The Full-Court Press

GAMEDAY: Broncs face co-leaders Loyola

2012-02-02T22:33:00.002-05:00

Who: Rider (9-14, 6-5) at Loyola (16-5, 9-2)

When: Friday, 7 p.m., Reitz Arena, ESPNU, 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. Siena, 83-72; Loyola def. Canisius, 70-52.

Background: Loyola coach Jimmy Pastos called Rider the hottest team in the league.

While there are some that might disagree with that, the Broncs are playing much better ever since a poor start put them in catch-up mode.

They are 8-4 in their last 12 games and have won three straight.

“They have a great coach, in Tommy, who has been through the ringer,” said Pastos, who attributed a lot of Rider’s early season struggles to the graduation of Justin Robinson and Mike Ringgold. “He understands what really matters is the MAAC.”

With their victory over Siena last Sunday, the Broncs moved into fifth place in the conference. Loyola, at 9-2 in the league, is tied with Iona and Manhattan for first place.

The Greyhounds have won four in a row.

“Nobody in the league is playing harder,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey. “They are in first place because they’ve played with the most intensity. I feel liek they’re the one team that is maintaining a 40-minute, high-energy, high-intensity effort.”

Leading scorer Dylon Cormier (14.4 ppg) is dealing with an ankle injury and didn’t play in the Greyhounds’ win over Canisius. He played 11 minutes in the victory over Niagara.

Even if Cormier can’t go or is limited, Loyola still has offensive firepower in forwards Erik Etherly and Shane Walker. Etherly averages 13 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and Walker comes up with 9.1 and 6.2, respectively.

Rider won last season’s matchup in Baltimore, 82-70.

Dempsey said he’s not worried about conference tournament seeding just yet. Other than avoiding the bottom four — the Broncs are two games clear of seventh place — he’s only concerned with playing good basketball.

The rest will work itself out.

“Once the regular season championship is out of the mix — other than playing the first night — it almost doesn’t matter. What does it matter in a league that is as tight as ours if you’re playing Manhattan or Fairfield? If you’re going to have a chance to win it, you’re going to beat three good teams in three straight days.”

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Eddie Mitchell (Fr., 4.8 ppg), G-Jon Thompson (Jr., 6.9 ppg), F-Novar Gadson (Sr., 9.5 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 12.6 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (So., 12.3 ppg).
Loyola: G-Robert Olson (Jr., 11.1 ppg), G-R.J. Williams (Fr., 3.9 ppg), F-Erik Etherly (Jr., 13 ppg), F-Anthony Winbush (Jr., 2.9 ppg), F-Shane Walker (Sr., 9.1 ppg).

Eddie Mitchell starting to get comfortable in freshman season

2012-02-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE — When Eddie Mitchell signed with the Rider men’s basketball team, he knew there were big shoes to fill.

Justin Robinson, one of the best point guards in school history, graduated leaving a void the young Mitchell would have to step into whether he was ready or not.

It has taken a little while, but Mitchell is starting to figure out what it takes to play point guard at the collegiate level.

He had one of his best games in the win over Siena, finishing with six points, six assists and just one turnover.

“There were times where I felt like maybe I got it,” Mitchell said. “Then there were times where I’m like, ‘I’m not even close,’ so there have been ups and downs.”

But that’s usually the case with freshmen point guards.

“We put him in a tough spot where he has a lot of responsibilities as a freshman,” said coach Tommy Dempsey. “But that’s what he came here for — to be in this position.”

Mitchell was inserted into the starting lineup for the game at Florida and has started every contest since.

He’s averaging 4.8 points and 3.2 assists per game, respectively.

Over the last three games — all Rider wins — he has 17 assists.

“I always look for my teammates to get a shot first,” Mitchell said. “The number of shots I take doesn’t really matter. If we get a win and I get my teammates good shots, then I think I’ve done my job.”

In time, he will develop into the type of scorer he was in high school, where he averaged 16.2 points per game at La Salle in the Philadelphia Catholic League.

“I don’t need that right now,” Dempsey said. “I need him to take care of the ball, play good defense and get his teammates shots. He’ll become more of a scorer next year. Right now, he knows what we need from him and he’s focused on that.”

Mitchell said it took him some time to adjust to playing against bigger, more physical players.
He was also frustrated by the team’s slow start to the season.

“It was tough because I felt like I was a big part of the problem,” Mitchell said. “We needed a point guard and I wasn’t exactly ready when we needed me to be. I took a lot of that load on my shoulders. I feel as though if we had a good point guard, a lot of those losses would have been wins.”

But that’s behind both Mitchell and the Broncs now. They have won three in a row and grabbed sole possession of fifth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

“We’re coming together,” Mitchell said. “When we play as a team, the game’s easier and more fun.

It’s better than some people getting mad because we’re losing and trying to take the game over. We’re playing together from start to finish.”

Jones, Myles bring a spark

Senior Jeff Jones and sophomore Anthony Myles have formed quite a partnership off the bench.

Jones is Rider’s leading scorer at 13.3 points per game while Myles is averaging 9.9 per game.

“Our bench is good and our depth is really good,” Dempsey said. “That’s one of the things that help you through the long grind. Depth has been important to us and all the strong teams in the league have quality depth. Are we the best? That might be overstating it, but we definitely have some firepower off the bench and some bodies we can throw at you.”

Freshman forward Junior Fortunat has also emerged as a key contributor off the bench. He had 10 points in the win over Siena.

Jones, Myles and Fortunat combined to outscore the Saints’ bench 41-6 in that game.

Dempsey optimistic on Lindsey

Nurideen Lindsey, a transfer from St. John’s, began practicing with the team last week after he enrolled in school for the second semester. Second semester classes began on Jan. 23.

Lindsey, a sophomore, announced his decision to transfer from the Big East school in early December.
Rider is seeking a waiver that would allow him to become eligible at the beginning of his junior
season.

Dempsey said the school has not applied for the waiver and most likely won’t do so until after the season.

The coach said it’s not time sensitive.

He did say he was optimistic that the waiver will be granted once the school applies for it.

If the NCAA denies the waiver, Lindsey will have 1 1/2 years of eligibility remaining and can begin play next December.

TV time

Rider’s game on Feb. 24 against Loyola at Alumni Gymnasium will be broadcast on ESPN2, the MAAC announced Thursday.

Breaking down the BracketBusters

2012-01-31T10:50:00.001-05:00

ESPN announced the matchups for its 10th annual BracketBusters on Monday night, with only Iona from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference making a national TV appearance.

All games will be played the weekend of Feb. 17-19.

The MAAC went 9-1 in BracketBuster games last season.

Here's a rundown of how the MAAC BracketBusters shape up starting with Iona:

Nevada (18-3, 7-0 WAC) at Iona (17-5, -2): The Wolfpack have run off 15 in a row and are undefeated in the WAC. Tim Cluess, who signed a contract extension Monday, won't like the return trip his team has to make but can't complain about the quality of the opposition. Nevada is led by sophomore guard Deonte Burton, who averages 15.5 points per game. Of course, the Gaels don't lack any star power with Scott Machado, Lamont Jones and the MAAC's leading scorer Mike Glover (18.8 ppg). Neither has a marquee non-conference win but both have piled up the victories, although, Nevada would get a bigger boost from a win because of the cross-country travel.

Boston University (11-12, 7-2 America East) at Loyola (16-5, 9-2): Jimmy Pastos has every right to be angry that his team was bypassed for a national TV game. But he had to know Iona was the first choice from the MAAC because of its star power. The Greyhounds, though, do get a game against Boston U, which is in second place in the America East. Loyola will have to avoid getting caught sleeping without a TV audience. Senior guard Darryl Partin, a transfer from La Salle, leads the Terriers in scoring at 19.1 ppg.

UNC-Wilmington (8-17, 4-7 Colonial) at Manhattan (16-7, 9-2): Yet another MAAC squad that deserved better. Steve Masiello's Jaspers have been a pleasant surprise, still tied for first in the league, this late into the season. UNC-Wilmington made history earlier last week when Towson snapped its Division I record losing streak of 41 against the Seahawks.

Fairfield (11-10, 6-4) at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (14-9, 7-4 Horizon): Easily the worst trip for the MAAC. Sydney Johnson's underachieving Stags going to the Midwest to face a capable Milwaukee team. These matchups are the ones that concern you. A lot of travel, meaningless game, opponent you know nothing about. That equation adds up to a blowout loss.

Rider (9-14, 6-5) at Albany (14-9 6-3): There were closer options for the Broncs, but it's not the worst trip in the world, and this looks like a pretty competitive matchup. The Great Danes have an excellent scorer in junior guard Gerardo Suero (21.1 ppg) and two very good complimentary pieces with Logan Aronhalt (15.7 ppg) and Mike Black (13.3 ppg) both averaging in double figures. Rider is 8-4 since making its worst start to a season in 68 years after opening 1-10.

Siena (10-11, 5-6) at Hofstra (7-16, 1-10 Colonial): Can anyone believe the Pride beat Iona this year? Leading scorer Mike Moore averages 19.3 points per game but he's no Charles Jenkins. Hofstra's going to have a difficult time with the toughness of OD Anosike, the nation's leading rebounder with 12.9 per game, and quickness of freshman guard Evan Hymes (14.2 ppg).

Niagara (9-14, 4-7) at Vermont (13-10, 7-2 America East): The Purple Eagles are led by a pair of freshmen guards -- Juan'ya Green and Antoine Mason -- that combine for 32.6 points per night. Those two might be taking their lumps this season, but Niagara will be better for it in the future. The Catamounts are traditionally one of the better teams in the America East.

Hartford (4-17, 4-5 America East) at St. Peter's (4-18, 3-8): Hard to get excited about these matchups that feature the bottom of the conference barrel. You have to feel for St. Peter's, though, having fallen so far after winning the MAAC tournament championship last year. The Peacocks lost four starters from that team and were always going to struggle, but John Dunne had to expect more than four wins from his team.

Marist (7-14, 2-8) at Maine (10-10, 4-5 America East): Gerlad McLemore averages 17.1 points per game and could pose a problem for the Red Foxes, who make the trip north.

UMBC (3-17, 2-6 America East) at Canisius (4-17, 1-10): The Griffs already beat the America East's worst team, Binghamton, so now they get a shot at UMBC, which is only slightly better. Too bad the Retrievers have to go from Baltimore to Buffalo. Here's hoping the snow lets them get out.

Broncs face UAlbany in BracketBuster

2012-01-30T20:33:00.001-05:00

The Rider men’s basketball team will face the University of Albany in its BracketBuster matchup.

The game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at Albany’s SEFCU Arena.

“Facing Albany will be a real test for us,” said coach Tommy Dempsey. “We look forward to the challenge.”

The Great Danes (14-9, 6-3 America East) are a perfect 8-0 at home this year. They are in fourth place in the nine-team America East.

Rider (9-14, 6-5 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) has won three in a row and are in fifth place in the MAAC.

