critics (including myself) said they did not deserve it. I'm not saying yet that they do, but this is the correct step in the right direction.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
A Second Chance
by Joseph Landini
The Exchange
Perception changes from right after a major loss is suffered to looking back at it five days later, especially when it comes to this year’s Franklin Pierce Women’s Basketball team.
On Friday March 11th, #3 Franklin Pierce fell to #6 Pace in the opening round of the 2011 Division II NCAA Tournament, 64-62. The final seconds of the opening round game saw Pace’s Brittany Shields hit a jumper from the free throw line to send the Ravens home for the season. The talk around the tournament before hand was that this opening game would be tougher for the Ravens, then the possible second round match up against the number two seed Holy Family. Reason being, the Ravens have defeated Holy Family all three times in the past three years. Unfortunately for Franklin Pierce it never got to that point. Despite the loss, the Ravens had two strong performance. One by the Northeast 10 Player of the Year Jewel White, who scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Freshmen Brooke Coderre also had an impressive game off the bench scoring 13 of her own.
The season ends in upset form, but the season and the future were and are bright as can be. Before the 2010-2011 season the expectations for this team were in question , and were not high. With former Division II Player of the Year Johannah Leedham no longer with the team, the Ravens were left without a leader and a main go to player. White became that player all season capturing various accolades, while her teammate Marielle Girould captured Northeast 10 Defensive player of the year honors. Aside from these two juniors, the team was surprised by outstanding play and development by sophomores Tiffany Johnson and Amanda Saab. For Johnson, her potential to be a main scoring threat showed this season as her shooting and offensive ability improved since being a freshmen a year ago. For Saab, as a freshmen she was a role player who shot only 3s it seemed like. This year, she became one of the most versatile players in the Northeast 10. Her improvement of driving to the basket, and low post play only added to her ability of shooting the long ball. The surprise of the season was the play of the three incoming freshmen guards. Brittany Martelle showed perimeter shooting ability, Coderre did that and was a feisty ball defender, and Kate McDonald was the floor general the entire season being the Ravens main point guard to run all the plays. The Ravens finished the season 24-8 overall, while posting a second place finish and an 18-4 record in the Northeast 10.
Looking forward the Ravens future may have never been as bright as it is right now. Of the 12 players on the Ravens roster, all 12 will return for the 2011-2012 campaign. With the two players of the year, the improving Johnson/Saab combination, and the developing class of 2014, things could not get any better right? Wrong. How about adding a three year starter in the front court in Tori Aherns, and a possible player of the year candidate in Cynthia Gaudet. Both Aherns and Gaudet sat out the 2010-2011 season with injuries. Aherns adds another dominant rebounder, and low post threat to a front court, which already has dominance with White and tenacity with Girould. Gaudet, before the injury, was projected as the possible Northeast 10 Player of the Year. As the Ravens point guard from 2007-2010, Gaudet shoots the ball with effectiveness, and becomes the Ravens best decision maker as soon as she steps on the Field House court again. With most of the top Northeast 10 schools losing major players to graduation at seasons end, the Ravens will most likely be the favorite to win the conference.
If all falls in place, and the team develops the chemistry like years past, a National Championship may be coming to Franklin Pierce very soon.
The Exchange
Perception changes from right after a major loss is suffered to looking back at it five days later, especially when it comes to this year’s Franklin Pierce Women’s Basketball team.
On Friday March 11th, #3 Franklin Pierce fell to #6 Pace in the opening round of the 2011 Division II NCAA Tournament, 64-62. The final seconds of the opening round game saw Pace’s Brittany Shields hit a jumper from the free throw line to send the Ravens home for the season. The talk around the tournament before hand was that this opening game would be tougher for the Ravens, then the possible second round match up against the number two seed Holy Family. Reason being, the Ravens have defeated Holy Family all three times in the past three years. Unfortunately for Franklin Pierce it never got to that point. Despite the loss, the Ravens had two strong performance. One by the Northeast 10 Player of the Year Jewel White, who scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Freshmen Brooke Coderre also had an impressive game off the bench scoring 13 of her own.
The season ends in upset form, but the season and the future were and are bright as can be. Before the 2010-2011 season the expectations for this team were in question , and were not high. With former Division II Player of the Year Johannah Leedham no longer with the team, the Ravens were left without a leader and a main go to player. White became that player all season capturing various accolades, while her teammate Marielle Girould captured Northeast 10 Defensive player of the year honors. Aside from these two juniors, the team was surprised by outstanding play and development by sophomores Tiffany Johnson and Amanda Saab. For Johnson, her potential to be a main scoring threat showed this season as her shooting and offensive ability improved since being a freshmen a year ago. For Saab, as a freshmen she was a role player who shot only 3s it seemed like. This year, she became one of the most versatile players in the Northeast 10. Her improvement of driving to the basket, and low post play only added to her ability of shooting the long ball. The surprise of the season was the play of the three incoming freshmen guards. Brittany Martelle showed perimeter shooting ability, Coderre did that and was a feisty ball defender, and Kate McDonald was the floor general the entire season being the Ravens main point guard to run all the plays. The Ravens finished the season 24-8 overall, while posting a second place finish and an 18-4 record in the Northeast 10.