This will be the first meeting between the schools.

Albany is led by junior guard Gerardo Suero, who averages 21.1 points per game. Classmate Logan Aronhalt (15.3 ppg) and sophomore Mike Black (13.3 ppg) also score in double figures.

The Great Danes do not have a senior on the roster.

This is the third America East opponent this season for the Broncs. They beat UMBC in overtime and lost to Stony Brook by 17.

Rider is 8-4 since opening the season 1-10 — its worst start in 68 years.

The Broncs have won three of their last four BracketBusters, defeating Delaware last season, UMBC (2009) and Cal Sate Northridge (2008). They lost to Hofstra in 2010.

Other MAAC matchups include Iona (17-5, 9-2) hosting Nevada (18-3, 7-0 WAC), who has won 15 in a row. The game will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2 at 4 p.m. on Saturday Feb. 18. The Gaels and coach Tim Cluess agreed to a multi-year contract extension Monday that will keep him in New Rochelle through the 2017 season.

Loyola (16-5, 9-2) hosts Boston University (11-12, 7-2 American East), Fairfield (11-10, 6-4) travels to Wisconsin-Milwaukee (14-9, 7-4 Horizon), Manhattan (16-7, 9-2) welcomes UNC-Wilmington (8-13, 4-7 Colonial Athletic), Siena (10-11, 5-6) treks to Hofstra (7-6, 1-10 Colonial Athletic), Canisius (4-17, 1-10) entertains UMBC (3-17, 2-6 America East), Marist (7-14, 2-8) heads to Maine (10-10, 4-5 America East), Niagara (9-14, 4-7) opens its doors to Vermont (13-10, 7-2 American East) and St. Peter’s (4-18, 3-7) tangles with Hartford (4-17, 4-5 America East) in Jersey City.

More analysis on MAAC matchups to come later:

MAAC Monday (Jan. 30)

2012-01-30T12:23:00.003-05:00

-- Happy Monday! The top three all held serve to remain tied at the league summit but that will change this week. Iona travels to Manhattan on Saturday trying to avenge a loss from a game in which it held a 17-point second half lead. Look out for BracketBusters, which are announced tonight at 6:30 on ESPNU. Expect both Iona and Loyola to find themselves in high-profile games. Now without further ado, around the MAAC we go:

Standings:

1. Iona (17-5, 9-2): Last week -- lost to Siena, 65-62; def. Fairfield, 71-62; def. St. Peter's, 64-40. This week -- Feb. 2 vs. Canisius; Feb. 4 at Manhattan. *Iona has head-to-head win over Loyola

1. Loyola (16-5, 9-2): Last week -- def. Niagara, 69-57; def. Canisius, 70-52. This week -- Feb. 3 vs. Rider; Feb 5 at St. Peter's. *Loyola has head-to-head win over Manhattan

1. Manhattan (16-7, 9-2): Last week -- def. Canisius, 78-66; def. Niagara, 87-70. This week -- Feb. 2 vs. Marist; Feb. 4 vs. Iona. *Manhattan has head-to-head win over Iona

4. Fairfield (11-10, 6-4): Last week -- lost to Iona, 71-62; def. Marist, 81-53. This week -- Feb. 3 vs. Niagara; Feb. 5 vs. Siena.

5. Rider (9-14, 6-5): Last week -- def. St. Peter's, 90-55; def. Siena, 83-72. This week -- Feb. 3 at Loyola; Feb. 5 vs. Niagara.

6. Siena (10-11, 5-6): Last week -- def. Iona, 65-62; def. Marist, 66-55; lost to Rider, 83-72. This week -- Feb. 3 vs. St. Peter's; Feb. 5 at Fairfield.

7. Niagara (9-14, 4-7): Last week -- lost to Loyola, 69-57; lost to Manhattan, 87-70. This week -- Feb. 3 at Fairfield; Feb. 5 at Rider.

8. St. Peter's (4-18, 3-8): Last week -- lost to Rider, 90-55; lost to Iona, 64-40. This week -- Feb. 3 at Siena; Feb. 5 vs. Loyola.

9. Marist (7-14, 2-8): Last week -- lost to Siena, 66-55; lost to Fairfield, 81-53. This week -- Feb. 2 at Manhattan; Feb. 4 vs. Canisius.

10. Canisius (4-17, 1-10): Last week -- lost to Manhattan, 78-66; lost to Loyola, 70-52. This week -- Feb. 2 at Iona; Feb. 4 at Marist.

News and Notes:

Manhattan has won seven in a row, with the last of those seven coming in a game where leading scorer George Beamon went 2 of 15. That says a lot about Steve Masiello's squad that it's able to win a game on the road when its leading scorer has an off day. By the way, Beamon had 33 in the Jaspers' win over Canisius. Beamon is having an all-league season.
Before the season, everyone would have circled the Iona/Fairfield matchups on their calendars, but one of those two teams hasn't lived up to its lofty billing. The Stags, of course, have scuffled under first-year coach Sydney Johnson despite being a side oozing with talent. Those two met for the first time last week and Iona opened up a big first-half lead then held on when Fairfield did make a run. While the Stags have struggled, it's still hard to imagine they won't have some say as to who wins the league's automatic NCAA berth when everybody arrives in Springfield.
Love the toughness that OD Anosike brings to Siena. He's long and strong and would be a handful for anybody in the country. He extended his double-double streak to 17 straight with 22 points and 16 rebounds in the loss to Rider. That streak tied Tim Duncan for the second longest in Division I in the last 15 years.
Behind the inside-out combo of Dylon Cormier (14.5 ppg) and Erik Etherly (13 ppg) Loyola has won seven of its last eight. At 16-5 you have to wonder if the Grehounds wish they could have that season-opening loss to Wake Forest back. Jimmy Pastos' side's profile probably isn't strong enough to merit at-large consideration but that shouldn't take away from the season its had thus far.
Keep an eye on Rider. Since starting the year 1-10, the Broncs are 8-4 and finally won a close game in the MAAC. Of their six league wins, they had 20-plus point leads in five of them.
Probably safe to say St. Peter's, Marist and Canisius will occupy the bottom three slots in the conference while Rider, Siena and Niagara battle to avoid having to play on the MAAC tournament's opening night.
Quick update: Tim Cluess has signed a multi-year extension that will keep him in New Rochelle through 2017, the school announced today.

Looking at Iona's NCAA profile (numbers according to statsheet.com):

17-5 overall, 9-2 conference
RPI: 58, SOS: 165
Quality wins (RPI Top 100): St. Joseph's (53), Loyola (86), Maryland (100).
Bad losses (RPI 150 or higher): Hofstra (245), Siena (187).
It's looking more likely that the Gaels are going to have to win the conference tournament to secure an NCAA bid. There's nothing sexy about the names they have beaten -- the season-opening loss to Purdue in Puerto Rico could loom large -- although there should be a chance for another quality win once the BracketBusters are announced tonight. If Iona could finish the regular season 15-3 in the league (very possible) and reach the conference tournament championship game that would put it at 26-6 overall (including a win in BracketBusters) before playing that game. The large quantity of wins could then play a factor. Also have to wonder if the allure of having Scott Machado, Mike Glover and Lamont Jones will have any sway on the selection committee. Stuff like that's not supposed to, but you just never know.

Rider earns tough win, avoids season sweep against Siena

2012-01-29T21:14:00.005-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE — The last thing Rider men’s basketball coach Tommy Dempsey wrote on the board before his team took the court Sunday afternoon was its motto:

No sweeps.

Having already avoided a season sweep twice, the Broncs made it a third Sunday with an 83-72 victory over Siena at Alumni Gymnasium.

“Every time someone beats us we always talk about that.” Dempsey said. “Sweeps in the league really hurt you. You don’t want anyone to think they have a mental edge on you as you go into a tournament setting.”

Dempsey’s team hasn’t been swept since Siena and Iona did the double over it in the 2009-10 season.

Rider won its third straight, improving to 9-14 overall and 6-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and moved into sole possession of fifth place. Siena fell to 10-11 and 5-6 in the league.

Jeff Jones came off the bench to lead five Broncs in double figures with 18 points. The Rider bench outscored Siena’s 41-6.

Anthony Myles (13 points) and Junior Fortunat (10 points) combined for the rest of the bench points. Brandon Penn also added 12 points and Novar Gadson finished with 11.

“The two key guys are Myles and Jones off the bench,” said Siena coach Mitch Buonaguro. “I thought they played better when those two guys came in.”

Jones had his second straight impressive game following a suspension for a violation of team rules that kept him out of the win over Canisius.

His 3-pointer from the right corner with 7:26 remaining gave Rider a 60-57 lead it never relinquished.
The Saints, who trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, outscored the Broncs 23-10 over the opening 7:11 of the second half to grab a five-point lead.

Evan Hymes scored nine of his 17 points during the stretch, capped by a Brandon Walters dunk.

After a 3-pointer by Gadson made it 50-48, Jones put Rider ahead with another 3. That set the game on a seesaw. The lead changed hands eight times over the next three minutes until Jones put the Broncs up 60-57 with the fourth of his five 3-pointers.

“We just tried to stay together as a unit,” said Myles, whose eight points in the final 7:26 played an important role in closing the game. “We focused on the goal. That was winning the game.”

Myles also shook off a hard hit from Siena’s OD Anosike that left him with a bloody nose.

“He leveled me in the air,” Myles said. “It’s all about having a tough mindset. I knew what my team needed and I made the free throws.”

Those free throws — Rider hit 12 of its last 14 from the line — pushed the Broncs ahead 71-64.

Myles had thrown down an alley-oop and Jones hit a 3-pointer just prior to that, giving the Broncs some margin for error.

The physical play personified the game. The teams were nearly even on the boards with Rider grabbing 37 rebounds to Siena’s 36. The Broncs had 10 offensive boards while the Saints had 11.

Anosike finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds, his 17th consecutive double-double, tying Tim Duncan for the second longest streak in Division I in the last 15 years.

“I heard Kevin Garnett say this the other day in an interview, but today was a bar fight,” Jones said. “I think each win is a must-win. I think everybody has bought in to do what they need to do.”

“I’m not sure if the younger guys on our team understand how important every MAAC game is at this point of the year,” Anosike said. “Every game is going to be a war. Just Marist, who is at the bottom of the standings, gave us a battle the other day. Every game is going to be a war and we have to be fully prepared for every single game in order to get a win. Rider was a game where we were up like 30 (at home) and we came down here and they beat us.”

Avoiding yet another sweep in the process.

“This was a hard-fought one tonight,” Dempsey said. “It was pretty much anybody’s through most of the game, but we kept plugging away. We made some big shots, got some big rebounds and got it to the finish line.”

NOTES: Both Dempsey, Buonaguro and their staffs wore sneakers as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer weekend. … Siena opened the game 1 for 12 from the field and 0 for 8 on 3-pointers. It finished 8 of 28 from behind the arc. … The Broncs outscored the Saints 30-28 in the paint. Siena won the battle in the paint in the first matchup, 38-30.