Looking forward the Ravens future may have never been as bright as it is right now. Of the 12 players on the Ravens roster, all 12 will return for the 2011-2012 campaign. With the two players of the year, the improving Johnson/Saab combination, and the developing class of 2014, things could not get any better right? Wrong. How about adding a three year starter in the front court in Tori Aherns, and a possible player of the year candidate in Cynthia Gaudet. Both Aherns and Gaudet sat out the 2010-2011 season with injuries. Aherns adds another dominant rebounder, and low post threat to a front court, which already has dominance with White and tenacity with Girould. Gaudet, before the injury, was projected as the possible Northeast 10 Player of the Year. As the Ravens point guard from 2007-2010, Gaudet shoots the ball with effectiveness, and becomes the Ravens best decision maker as soon as she steps on the Field House court again. With most of the top Northeast 10 schools losing major players to graduation at seasons end, the Ravens will most likely be the favorite to win the conference.
If all falls in place, and the team develops the chemistry like years past, a National Championship may be coming to Franklin Pierce very soon.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Venue Review: Dana Center
Written by: Joseph Landini
High Heat Network
The Dana Athletic Center is the current home for Bentley University's basketball teams. Both the men and women's programs have held this home court since 1973. It is also the home of the woman's volleyball team. This court has seen many recent big time games, such as a nationally televised contest between two Division II rivals, Franklin Pierce and Bentley, to go along with being the host of the 2011 Northeast 10Conference Championships in basketball. For a Division II program, this basketball venue is as good as it gets. The stands are filled with all plastic blue bleachers, which go all around the court. When you walk in there is so much blue that it seems like you are in a wave. The arena itself holds over 3,400 people in max capacity. It also holds the college/professional feel in the sense that all the records and accolades in the athletic programs are in the rafters above. During the game in a high tense situation you could really think it was the home of a Division I program. The court and venue itself is not the only aspect to write home about. Right outside the court, Bentley University has put the athletic training facility (gym) which has state of the art equipment and a small food court for students and faculty as well. Bentley University has a lot of great fields, but the Dana Center itself may be the cream of the crop.
High Heat Network
The Dana Athletic Center is the current home for Bentley University's basketball teams. Both the men and women's programs have held this home court since 1973. It is also the home of the woman's volleyball team. This court has seen many recent big time games, such as a nationally televised contest between two Division II rivals, Franklin Pierce and Bentley, to go along with being the host of the 2011 Northeast 10Conference Championships in basketball. For a Division II program, this basketball venue is as good as it gets. The stands are filled with all plastic blue bleachers, which go all around the court. When you walk in there is so much blue that it seems like you are in a wave. The arena itself holds over 3,400 people in max capacity. It also holds the college/professional feel in the sense that all the records and accolades in the athletic programs are in the rafters above. During the game in a high tense situation you could really think it was the home of a Division I program. The court and venue itself is not the only aspect to write home about. Right outside the court, Bentley University has put the athletic training facility (gym) which has state of the art equipment and a small food court for students and faculty as well. Bentley University has a lot of great fields, but the Dana Center itself may be the cream of the crop.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Magic possible for the postseason in women's basketball
Written by: Joseph Landini
Pierce Arrow
It is winter postseason time again in Rindge, and that can only mean one thing. The women's basketball team is lacing up their sneakers and getting ready for the final stretch. With the number 13 nowhere to be found, the program will turn to the team-oriented game which they have relied on and succeeded with all year.
Coming from two big wins to rally themselves into the second seed in the Northeast-10 Tournament, the Ravens have their confidence back. After the setback against Saint Anselm on February 12, the Ravens put themselves into a tough position, being tied for second and behind Bentley by two games with two to go. The Ravens defeated nationally-ranked Bentley 90-87, to come within a game, but came up short as Bentley won their final game of the year. Franklin Pierce is slotted as the number two seed, and will await winners to see who they will host at the Field House on March 1 in the Quarterfinals.
The shining light and surprise of the year has been the fact that the freshman class has been nothing short of impressive. When recruits come in, no one really knows what they have got or how much they can take. This year's freshman group has lost big, won huge, and done the same in close situations. Brook Coderre originally started the year as a starting guard before becoming the lightening rod off the bench that the Ravens needed. One of the many perimeter threats the Ravens have, Coderre will be a major part of this possible postseason run. Brittany Martelle has gone from being the no-name player who played well against Uconn, to a major rotation player in the Ravens scheme. Martelle is as good as the rest at shooting the ball when she has confidence, which will be her key to success. Kate McDonald may be the most known coming into this year. She was the Ravens starting point guard for the entire year and has come into her own as of late. Her ability to be aggressive and then become the distributor in a matter of a play has really worked to her advantage. The freshman class will need to play well for the Ravens to stay in the postseason as long as possible.