GAMEDAY: Rider, Siena hook up in key MAAC game

2012-01-28T22:13:00.000-05:00

Who: Siena (10-10, 5-5) at Rider (8-14, 5-5)

When: Sunday, Alumni Gymnasium, 2 p.m., 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. St. Peter’s, 90-55; Siena def. Marist, 66-55.

Background: Tommy Dempsey briefly sat his team down after Siena rallied to beat Iona last Monday and delivered a simple message.

“Keep pushing,” Dempsey told his team, “because you win this regular season championship and you win this conference championship on the floor.”

Rider came out and beat St. Peter’s by 35 points, setting up the biggest game to date Sunday afternoon against Siena.

The Broncs and Saints are tied for fifth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at 5-5. Siena holds the tiebreaker after an 83-79 in Albany on Jan. 12.

But that score is deceiving because the Saints held a 22-point lead midway through the second half, and although Rider made a run, Dempsey knows his team was second-best all night.

“They took it to us, regardless of the final score, we got dominated up there,” he said referring to the first meeting. “We made a run at them, but they really put one on us.”

OD Anosike, who leads the nation in rebounding and has 16 straight games with a double-double, had 23 points and 14 rebounds in that game while freshman Evan Hymes finished with 20.

Dempsey said they have to be more physical with Anosike but a big problem from the first game was the easy baskets Siena was able to get.

A lot has also been made of the Saints primarily using six players, but Dempsey isn’t buying into that.

“It’s a nice story, the six guys, and they are undermanned, no question about that, but I think the focus is on playing good basketball,” he said. “Too many people are taking the approach, ‘you have to do this, you have to that.’ You have to play your brand of basketball better than they paly their brand of basketball.”

Siena’s won five of its last seven (two straight) while Rider has also won two in a row. The Broncs, playing their third consecutive game at home, have five of their remaining eight league games at Alumni Gym.

Both teams are a 1/2 game behind fourth-place Fairfield. Iona, Manhattan and Loyola (all 8-2) are in a three-way tie for first.

But Rider’s business at hand Sunday is all that’s on Dempsey’s mind.

“You don’t want to get swept, especially by a team you’re competing against,” he said. “This is probably the biggest game we’ve had so far. We’re going to be ready.”

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Eddie Mitchell (Fr., 4.8 ppg), G-Jon Thompson (Jr., 7 ppg), F-Novar Gadson (Sr., 9.4 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 12.6 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (So., 12.5 ppg).
Siena: G-Evan Hymes (Fr., 14.1 ppg), G-Kyle Downey (Sr., 12.7 ppg), F-Owen Wignot (Sr., 5.7 ppg), F-Brandon Walters (Sr., 6.1 ppg), F-OD Anosike (Jr., 15.2 ppg).

Fortunat making strides

2012-01-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE — The plan for Rider men’s basketball coach Tommy Dempsey was always to ease Junior Fortunat in slowly.

It just took a little longer than expected to get him acclimated to the pace and physicality of the college game.

Fortunat, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward, missed the first nine games of the season while he waited for the NCAA to sort out his eligibility. Because he is an international player — from Quebec — sometimes the process of takes a little longer.

Dempsey played Fortunat 18 and 22 minutes, respectively, in his first two games but pulled back the reigns in the next seven. He averaged just more than seven minutes per game during that stretch.

But Dempsey also knows for his team to improve, Fortunat has to have a role. He’s strong and physical and gives the Broncs a presence inside that they’ve lacked for much of the year.

“I just feel good because in practice the coaches really push me to my limit,” Fortunat said. “They give me confidence. I just listen to the coach and as I listen to the coach, I realize I’m doing a better job on the court. By listening and watching film, it really helped me out.”

Over the last four games, Fortunat is averaging a shade less than 17 minutes per contest. He was active Thursday night in the win over St. Peter’s, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds in 16 minutes. He was also 4 of 4 from the field.

“Each game he’s got better,” Dempsey said.

The coach can also see his teammates starting to trust him more.

“As he gets more confidence, the team starts to trust that you can throw it in to this guy and he can score,” Dempsey said. “He’s delivering. I think the trust is building in his teammates and I think the confidence is brewing in him.”

If Rider (8-14, 5-5), which sits in a fifth-place tie with Siena in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, is going to be a factor in the last nine games (eight in conference), Fortunat has to continue to play a part.

“It’s one of those things where everyone wants it to happen so fast because he’s a talented kid,” Dempsey said. “It’s a learning process and a growing process. He’s going to have a great career here, but it’s not going to be tomorrow. We do know if we’re going to be the type of team we hope to be by the time we get to Springfield, he’s going to be a big part of it.”

To his credit, Fortunat seems to understand that. He talks about how he tries to absorb everything the coaches tell him.

His numbers aren’t great — 3.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game — but that’s not what this season is about for Fortunat.

His freshman season will ultimately be judged by his performance in these final nine games of the regular season and the time the Broncs spend at the conference tournament.

“(The coaches) push me every day in practice,” Fortunat said. “I’m starting to feel much better playing college basketball.”

Jones bounces back to help Rider pound St. Peter's

2012-01-27T10:18:00.004-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE — The sailing hasn’t always been smooth this season for Rider men’s basketball guard Jeff Jones.

There were high expectations placed on the senior’s shoulders. He was an All-League Third Team selection before even playing a game in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Then again, that’s what’s expected when you score over 500 points at an ACC school in the first three years of your career.

But a month in the season, one that began 1-10 for the Broncs, Jones found himself yanked from the starting lineup and being asked to provide a spark off the bench.

He’s done that in spurts, averaging 12.8 points per game, but not enough for a team that was picked to finish fourth in the league’s preseason poll.

It all came to a boil when he was suspended for the win over Canisius for a violation of team rules.

But Jones worked that issue out over the last few days of practice and had coach Tommy Dempsey predicting a big game from the team’s second leading scorer.

Jones delivered with a game-high 19 points to help Rider crush St. Peter’s, 90-55, Thursday night at Alumni Gymnasium and move into fifth place in the MAAC, a 1/2 game ahead of Niagara and Siena, who visits Lawrenceville Sunday.

“It shows a good sign of his character and where he’s at in this thing,” Dempsey said. “I told my staff, I thought he would step up tonight, and he delivered.”

For his part, Jones said he was just trying to do the little things. He finished 6 of 11 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free throw line.

“Whatever it takes,” he said when asked about bringing a lift off the bench. “In order to win, you have to put the little things aside to get the team to the ultimate goal. That’s a MAAC Championship. Whatever we have to do, I’m in for it.”

The Broncs (8-14, 5-5) will need to finish this three-game homestand strong. They have won two straight, both by 20-plus points after dropping three in a row.

“We thought it was crucial to get all three legs of (the homestand),” Dempsey said. “We got one, now we’ve got two and we have to go get the third one. This is the biggest one because (Siena) has already beaten us.”

Rider jumped out to a quick lead after Novar Gadson scored its first seven points and never looked back. It finished the first half on a 9-2 run to take a 35-24 advantage into the break.

The second half was all Broncs.

A 12-0 run, with five points by Jones, broke open an 11-point game. When Jon Thompson’s fastbreak dunk capped the spurt with 13:23 remaining, the lead was 23-points.

The Broncs were adept at getting out in transition Thursday night. They had 16 fastbreak points and 23 off St. Peter’s turnovers.

Yvon Raymond led the Peacocks (4-17, 3-7) with 13 points. SPC has lost six of its last seven, struggling to replace the four starters it lost from last season’s MAAC Tournament championship team.

Gadson finished with 13 points, Anthony Myles had 12 and Eddie Mitchell 10. Rider also got an active performance from freshman forward Junior Fortunat, who chipped in eight points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.

Jones had 15 of his 19 points in the second half.

“We’ve seen it all,” Jones said. “We were together when we were losing. And now we’re together when we’re winning. Through it all, the coaches, they came to practice everyday not hanging their heads and coached us hard. We’re going to continue to do that.”

NOTES: Senior guard Kevin Noon scored his first career points when he banked home a 3-pointer for Rider’s final three points of the night. Noon was a team manager for his first three years before Dempsey decided to let him dress this season. … Gadson moved past Jack Madden into 15th place on the school’s all-time scoring list. He has 1,350 career points. … Trenton native and Trenton Catholic product Markese Tucker finished with eight points in 24 minutes for St. Peter’s.

Rider trying to stay afloat in wacky MAAC against St. Peter's

2012-01-26T11:06:00.000-05:00

Who: St. Peter’s (4-16, 3-6) at Rider (7-14, 4-5)

When: Thursday, Alumni Gymnasium, 7 p.m., ESPN3.com, 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. Canisius, 89-65; St. Peter’s lost to Loyola, 65-54.

Background: At the halfway point of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule, the league is wide open.

There is a three-way tie at the top following Iona’s 65-62 loss at Siena Monday night. The Gaels blew a 10-point halftime lead and are even at 7-2 with Manhattan and Loyola at the MAAC summit.

But here’s where it gets fun for the final nine games of the season: Manhattan has beat Iona, who has a victory over Loyola, who knocked off Manhattan.

Then there is underachieving Fairfield, sitting at 5-3, 1.5 games behind the leaders but with a game in hand.

Rider, which plays six of its final nine league games at home, is in a three-way tie for fifth with Siena and Niagara. The aim for the Broncs is to avoid falling into the bottom four. The top six teams get an opening-night bye at the conference tournament while squads 7-10 have to play on that first night.

Rider is coming off a 24-point win against last-place Canisius and should like its chances to pull to .500 in league play with struggling St. Peter’s visiting.

The Broncs already have a win over the Peacocks, 72-58, in Jersey City earlier this month. SPC closed within a point with just over 11 minutes remaining, but Rider finished the game on a 23-10 run.
The Peacocks, MAAC tournament champions a year ago, have struggled to replace four starters from that team. Wes Jenkins, Jeron Belin, Ryan Bacon and Nick Leon are all gone.

They’ve lost four of five after snapping an eight-game skid with a win over Canisius. Two of the Peacocks’ three conference wins have come against the Griffs. The other, over Siena, came on Dec. 1.

Junior Chris Prescott is their top scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game. Freshman Lamin Fulton, a high school teammate of Rider forward Danny Stewart, had 19 points in the first meeting for SPC.

The Broncs, who will have to be careful not to get caught looking ahead, face Siena Sunday in a key clash that will go toward tournament positioning. The Saints held on for an 83-79 victory in the first matchup.

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Eddie Michell (Fr., 4.5 ppg), G-Jon Thompson (Jr., 7 ppg), F-Novar Gadson (Sr., 9.2 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 12.9 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (Sr., 12.9 ppg).

St. Peter’s: G-Lamin Fulton (Fr., 9.9 ppg), Chris Prescott (Jr., 12.3 ppg), G-Chris Burke (So., 5.8 ppg), F-Darius Conely (Jr., 11.4 ppg), F-Markese Tucker (Fr., 6.5 ppg).