Regardless of whom they play or what the underclassmen produce, the key factors and telling tale of the Ravens will be their two junior leaders, Marielle Giroud and Jewel White. Going into the final game against UMass-Lowell, Giroud came off her career game and was averaging 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Those statistics were second only to arguably the conference's best player Jewel White. White won the NE-10 Conference Player of the Week award more times than anyone else this year. She averaged 18.7 points and over 11 rebounds per contest. The two players have been the corner stone of this ball club all year, to the point where there were only three games where one of them did not lead the team in scoring. If they play well, the Ravens play well. Both also hold the experience card in their hands as they have been through the thick and thin of this team. White and Giroud were both part of the team during the two glorious recent elite eight runs, but also have been a part of the heartbreak of coming up just short of the trophy. The team's success lies in the hands of White and Giroud this postseason.
This is the first postseason run the Ravens will have to make without Johannah Leedham in a long time. The two-time player of the year and leading scorer in the history of the division has moved on, but her jersey is still in the Field House. This young team will need to rely on their team play, rather than letting Leedham go for over 30 a night. Leedham is gone, but the heart of the Ravens is still within the program. Magic is still possible for this program as the pieces are in place.
The Ravens basketball postseason will not be blessed with having the best player in the division in Johannah Leedham, but there is plenty of hope. With the accelerated progress of Martelle, Coderre, and McDonald, to go along with the experience and drive of Giroud and White, the Ravens have a chance to keep this successful program nothing short of magical.
Pierce Arrow
It is winter postseason time again in Rindge, and that can only mean one thing. The women's basketball team is lacing up their sneakers and getting ready for the final stretch. With the number 13 nowhere to be found, the program will turn to the team-oriented game which they have relied on and succeeded with all year.
Coming from two big wins to rally themselves into the second seed in the Northeast-10 Tournament, the Ravens have their confidence back. After the setback against Saint Anselm on February 12, the Ravens put themselves into a tough position, being tied for second and behind Bentley by two games with two to go. The Ravens defeated nationally-ranked Bentley 90-87, to come within a game, but came up short as Bentley won their final game of the year. Franklin Pierce is slotted as the number two seed, and will await winners to see who they will host at the Field House on March 1 in the Quarterfinals.
The shining light and surprise of the year has been the fact that the freshman class has been nothing short of impressive. When recruits come in, no one really knows what they have got or how much they can take. This year's freshman group has lost big, won huge, and done the same in close situations. Brook Coderre originally started the year as a starting guard before becoming the lightening rod off the bench that the Ravens needed. One of the many perimeter threats the Ravens have, Coderre will be a major part of this possible postseason run. Brittany Martelle has gone from being the no-name player who played well against Uconn, to a major rotation player in the Ravens scheme. Martelle is as good as the rest at shooting the ball when she has confidence, which will be her key to success. Kate McDonald may be the most known coming into this year. She was the Ravens starting point guard for the entire year and has come into her own as of late. Her ability to be aggressive and then become the distributor in a matter of a play has really worked to her advantage. The freshman class will need to play well for the Ravens to stay in the postseason as long as possible.
Regardless of whom they play or what the underclassmen produce, the key factors and telling tale of the Ravens will be their two junior leaders, Marielle Giroud and Jewel White. Going into the final game against UMass-Lowell, Giroud came off her career game and was averaging 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Those statistics were second only to arguably the conference's best player Jewel White. White won the NE-10 Conference Player of the Week award more times than anyone else this year. She averaged 18.7 points and over 11 rebounds per contest. The two players have been the corner stone of this ball club all year, to the point where there were only three games where one of them did not lead the team in scoring. If they play well, the Ravens play well. Both also hold the experience card in their hands as they have been through the thick and thin of this team. White and Giroud were both part of the team during the two glorious recent elite eight runs, but also have been a part of the heartbreak of coming up just short of the trophy. The team's success lies in the hands of White and Giroud this postseason.
This is the first postseason run the Ravens will have to make without Johannah Leedham in a long time. The two-time player of the year and leading scorer in the history of the division has moved on, but her jersey is still in the Field House. This young team will need to rely on their team play, rather than letting Leedham go for over 30 a night. Leedham is gone, but the heart of the Ravens is still within the program. Magic is still possible for this program as the pieces are in place.
The Ravens basketball postseason will not be blessed with having the best player in the division in Johannah Leedham, but there is plenty of hope. With the accelerated progress of Martelle, Coderre, and McDonald, to go along with the experience and drive of Giroud and White, the Ravens have a chance to keep this successful program nothing short of magical.
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