MAAC Monday (Jan. 23)

2012-01-23T13:21:00.001-05:00

-- Happy Monday to all. We'll take a look at news and notes from around the MAAC in a moment but first condolences to Marist College and the families of those that lost their lives in the off-campus fire Saturday. The school postponed Sunday's men's game against Fairfield and Monday's women's game against St. Peter's.

First some Rider news to pass along: The school officially announced the transfer of Nurideen Lindsey from St. John's today. Lindsey is enrolled in the school for the second semester, which began today. He can also begin practicing with the team today.

The school will apply for a waiver that would allow Lindsey, a sophomore, to play immediately as a junior next season. If that waiver is denied, Lindsey would have 1 1/2 years of eligibility remaining and would be able to begin play with the Broncs in December.

Lindsey appeared in nine games -- all starts -- for the Red Storm, averaging 11.8 points per game before announcing his decision to transfer in December.

Just one game on tonight's docket. It's league-leaders Iona (15-4, 7-1) traveling to Siena (8-10, 3-5) with the Saints try to avenge a 36-point loss to the Gaels earlier this month. Iona's Sean Armand made a conference and school-record 10 3-pointers in that game, including scoring the final 20 points of the first half. Iona made 17 3-pointers in that game.

Siena responded by winning three straight league games but has dropped its last two coming into tonight's game. The Saints only play six players so you have to wonder if their lack of depth is starting to catch up with them.

MAAC Standings as of Jan. 23:

1. Iona (15-4, 7-1): Last week -- def. Rider, 91-71. This week -- Jan. 23 at Siena; Jan. 27 at Fairfield; Jan. 29 at St. Peter's.

2. Loyola (14-5, 7-2): Last week -- def. Siena, 66-55; def. St. Peter's, 65-54. This week -- Jan. 27 at Niagara; Jan. 29 at Canisius. *Loyola has head-to-head win over Manhattan.

2. Manhattan (14-7, 7-2): Last week -- def. Marist, 61-44; def. Niagara, 71-64. This week -- Jan. 27 at Canisius; Jan. 29 at Niagara.

4. Fairfield (10-9, 5-3): Last week -- def. Rider, 61-52; def. St. Peter's, 75-63. This week -- Jan. 27 vs. Iona; Jan. 29 vs. Marist.

5. Niagara (9-12, 4-5): Last week -- def. Canisius, 75-56; lost to Manhattan, 71-64; This week -- Jan. 27 vs. Loyola; Jan. 29 vs. Manhattan.

5. Rider (7-14, 4-5): Last week -- lost to Fairfield, 61-52; def. Canisius, 89-65. This week -- Jan. 26 vs. St. Peter's; Jan. 29 vs. Siena.

7. Siena (8-10, 3-5): Last week -- lost to Loyola, 66-55. This week -- Jan. 23 vs. Iona; Jan. 27 vs. Marist; Jan. 29 at Rider.

8. St. Peter's (4-16, 3-6): Last week -- lost to Fairfield, 75-63; lost to Loyola, 65-54. This week -- Jan. 26 at Rider; Jan. 29 vs. Iona.

9. Marist (7-12, 2-6): Last week -- lost to Manhattan, 61-44. This week -- Jan. 27 at Siena; Jan. 29 at Fairfield.

10. Canisius (4-15, 1-8): Last week -- lost to Niagara, 75-56; lost to Rider, 89-65. This week: Jan. 27 vs. Manhattan; Jan. 28 vs. Canisius.

News and Notes:

Scott Machado is the best point guard in the country. He had 15 assists against Rider and leads the country in assists per game with 10.6. Last week he was named to the Midseason Wooden Award Top 25. He probably won't end up as one of the finalists for the award, but being on the Midseason Top 25 is nice recognition for what he's accomplished.
Five wins in a row for Steve Masiello's Manhattan has the Jaspers keeping the pressure on Iona atop the league. Remember, Manhattan already has a win over the Gaels when it rallied from 17-down to win on Emmy Andujar's buzzer-beater. George Beamon (17.2 ppg) is fourth in the league in scoring.
Loyola has won five of its last six with the lone loss coming against Iona. The Grehounds are also 7-2 in the league, tied with Manhattan. They have a head-to-head win over the Jaspers. Sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (15.3 ppg) has stepped up to become one of the league's best guards.
Maybe Fairfield is finally finding its groove. The Stags have bounced back from three straight losses with a pair of wins over Rider and St. Peter's, respectively. This week marks the first of the Fairfield-Iona matchups that were expected to determine the league's regular season champion.
Brandon Penn has scored 173 points in Rider's last 10 games (17.3 ppg). Other teams are starting to take notice of him and trying find ways to limit his shots. Penn's 44.6 percent from behind the arc is second in the conference to Sean Armand (48.9 percent). He deserves to end up on All-League team somewhere.
Canisius is really struggling. The Griffs shot 6 for 32 in the first half against Rider to dig themselves a 21-point halftime hole. Right now they look doomed to finish last in the MAAC. Tom Parrotta has to feel his seat getting hot.
Have to wonder if Siena's lack of depth is catching up with it. OD Anosike -- the nation's leading rebounder (12.6 per game) -- and fantastic freshman Evan Hymes have kept the Saints afloat but two straight losses and a date with Iona (who beat them by 36 in the first meeting) tonight has to make you wonder if Siena is due for a real struggle in the second half of the MAAC season.

MAAC Awards at halfway point:

All-League First Team: G-Scott Machado (Iona), G-George Beamon (Manhattan), F-Rakim Sanders (Fairfield), F-OD Anosike (Siena), F-Mike Glover (Iona).
Coach of the Year: Steve Masiello (Manhatan) -- The Jaspers only won six games a year ago and Masiello has worked a near miracle to have them at 14-7 and 7-2 in the MAAC. Jimmy Pastos and Tim Cluess rank right behind him.
Rookie of the Year: Juan'ya Green (Niagara) -- His 17.4 points per game are second in the conference. He's a big reason why the Purple Eagles are an improved team from a year ago. Siena's Evan Hymes has closed the gap and should also be considered.
Player of the Year: Scott Machado (Iona) -- Glover, the Preseason Player of the Year, leads the league in scoring but Machado is the real difference maker. He's the engine that drives the Gaels and gets all the other players open shots.

Broncs return home with win over Canisius

2012-01-22T22:51:00.001-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE – Following a four-game road trip and a stretch of eight out of nine away from Alumni Gymnasium, the Rider men’s basketball team was happy to be home.

So happy that it began a string of seven out of 11 to finish the season in Lawrenceville with an 89-65 thrashing of Canisius Sunday afternoon.

“I felt (being home) gave us a boost,” said coach Tommy Dempsey, whose team has played at home just once since Dec. 14. “My message to the team was just because we were home, it doesn’t guarantee success. But I felt like we were ready. If we played with energy, there was a good chance we would win today.”

Brandon Penn scored 25 points and Novar Gadson had 22 to lead the Broncs, who snapped a three-game losing streak, improving to 7-14 overall and 4-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Rider moved into a fifth-place tie with Niagara, who lost at Manhattan Sunday, while Canisuis (4-15, 1-8) remained in last place.

“Today was so important,” Dempsey said. “I know the schedule, but instead of looking at it as a block, I was focused on today. Today was a must and I think everybody in our locker room knew that.”

The Broncs got off to a 10-0 start and never trailed. Penn and Gadson scored 13 points each in the opening 20 minutes to help Rider build a comfortable 16-point lead with three minutes left until halftime.

The Griffs shot 6 for 32 in the first half and the MAAC’s third leading scorer, Harold Washington, was held to two points on 1 of 5 from the field.

While Canisius couldn’t find the basket, Rider shot 48 percent and got to the free throw line 16 times (making 15). Anthony Myles converted a layup just before time expired in the first half to give the Broncs a 43-22 advantage.

The second half was more of the same.

Gabby Belardo pulled the Griffs within 13 when he connected on a 3-pointer with 13:37 remaining, but Gadson scored four of Rider’s next six points to spark a 20-3 run that Penn punctuated with a 3-pointer at the 5:35 mark.

Penn has scored 173 points over the last 10 games, an average of 17.3 per contest.

“I just got some good looks,” said Penn, who was 7 of 15 from the floor with all seven makes coming from behind the arc. “I just wanted to make sure I made open shots and that I wasn’t taking tough shots.”

For Dempsey, he’s almost automatic right now.

“For a long period here, if he gets an open look, it’s going in,” Dempsey said. “Other teams are conscious of where he is. He has to stay patient because he’s a scorer, and I don’t know if he’s been in a position since his high school career when teams are coming out and trying to limit his shots.”

Gadson’s been an enigma this year. He’s struggled to come off knee surgery and has been ineffective for long stretches this season.

But Sunday he was active, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out four assists to go with his season-high 22 points.

“I’m not playing with enough intensity,” Gadson said. “If we are going to go far, I’m going to have to be a big part of it. I have to be a senior because you don’t get to do it again.”

A little home cooking can always help.

“It felt good to have the crowd back on your side,” Penn said. “I’m glad everybody showed up and was ready to play.”

NOTES: Rider senior guard Jeff Jones did not play (violation of team rules). … Canisius is 1-14 all-time at Alumni Gym. Its lone win came last season. … Harold Washington finished with 22 points to lead the Griffs after scoring two in the first half. He shot 8 for 10 in the second half. …. Rider freshman Emerson Bursis scored his first career points with a jumper late in the second half. Bursis is a walk-on from Scotrun, Pa.

Rider assistant coach Ben Luber, a Penn State alum, reflects on Joe Paterno

2012-01-22T22:49:00.001-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE – Ben Luber remembers his first meeting with Joe Paterno like it was yesterday.

Luber, now an assistant coach with the Rider men’s basketball team, was on his official visit to Penn State when Paterno checked him into a wall and gave him some advice.

“You have to toughen up to play in this league,” Luber said Sunday recalling Paterno’s message.

The legendary Penn State coach died Sunday morning at the age of 85 following a battle with lung cancer.

“He was an intense guy. A rugged New Yorker,” Luber said. “It was a great experience meeting Joe Paterno. Everyone has their own story.”

Luber did just fine in State College. He finished in the school’s top 10 in assists and steals before graduating in 2007 and joining the staff at Rider as Director of Basketball Operations.

Luber said he will remember Paterno for all the good he did at Penn State.

“I think the media has focused so much on Joe Paterno over the last few months as that controversy went on that I hope people can rewind and look back at what he’s really done for the University,” Luber said. “How much money he’s given back to education there, how he’s built that University up and touching so many lives in the process. It’s a big loss for Penn State.”

Luber said he’s not in a position to pass judgment on Paterno’s legacy because he doesn’t know what happened.

Nor does he really want to know.

“All I know is that he was a great teacher, and coming from a coach, I can respect what he has done for the football program and the University,” he said. “He’s touched a lot of people in a positive way.
That’s what I know for a fact.”

Luber graduated from Council Rock North High School in 2003 before attending Penn State on a basketball scholarship. Although he wasn’t a Nittany Lion football fan growing up, and was the first Penn Stater in his family, it didn’t take him long to see how larger than life Paterno was.

Luber recalled different buildings bearing his name and a sub shop that was named after him.

“He’s made his mark on so many different areas,” Luber said. “Larger-than-life in an understatement when you go to Penn State. It’s Paternoville up there. It’s a big loss for that University.”

One felt by so many generations of Penn State graduates.

“I respect him as a man, and as a coach, more so than anything,” Luber said. “What he’s done for the University is invaluable.”

Broncs try to snap three-game skid against lowly Canisius

2012-01-22T10:37:00.001-05:00

Who: Canisius (4-14, 1-7) at Rider (6-14, 3-5)

When: Sunday, Alumni Gymnasium, 3 p.m., 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider lost to Iona, 91-71; Canisius lost to Niagara, 75-56.

Background: The Broncs are coming off a third consecutive defeat after falling by 20 to Iona Friday night.

Mike Glover had 21 points, Lamont Jones 20 and Scott Machado 11 and 15 assists as the Gaels pulled away late in the first half and never looked back.

The loss left Rider in a three-way tie for sixth place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Broncs are even with Siena and St. Peter’s at 3-5.

The top six teams get a first-day bye in the conference tournament while teams 7-10 have to play on the opening night.

After facing last-place Canisius Sunday, Rider hosts St. Peter’s Thursday and Siena next Sunday.

The Broncs have 10 conference games remaining and play seven of those at home. They just finished a stretch of eight out of nine away from Alumni Gym, going 5-4.

Canisius has dropped two straight and five of its last six. The Griffs’ lone conference win came against Marist on Jan. 13.

Harold Washington is Canisius’ best player, ranking third in the MAAC in scoring with 17 points per game.

The Broncs and Griffs split last season’s meetings with each winning on the other’s home floor.

Gabby Belardo hit a last-second jumper to give Canisius a 67-65 victory for their first ever win at Alumni Gym. The Griffs are 1-13 all-time in Lawrenceville since Rider moved into Alumni Gym.

Danny Stewart is the Broncs’ top scorer, averaging 13 points per game. Jeff Jones (12.8 ppg) and Anthony Myles (9.8 ppg), who combined for 31 points in the loss at Iona, have given Tommy Dempsey some offensive punch off the bench.

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Eddie Mitchell (Fr., 4.5 ppg), G-Jon Thompson (Jr., 7.4 ppg), F-Novar Gadson (Sr., 8.5 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 12.3 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (So., 13 ppg).

Canisius: G-Harold Washington (Jr., 17 ppg), G-Gabby Belardo (Jr., 10.5 ppg), G-Alshwan Hymes (Jr., 14.9 ppg), F-Chris Martinez (So., 7.8 ppg), F-Josiah Heath (Fr., 4.7 ppg).

Iona puts one on Broncs

2012-01-21T09:08:00.001-05:00

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year Mike Glover scored 21 points to lead five Iona players in double figures as the Gaels shot 54.8 percent and helped themselves to an easy win over the Rider men's basketball team, 91-71, Friday night at the Hynes Athletic Center.

The Broncs lost their third straight after winning three straight and five out of six. They finished this stretch of eight out of nine on the road 5-4.

Scott Machado, a Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 finalist, had 11 points and 15 assists. Machado came into the game averaging a nation-best 10.4 asssits per game. The Gaels had 27 assists on 34 made baskets.

Iona (15-4, 7-1) averages a league-best 7.8 3-pointers per game and hit 13 Friday night. Sean Armand, who hit 10 in one game against Siena, hit five first halft 3s to account for all 15 of his points.

The Broncs (6-14, 3-5) didn't shoot the ball badly themsleves, connecting on 47.5 percent of their shots. But they only hit 6 of 19 3-point attempts.

Jeff Jones came off the bench to lead Rider with 17 points and Anthony Myles finished with 14.

The Gaels began pulling away late in the first half with an 11-2 run that spotted them a 38-25 lead with 2:11 left until halftime.

Kyle Smyth's jumper with 14:10 left in the game gave Iona its biggest lead, 67-40.

Broncs complete road trip at Iona

2012-01-19T16:23:00.003-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE — The birthday gift Rider men’s basketball forward Danny Stewart wants most is an upset win over Iona.

Stewart turns 20 Friday, the same night the Broncs travel to New Rochelle, N.Y., to face the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference favorite Gaels in a nationally televised game.

Coming in, all the talk is about Iona.

“From the beginning of the year, everybody has been counted out and all the talk is about Iona,” Stewart said. “It’s kind of a challenge for us. We have to come out and handle our business.”

The Gaels have earned that praise.

They are 14-4 (6-1 in the MAAC), have the two best players in the conference, rank third in the nation in scoring, first in assists and lead the league in just about every offensive category.

Barring a collapse in MAAC play, they will at least have a legitimate claim to an NCAA at-large berth should they falter in the conference tournament.

Led by preseason Player of the Year Mike Glover (conference-best 19 ppg) and point guard Scott Machado (13.1 ppg, 10.3 assists) — who was named Wednesday to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 given to the nation’s most outstanding player — Iona is a tough task for anyone, let alone MAAC squads.

“I don’t know that you can slow them down,” said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey. “You really have to work hard in your transition defense so that if they are taking quick shots they’re not layups or dunks.

“You have to get guys back into the paint and then build out. If their quick shots are long shots, I think you can live with that.”

The Gaels average 84.4 points per game, connecting on 50.1 percent of their shot with a league-best 7.8 3-pointers per game. If you try to take away Glover in the post, one of their long-range bombers steps up to beat you.

Second leading scorer Lamont “MoMo” Jones (15.1 ppg) reached the Elite Eight with Arizona last season before transferring, Sean Armand hit a school-record 10 3-pointers in a rout of Siena and Kyle Smyth has made plenty of big shots throughout his career.

So don’t expect anything out of the ordinary from the Broncs.

“I think you have to play everybody straight up,” said Dempsey, although he did admit that if this was a one-and-done situation he might “throw a lot of junk at them and gimmick it up.”

Rider, which completes a four-game road trip and a stretch of eight out of nine away form Alumni Gymnasium Friday, may at least have a chance to put up some big scoring numbers. The Broncs average 71.1 points per game, good for third in the MAAC, and lead the conference in 3-point percentage (38.2) and 3-pointers made (146). Their 7.7 3-pointers per game are second to Iona’s 7.8.

“If I were a betting a man,” Dempsey said, “I would more than likely say it is going to be a high-scoring game. But the higher scoring it gets, the more it favors them.”

Rider is also only one of two MAAC teams to win at the Hynes Athletic Center since the beginning of last season.

Manhattan the other, coming from 17 down to hand Iona its only league loss of this season on Jan. 12.

And that game the Broncs won a year ago, 61-59.

“Every team is capable of being beat,” Stewart said. “We have to go out there and play hard, play how we know how to play.”

Fortunat coming around

Freshman forward Junior Fortunat scored six points and grabbed four rebounds in the loss to Fairfield as Dempsey continues to bring him along slowly.

“We need him to progress because I think he can be a difference maker by the time we get to the (MAAC) tournament,” Dempsey said.

Fortunat sat out the first nine games of the season while the NCAA ruled on his eligibility. Fortunat is an international player (Quebec) and had to have his transcript cleared by the NCAA.

“Our thing was, he was behind, because he had to sit out,” Dempsey said. “I didn’t want to throw too much at him too quick. I wanted to bring him along at the right pace with an eye on him getting more and more time.”

Fortunat put in an active 14 minutes against the Stags and Dempsey thinks he could be a key cog down the stretch.

“He’s a big strong kid and he does give us some size we’re lacking at time,” the coach said of the 6-fott-9, 220-pound forward. “If we’re going to be a more complete team by the end of the year, he’s going to have to be a part of it.”

Gadson seeing fewer minutes

Novar Gadson had his two best games of the season in wins over Marist (19 points) and Manhattan (21 points) but he’s been unable to duplicate that form since.

He’s only scored 13 points in the three games since, playing 15 minutes in the loss to Fairfield.

“I regret not playing him more,” Dempsey said. “It’s not all really about him. I have eight guys that I really like to play and I try to get settled on five of them. Some nights different guys are on the outside of that five as I get settled late in the game. I try to figure out who is going to give us the best chance to win that night and ride that out. He just happened to not be in that mix the other night, but that doesn’t mean it won’t change on Friday.”

St. John's transfer Nurideen Lindsey set to join Rider

2012-01-19T16:16:00.004-05:00

A Rider source confirmed reports that St. John’s transfer Nurideen Lindsey is set to join the Broncs.

CBS Sports Network’s Jon Rothstein first reported that Lindsey had settled on Rider following his announcement to leave the Big East school in December.

The source said Lindsey will enroll in classes next week — the university begins its second semester Monday — and seek a waiver that will allow him to begin play at the beginning of next season.

Lindsey, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard from Philadelphia by way of Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla., averaged 11.8 points per game in nine appearances — all starts —for the Red Storm.

He originally announced on twitter last week that he would be transferring to Arkansas but had a change of heart and decided to move closer to home.

Lindsey also considered Temple and Saint Joseph’s.

Lindsey, a sophomore, will have 1 1/2 seasons of eligibility remaining and can begin playing for the Broncs next December unless he is granted the waiver that will allow him to begin play immediately next season.

Broncs drop second straight, falling at Fairfield

2012-01-17T01:34:00.002-05:00

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Without knowing how anything this season would play out, Rider men’s basketball coach Tommy Dempsey circled this current four-game road trip on his calendar.

He knew his team would be tested. He knew it would find out just where it stood in the context of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Would it be a challenger for the regular season title or playing for seeding?

The answer, if not already known after the team's 1-10 start, came Monday night. The Broncs will be playing for seeding after dropping their second straight, 61-52, to Fairfield at Webster Bank Arena.

Rider slipped into a fifth-place tie in the MAAC while Fairfield moved into sole possession of fourth place.

“We’re not in a position right now where we are winning the MAAC regular season championship,” Dempsey said. “We’re not good enough to do that right now.

“We are talented enough to become a good team by the end of the year and compete come tournament time.”

Rider, who had beat Fairfield three straight times on this floor, will rue its missed opportunities.

Neither team came out and set the gym on fire but it was the Broncs (6-13, 3-4) who looked heavy-legged, playing their third straight road game.

Rider came into the game leading the MAAC in 3-point percentage (38.8) and second in points per game (72.2) but shot just 32 percent, hitting on only 3 of its 13 3-point attempts.

It also turned the ball over 19 times, leading to 12 Fairfield points.

When the game did get tight, Rider couldn’t make the plays to get over the hump. Trailing 53-47 after Jon Thompson converted a three-point play with 5:49 remaining, the Broncs couldn’t get any closer. Jeff Jones missed a pair of free throws and Thompson got into the lane but couldn’t finish at the rim.

The Stags, who had lost three in a row, finally got the play that finished Rider off when Derek Needham’s fall-away 3-pointer connected as the shot clock expired. That put Fairfield (9-9, 4-3) up 56-47 with 2:14 remaining.

“I think guys didn’t have their legs under them,” said senior forward Brandon Penn, who finished with 11 points. “We played hard the whole night, but in the end, we just came up short.”

Fairfield scored the first eight points of the game forcing Dempsey into an early timeout.
Rider slowly worked its way back into the contest closing the gap to 20-19 before the Stags went on an 11-2 run punctuated by a Desmond Wade to Rakim Sanders alley-oop with 4:10 remaining.

The Broncs closed the opening stanza on a 7-4 run to cut the deficit to 35-28 at the half.

The Stags again extended the lead — opening the second half the same way they did the first — with a 12-4 run to go up 13 with 12:08 to play.

Sanders (13 points) and Derek Needham (game-high 15 points) were the spark, first a Needham layup followed by a Sanders one-handed jam and then fastbreak layup, that forced Dempsey into a timeout.

Rider responded with a 4-point play by Jones and then two Penn free throws to get within seven but
the Stags kept the Broncs at arms length the rest of the way.

“It was a struggle,” Dempsey said. “They did more than we did. We’re in a tough stretch right now and I thought we looked really tired.”

MAAC Monday (Jan. 16)

2012-01-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

-- Happy MLK Day! Hope those of you that have a day off are enjoying it. I'll be heading to Bridgeport for Rider-Fairfield tonight but first a look back at the week that was and a look ahead to the upcoming week in the MAAC. To start, a Rider-Fairfield preview:

Rider (6-12, 3-3) at Fairfield (8-9, 3-3): Who had these two teams as a combined 14-21 coming into this game. Both teams (Rider picked fourth, Fairfield second) were expected to challenge for a regular season title but that hardly looks the case.

The Broncs, despite winning five out their last seven, are coming off a disappointing loss at Siena. They fell behind by 22 midway through the second half before a furious rally nearly stole the game.

Tommy Dempsey will be upset with his team's non-existent defense in the first 30 minutes of that game. The Saints were ninth in the league in scoring at 62 points per game and came away with 83 against Rider.

Fairfield ranks eighth in the conference in scoring with 64.4 points per game and Rider won't be able to allow the Stags to score 20 points over their average if it expects to win. The Broncs are second in the league in scoring (72.2 ppg) and lead the conference in 3-point percentage (38.8). Fairfield is tops in defense (62.9 ppg) and Rider is last (78.1 ppg).

While the Broncs' struggles have been well chronicled, ultimately, the Stags may go down as the biggest disappointment unless they find a way to turn things around.

Sydney Johnson's club has lost three in a row, all in the MAAC, and five out of its last six. There was talk before the season that Fairfield -- with All-MAAC first teamers Derek Needham and Ryan Olander and transfers Rakim Sanders and Desmond Wade -- could be good enough to grab an NCAA at-large bid if it didn't win the conference tournament.

That won't happen. The Stags missed on six of seven chances for quality wins in the non-conference (Ls vs. Providence, Minnesota, Dayton, Indiana State, Connecticut, Drexel; W vs. Old Dominion) and already have three MAAC losses.

Both teams come into tonight's contest 2.5 games behind league-leader Iona and can't afford a loss if they still expect to have a chance to challenge for the regular-season title.

-- Now on to the rest of the MAAC:

1. Iona (14-4, 6-1): Last week -- lost to Manhattan, 75-72; def. Loyola, 74-63. This week -- Jan. 20 vs. Rider.

2. Loyola (12-5, 5-2): Last week -- def. Fairfield, 66-63; lost to Iona, 74-63. This week -- Jan. 19 vs. Siena; Jan. 22 vs. St. Peter's.

3. Manhattan (12-7, 5-2): Last week -- def. Iona, 75-72; def. Siena, 72-53. This week -- Jan. 20 at Marist; Jan. 22 vs. Niagara.

4. Fairfield (8-9, 3-3): Last week -- lost to Loyola, 66-63. This week -- Jan. 19 at St. Peter's; Jan. 22 at Marist.

5. Rider (6-12, 3-3): Last week -- lost to Siena, 83-79. This week -- Jan. 20 at Iona; Jan. 22 vs. Canisius.

6. Siena (8-9, 3-4): Last week -- def. Rider, 83-79; lost to Manhattan, 72-53. This week -- Jan. 19 at Loyola.

7. Niagara (8-11, 3-4): Last week -- def. St. Peter's, 85-73; def. Marist, 86-67. This week -- Jan. 19 at Canisius; Jan. 22 at Manhattan.

8. St. Peter's (4-14, 3-4): Last week -- lost to Niagara, 85-73; def. Canisius, 74-60. This week -- Jan. 19 vs. Fairfield; Jan. 22 at Loyola.

9. Marist (7-11, 2-5): Last week -- lost to Canisius, 67-57; lost to Niagara, 86-67. This week -- Jan. 20 vs. Manhattan; Jan. 22 vs. Fairfield.

10. Canisius (4-13, 1-6): Last week -- def. Marist, 67-57; lost to St. Peter's, 74-60. This week -- Jan. 19 vs. Niagara; Jan 22. at Rider.

-- News and Notes

Steve Masiello's Manhattan continues to be the surprise package. Emmy Andujar hit a 3-ponter at the buzzer to cap a 17-point comeback at Iona. The Jaspers have won three in a row and are a legitimate challenger for the league title.
Credit Iona for a real nice bounce-back win following that loss to Manhattan. MoMo Jones had 25 points and Mike Glover finished with 20 and 15 rebounds as the Gaels knocked off a very good Loyola team. Gover's 19 points per game leads the MAAC in scoring.
Siena's OD Anosike is a beast. He leads the nation in rebounding (12.7 per game) and is an automatic double-double every single night. The Saints have also got a nice contribution from freshman Evan Hymes (14.7 ppg), who only looks like he belongs in the eighth grade. The question for the Siena, which had a three-game win streak snapped by Manhattan, is if its depth -- Mitch Buonaguro only uses a six-man rotation -- can hold up.
Juan'ya Green and Antoine Mason have created a nice backcourt partnership for Niagara, which has won two straight.
Brandon Penn continues to have an under-the-radar season for Rider. He had 15 points and 13 rebounds in the loss to Siena. More impressively, he's scored in double figures in seven straight games and has a double-double in five of those.
Canisius finally got a league win, beating Marist by 10, but are still bottom of the table. Harold Washington (17.6 ppg) is a scoring machine in an otherwise disappointing season.
Paging Derek Needham. The numbers for the Stags guard are down all across the board with his points per game output taking nearly a four-point drop (14.1 to 10.8) this season.
The league is very much up for grabs. Iona is still the favorite and Canisius and Marist look like the bottom two teams but everything in between is jumbled. Teams will want to avoid a spot in the bottom four so they can grab a first-round bye in MAAC Tournament.

Rally falls short at Siena

2012-01-12T22:44:00.003-05:00

The Rider men’s basketball team dug itself a 22-point hole that it couldn’t get out of despite a furious rally in the final 12 minutes, falling to Siena, 83-79 Thursday night at the Times Union Center.

Brandon Penn hit a 3-pointer with 1:56 remaining to pull the Broncs within 75-71 but they could never get the game down to a single possession.

Siena (8-8, 3-3) hit eight of its final 12 free throws to keep Rider (6-12, 3-3) from getting any closer.

Behind the nation’s leading rebounder, OD Anosike, the Saints pounded the Broncs on the boards in the first half.

Anosike scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half and grabbed eight of his 14 rebounds.
The Saints built a 21-point lead with 2:44 left in the first half on a Brandon Walters (14 points, 12 rebounds) layup.

But Rider closed the half on a 7-0 spurt and opened the second stanza with four more points to pull within 10.

Siena responded with a 17-5 run and took its largest lead — a 22-point advantage — after Anosike converted a 3-point play with 12:06 to go.

The Broncs finally made their move, sparked by Jeff Jones’ 10 points as they outscored Siena 29-13 over the next 10:55 with the stretch ending in Penn’s 3-pointer that made the score 75-71.

Rider even tightened up on the boards, only losing the rebounding battle 42-40.
It was all too little too late.

Penn finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds while Jones led Rider with 17 points.

The Broncs had their three-game winning streak snapped while the Saints won their third straight.

Broncs try to keep winning as road trip continues at Siena

2012-01-11T17:26:00.001-05:00

Who: Rider (6-11, 3-2) at Siena (7-8, 2-3)

When: Thursday, Times Union Center, 7 p.m., ESPN3.com, 107.7FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. St. Peter’s, 72-58. Siena def. Niagara, 72-60.

Background: The Broncs have won five of their last six, including three in a row in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play but the schedule gets a lot tougher starting Thursday night against Siena.

The Saints have won two-straight, beating Fairfield and Niagara at home, after suffering a 36-point loss to Iona at Madison Square Garden.

This is the second of a four-game road trip that also features games at Fairfield (next Monday) and Iona (next Friday).

“Our next three games are really crucial as to whether or not we continue to build and get back in this race or if we’ll just be playing for seeding at some point,” said coach Tommy Dempsey.

After beginning the year 1-10 — the program’s worst start in 68 years — the Broncs seem to have finally got it right just in time for the conference haul.

Brandon Penn continues to fly under the radar despite an outstanding season. The senior forward is coming off a 20-point, 10-rebound performance against SPC and has picked up a double-double in four of his last five games.

Penn has also scored in double figures in six straight games and had at least 20 points in four of those.

“It’s starting to get contagious,” said Penn, who is averaging 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, respectively. “I’m just trying to keep doing the same thing everyday.”

Penn’s also been aided by the strong play of Jeff Jones (12.6 ppg) and Anthony Myles (10.2 ppg) off the bench. Those two combined for 30 points in the win over SPC.

Novar Gadson, although he didn’t score against the Peacocks, had 21 and 19 points, respectively, in victories over Manhattan and Marist to start the New Year.

As a team, Rider’s 39 percent shooting on 3-pointers leads the MAAC.

Still, Penn has been the cornerstone of the Broncs’ turn of fortune.

“He’s playing on a good offensive team so they can’t just key on him,” Dempsey said. “Even though he’s in a good place right now, it’s hard to just say, ‘we’re going to take Brandon out of the game,’ because we have so many different guys that can score. He’s taking advantage of that. He’s in a zone right now, where if he gets a good look, it’s almost automatic.”

Siena also has some offensive firepower.

Junior forward OD Anosike scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Saints’ win over Niagara. In doing so, he recorded his 11th consecutive double-double.

Evan Hymes (14.9 ppg) is having a terrific freshman season at point guard and has closed the gap on Niagara’s Juan’ya Green for MAAC Rookie of the Year. Hymes wasn’t expected to start at the point for Mitch Buonaguro, but was pressed into that role when sophomore Rakeem Brookins was ruled out for the season with a back injury.

Siena leads the all-time series 24-11 and is 14-5 at home against Rider. The Broncs did win in Albany last season, 68-60, behind 19 points from Justin Robinson.

“This is a tough stretch,” Penn said. “It’s all away games against very good teams. This is where we’re going to find a lot out about ourselves.”

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Eddie Mitchell (Fr., 4.4 ppg), G- Jon Thompson (Jr., 7.5 ppg), F-Novar Gadson (Sr., 8.7 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 12.3 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (So., 13.5 ppg).
Siena: G-Evan Hymes (Fr., 14.9 ppg), G-Kyle Downey (Sr., 13.5 ppg), F-Owen Wignot (Sr., 4.7 ppg), F-Brandon Walters (Sr., 5.6 ppg), F-OD Anosike (Jr., 14.1 ppg).

MAAC Monday (Jan. 9)

2012-01-09T12:35:00.001-05:00

-- Happy Monday! Time to go around the MAAC again from the week that was and what to expect this upcoming week.

Canisius (3-12, 0-5): Last week -- lost to St. Peter's 65-61; lost to Loyola 77-62. This week -- Jan. 13 vs. Marist; Jan. 15 vs. St. Peter's. OUTLOOK: Another winless week for the Griffs has them dead last in the conference. Gabby Belardo being slowed by a back injury hasn't helped although he played 35 minutes in the loss to Loyola. Harold Washington is having a great year scoring the ball with his 18.2 points per game ranking third in the league. If Tom Parrotta's squad is going to string some wins together this week seems like its best chance with Marist and SPC coming to Buffalo.

Fairfield (8-8, 3-2): Last week -- lost to Siena 73-60; lost to Manhattan 53-51; This week -- Jan. 13 vs. Loyola. OUTLOOK: It was a bad week for Sydney Johnson's Stags as they continue to be a disappointment this season. They blew a second half lead against Manhattan and have now lost four of five. What's happened to Derek Needham? The all-league guard is averaging 11.7 points per game, down from his 14.1 ppg last season. You knew Rakim Sanders was going to take shots away from Needham but his assists have dropped from 4.5 per game to three as well.

Iona (13-3, 5-0): Last week -- def. Siena 95-59; def. Niagara 73-61; def. Marist 100-76. This week -- Jan. 12 vs. Manhattan; Jan. 15 vs. Loyola. OUTLOOK: What a week for the Gaels, who continued to light up the scoreboard. Sean Armand had 32 points on a MAAC-record 10 3-pointers as Iona hit 17 total from behind the arc in its win over Siena at Madison Square Garden. Tim Cluess' side closed the week by hitting triple-digits for the second time this year behind 31 points from Mike Glover, whose 19 points per game rank him second in the conference.

Loyola (11-4, 4-1): Last week -- lost to Niagara 66-61; def. Manhattan 61-60; def. Canisius 77-62. This week -- Jan. 13 at Fairfield; Jan. 15 at Iona. OUTLOOK: After a surprise loss at home to Niagara, the Greyhounds bounced back nicely with a pair of victories. This week's road trip to Fairfield and Iona is Loyola's chance to make a statement as a regular season player. Sophomore guard Dylon Cormier is averaging 16.2 points per game, making the progression Jimmy Pastos asked him for after averaging 8.2 points per game as a freshman. Cormier hit the winner with 3.1 seconds left against Manhattan.

Manhattan (10-7, 3-2): Last week -- lost to Rider 88-77; lost to Loyola 61-60; def. Fairfield 53-51. This week -- Jan. 12 at Iona; Jan. 14 vs. Siena. OUTLOOK: You have to be impressed with the way Steve Masiello rallied his guys after a pair of losses, the second of which came in the final seconds, to knock off Fairfield. The Jaspers look like they are going to hang around near the top of the MAAC standings.

Marist (7-9, 2-3): Last week -- def. St. Peter's 71-67; lost to Rider 99-86; lost to Iona 100-76. This week -- Jan. 13 at Canisius; Jan. 15 at Niagara. OUTLOOK: The Red Foxes are improved from last year but giving up 99 and 100 points in back-to-back games won't make Chuck Martin feel good about his team's defense. At least Marist hasn't had a problem scoring the ball itself, ranking second in the MAAC with 72.1 points per game. The Red Foxes make the upstate New York trip this week and Martin wouldn't complain with a split.

Niagara (6-11, 1-4): Last week -- def. Loyola 66-61; lost to Iona 73-61; lost to Siena 72-60. This week -- Jan. 13 vs. St. Peter's; Jan. 15 vs. Marist. OUTLOOK: The Purple Eagles got a nice win at Loyola but couldn't capitalize on it, dropping its next two. Niagara fought to take the lead in the second half against Siena but fell apart down the stretch. Freshman Juan'ya Green still leads the league in scoring with 19.1 points per game. A pair of home games this week against struggling SPC and Marist could give Joe Mihalich's team a chance to get a boost in the standings.

Rider (6-11, 3-2): Last week -- def. Manhattan 88-77; def. Marist 99-86; def. St. Peter's 72-58. This week -- Jan. 12 at Siena. OUTLOOK: It is five wins out of six for the Broncs who have suddenly come to life after a 1-10 start to the year. Brandon Penn continues his outstanding season and is coming off a 20 and 10 performance against SPC. The schedule gets tougher beginning with a road trip to Siena this week and Tommy Dempsey's side will find out if it can be a factor in the league race or if it will simply be playing for MAAC Tournament seeding.

Siena (7-8, 2-3): Last week -- lost to Iona 95-59; def. Fairfield 73-60; def. Niagara 72-60. This week: -- Jan. 12 vs. Rider; Jan. 14 at Manhattan. OUTLOOK: The Saints are a hard team to figure. They lost to St. Peter's but beat Fairfield. Freshman Evan Hymes is an electric player and O.D. Anosike is a double-double machine that give Siena a chance in every game it plays. The Saints are starting to come on strong with four wins in their last five.

St. Peter's (3-13, 2-3): Last week -- lost to Marist 71-62; def. Canisius 65-61; lost to Rider 72-58. This week -- Jan. 13 at Niagara; Jan. 15 at Canisius. OUTLOOK: John Dunne's team was always going to struggle this year and the upcoming upstate New York trip doesn't look promising for a team that struggles to score the ball (59.3 ppg is last in the league). Lamin Fulton is a solid freshman and is coming off a 19-point performance in the loss to Rider.

GAME BALLS

Sean Armand (Iona) made a MAAC-record 10 3-pointers en route to a career-high 32 points in the Gaels' win over Siena at Madison Square Garden.

O.D. Anosike (Siena) is an automatic double-double every night. He scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the win over Niagara. It was his 11th consecutive double-double, breaking Ryan Rossiter's team record of 10. Anosike leads the MAAC in rebounding with 12.4 per game.

Brandon Penn (Rider) continues to be the Broncs' best player. He scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win over SPC. Prior to that, he had 24 points in the victory over Marist.

AIR BALLS

At the beginning of the season, nobody would have had Fairfield pegged fro 8-8 and 3-2 in the conference at this point in the season. With all the talent on that roster, Sydney Johnson gets a thumbs down.

A national air ball for everybody involved in the ending of the Western Kentucky/Louisiana-Lafayette game from Jan. 5. The Rajin' Cajuns had six men on the court when they scored the game-winner and nobody realized it. Not the officials or WKU coach Ken McDonald, who ended up losing his job following the snafu ending.

Jones saddened by Monsignor Bonner's closure

2012-01-08T22:17:00.001-05:00

JERSEY CITY – Jeff Jones remembers his time at Monsignor Bonner High School in suburban Philadelphia well.

He remembers scoring 1,923 points over his career. He remembers becoming the all-time leading scorer in the Philadelphia Catholic League.

Now he knows that his scoring record at Monsignor Bonner will never be broken.

The school, along with its sister institution, Archbishop Prendergast will shut down at the end of the academic year. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced the closing of 45 elementary schools and four high schools Friday as part of sweeping budget cuts. Conwell-Egan Catholic will also shut down at the end of the year.

“I’m heartbroken,” Jones said Sunday afternoon after scoring 13 points for the Rider men’s basketball team in its 72-58 victory over St. Peter’s.

“That’s where I came from and it was the best four years of my life. It was hard for me. I got a lot of friends there, a lot of teachers, faculty members – so it’s hard for me.”

Jones averaged 22.7 points per game in his senior season at Monsignor Bonner and was the 2007 Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year.

He signed with the Virginia and spent three seasons there before transferring to Rider.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Jones, when it dawned on him that nobody from Monsignor Bonner would get the chance to break his scoring record. “I wish they would have many more years so that somebody could probably break it. It’s hard but things happen.”

Jones said he plans to get together with friends and go back to the school’s campus in Drexel Hill, Pa., before it closes its doors for good.

“(Bonner) helped me a lot,” Jones said. “That’s where it started for me. That’s where I got a lot of recognition. Now it’s closing. That’s heartbreaking.”

Three in a row: Rider finding form at right time

2012-01-08T22:13:00.000-05:00

JERSEY CITY – For the first time this season, the Rider men’s basketball team is on a winning streak.

The Broncs won their third in a row, all three in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, 72-58, Sunday afternoon over St. Peter’s at the Yanitelli Center.

Rider has now won five of its last six, improving to 6-11 overall and 3-2 in the conference.

Brandon Penn continued his impressive play with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Anthony Myles and Jeff Jones combined for 30 points off the bench to spark the Bronc attack in the second half.

“It’s never easy up here,” said coach Tommy Dempsey. “You always have to grind it out against them. When the game got tight, we had great composure.”

The Peacocks (3-13, 2-3), who lost four starters from last season’s MAAC championship team, have struggled offensively this year. They came in averaging 59.4 points per game and had lost eight straight prior to a victory over Canisius in their last game.

Still, they have players – mainly Lamin Fulton (19 points on 7 of 14 shooting) – capable of causing a defense problems.

Fulton connected on two of his five 3-pointers during an 11-2 SPC run that cut a 10-point Rider lead to one with 11:15 to play.

Then the Broncs turned the screws.

Jones knocked home a 3-pointer before driving the baseline to finish with a one-handed flush.

“I’m more versatile than people think,” said Jones, who finished with 13 points and four rebounds. “When my shots not falling I try to get to the rack or find one of my teammates.”

Jon Thompson followed with a floater in the lane, Jones got to the basket again for a layup and Myles got two of his own to cap an 11-2 spurt that pushed the lead back to 10.

Penn finished the job with another 3-pointer, his fourth, and a tip-in off a Jones miss.

Jones and Myles (17 points) combined for 17 of their 30 points in the second half.

“Coach wants us to be a spark off the bench,” Jones said. “We were able to come in and pick the team up.”

Rider closed out that final 11-plus minutes by outscoring SPC 23-10.

“I’m glad we went through a game like this,” Penn said. “It was a close game where we pulled it out. We needed a game like this.”

Penn got going early with seven of Rider’s first nine points as it jumped out to an early advantage. The Broncs led by as many as seven after Jones converted six straight points but SPC pulled within three on Fulton’s 3-pointer with 3:10 to go until halftime.

Rider led 35-29 at half, closing the period on 3-pointers by Penn and Charles Oliver with Markese Tucker sandwiching a three-point play in between for the Peacocks.

This was the first of a four-game road trip that continues Thursday night in Albany, N.Y. against Siena. The Saints (7-8, 2-3) are coming off a 72-60 victory over Niagara and have won two straight in the MAAC.

The travels continue next Monday at Fairfield before concluding with a Friday night tilt against Iona.
It’s a stretch Dempsey believes will define where this team stands within the MAAC race.

“Our next three games are really crucial as to whether we can continue to build and get back into this race or if we’re playing for seeding,” Dempsey said.

Good thing the Broncs have their winning streak.

“When you’re winning and playing good basketball,” Dempsey said, “the confidence starts to develop.”

NOTES: Sophomore guard Tommy Pereira has a high-ankle sprain and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with that being generous, Dempsey said. … Freshman guard Eddie Mitchell picked up an injury to his left hip against Marist and was limited to 12 minutes.

Rider gets revenge on Marist

2012-01-07T00:05:00.002-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE — The last time the Rider men’s basketball team faced Marist it was left with a sour taste in its mouth.

Friday night was payback for that 20-point loss back in early December.

Brandon Penn had 24 points and Novar Gadson 19 as the Broncs ran rampant in a 99-86 victory over the Red Foxes that wasn’t as close the final score indicated.

“We couldn’t let them come here and sweep us,” Penn said. “We had to try and get them back.”

Get them back they did.

Rider led by as many as 28 during a 14-7 opening to the second half sparked by a trio of Penn 3-pointers. The Broncs held a 59-33 with advantage after Penn’s sixth 3-pointer of the night fell through the hoop with just over 16 minutes remaining.

Marist never really got back into the game, although it did cut the lead to 86-73 with 4:19 left after Adam Kemp (15 points) converted a 3-point play.

But Jon Thompson stunted any hope of a miracle comeback with a dunk of the year contender.

Thompson put Manny Thomas on a poster with a monstrous one-handed jam to cap a quick 6-0 run and put the Broncs back up 19 with 3:04 remaining.

A technical foul was assessed to Rider’s Dera Nd-Ezuma for taunting after the dunk.

“They were talking trash at the end, so I kind of wanted to shut them up,” Thompson said.

Thompson finished with 11 points, all in the second half. Danny Stewart and Anthony Myles chipped in 14 each.

Thomas led Marist (7-8, 2-2) with 17 points off the bench.

Rider (5-11, 2-2), which is in the midst of playing eight of nine away from Alumni Gymnasium, has won four of five and two in a row in the MAAC.

“We’ve been playing harder,” Penn said. “We’ve rebounded the ball better and been playing better defense. I think that’s helped us get more wins.”

The Broncs forced 12 Marist turnovers and converted them into 23 points. They also got to the basket frequently, outscoring the Red Foxes, 52-28 in the paint.

The only thing coach Tommy Dempsey won’t like is the 62 points his team allowed in the second half despite the game being well within hand and Marist showing no ability to stop the Broncs’ offense.

“I like the way we showed up,” Dempsey said. “We took our foot off the gas in the second half of our last two games. But to be in a position where we are up 20-plus points two games in a row against two teams (Manhattan and Marist) that beat us is a real sign of growth. And that’s what we’ve been looking for.”

In its last two games, Rider has looked like the team that was picked to finish fourth in the MAAC and not the one that got off to its worst start in 68 years.

“Those two teams kicked our butt the first two times,” Dempsey said. “We’ve come back and pretty much dominated Manhattan and Marist to start the New Year. We need to continue that on Sunday.”

Penn got Rider off to a fast start with eight of its first 16 points as the Broncs quickly put Marist in the rearview mirror.

Thompson and Myles connected on an alley-oop with 11:35 remaining that put Rider up 22-13. The Broncs built the advantage to 14 before a 7-2 spurt by the Red Fox prompted Dempsey to call timeout.

His team responded by close the final 6:11 on a 14-2 run punctuated by Nd-Ezuma’s tip in at the buzzer that gave Rider a 45-24 halftime lead.

NOTES: Sophomore guard Tommy Pereira left the game late in the first half after landing awkwardly on his right ankle. He returned to the bench on crutches for the second half. Freshman guard Eddie Mitchell momentarily left the game after a hard foul on Chavaughn Lewis. Both players came up grimacing and Mitchell had his left hip looked at by trainers but returned shortly thereafter.

•••

William Lockhart, a freshman at Foundation Collegiate Academy of Trenton, was the first ever recipient of the Laurence Young Boy’s Basketball Camp Memorial Scholarship.

Lockhart will have the opportunity to attend the Tommy Dempsey Net Results Basketball Camp for a week during the summer.

The scholarship was created in the memory of Laurence Young, a former standout for the Rider men’s basketball team from 1999-2004 who died on Nov. 6 in Brazil from an apparent oral infection.

He was playing professionally there at the time of his death.

Young scored 755 career points in 105 games for the Broncs.

Gameday: Marist (7-7, 2-1) at Rider (4-11, 1-2)

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Who: Marist (7-7, 2-1) at Rider (4-11, 1-2)

When: Friday, Alumni Gymnasium, 7 p.m., 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. Manhattan, 88-77. Marist def. St. Peter’s, 71-67.

Background: When these teams met on Dec 4, Marist put a 20-point beatdown on Rider.

The Red Foxes shot 13 of 20 from behind the arc, connecting on their first eight 3-point attempts while the Broncs missed their first 13 and finished 1 of 14 from 3.

“Embarrassment is being too kind,” said senior forward Novar Gadson. “They left a sour taste in our mouth.”

Coach Tommy Dempsey called the loss, in which his team gave up 95 points, the low-water mark of the season.

“That weekend — Manhattan and Marist — was a real punch in the face,” Dempsey said. “To that point it was like we’ve been banged up, we had some suspensions, we had a guy ineligible, we had Novar’s injury, we played a tough schedule. You have all your excuses lined up and we thought we would come out and win two games in that MAAC weekend and we got pounded twice.”

That prompted Dempsey to make changes to his lineup and defensive philosophy. The Broncs have started using a three-quarter/half-court trap to show pressure and “get the guys excited about defense” as Dempsey puts it.

Rider’s slowly but surely played better. It competed against Florida and lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Princeton before reeling off three of its last four.
The Broncs are in the midst of playing eight of nine away from Alumni Gym with Friday’s game as the lone home fixture.

“When you’re 1-10 and staring at eight of the next nine on the road, as a coach you just want to burst out in tears,” Dempsey said.

But Rider is coming off its best performance of the season, led by Gadson’s 21 points in the win over Manhattan. The Broncs built a 22-point first half lead, then held on for an 11-point victory.

Marist has already surpassed its win total (six) from a year ago and is getting a strong season from junior guard Devin Price (13.5 ppg).

The Red Foxes rallied from 13 down against St. Peter’s behind 14 points each from Anell Alexis and Chavaughn Lewis.

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Eddie Mitchell (Fr., 4.6 ppg), G-Jon Thompson (Jr., 7.5 ppg), F-Novar Gadson (Sr., 8.6 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 11 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (So., 13.5 ppg).

Marist: G-Devin Price (Jr., 13.5 ppg), G-Isaiah Morton (Fr., 8.9 ppg), G-Jay Bowie (So., 5.7 ppg), F-Anell Alexis (So., 5.5 ppg), Adam Kemp (So., 8.4 ppg).

Novar Gadson still trying to find himself

2012-01-06T09:56:00.001-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE — His senior season wasn’t supposed to be playing out like this. Not when there was so much expected from him. Not when this was going to be the year he was the guy for the Rider men’s basketball team.

He doesn’t want to have to spend extra time in the training room getting treatment for his surgically repaired left knee. Or staying late to do rubber band exercises with team managers long after everyone else has gone home.

It is halfway through the season and Novar Gadson is still trying to find himself.

Gadson had microfracture surgery following the end of the 2010-11 season with the intention of being fit for the start of his senior year. He assured everybody he was 100 percent before the Broncs opened their campaign on Nov. 11. Gadson even played 30 minutes in three of the team’s first five games.

Still, something looked off with the player who finished his junior season so strongly that he was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Second Team and was a First Team selection this preseason.

“I thought I was OK,” Gadson admitted earlier this week at practice as Rider prepared to face Marist Friday night in a MAAC game.

In the game against Maryland-Baltimore County on Dec. 17, Gadson thought he was done for good.

As he tells it, “My body went one way and my knee went the other way. It came to a point where I was like, ‘I’m done.’”

But when he woke up the next morning, Gadson said he felt fine. He doesn’t really have the words to explain it. All he knows is that when he got up, he didn’t feel any pain.

“I think it’s better,” Gadson said. “I’m moving better, I feel better. When I run it doesn’t hurt.”

In the Broncs’ next game, Gadson played 24 minutes in a win over Monmouth. He scored just five points but managed five rebounds and three assists. It was the sharpest he’d looked all season.

He followed that with 28 minutes at Stony Brook and then his best performance of the year against Manhattan.

Gadson scored 21 points on 6 of 9 shooting in 30 minutes. He got to the foul line seven times, making all seven free throws. Coincidentally, Rider played its best game of the season, building a 22-point first-half lead before holding on for an 11-point victory in a performance that breathed some life into a season that is still on life support.

“When he plays like that it makes life easier for everybody,” said coach Tommy Dempsey, whose team sits at 4-11 overall and 1-2 in the conference. “When he’s playing well, we have a sense of normalcy. When he’s struggling and not in the lineup, guys start trying to figure out, ‘What’s my role?’ and end up doing too much. When he’s playing like he’s supposed to be playing, everybody else falls into place.”

For Gadson to play a high level, it depends on his health.

He hadn’t started a game in more than a month before Dempsey reinserted him into the starting five against Manhattan.

“It’s very frustrating sitting and watching,” Gadson said. “That’s the one thing I hate.”

Although he tells Dempsey he is feeling much better, the coach is still cautious about Gadson’s workload. There are days Dempsey sits him out of practice and others when he gives him a reduced amount to do.

“The doctors tell us he has a high pain tolerance,” Dempsey said. “I have to go by how he tells me he’s feeling. He’s pretty good about letting us know when he can and can’t go.”

What Gadson isn’t willing to do is let 2012 go down like the back half of 2011. A 1-10 start gave this group the unceremonious honor of owning the school’s worst season-opening stretch in 68 years.

That’s tough for him to stomach.

Even tougher than the pain his knee gives him.

“For us to win, we need leadership because this is our last shot,” Gadson said. “I made a promise to myself and to my family that I’m going to better their lives and my life in the future, and I’m going to continue to try and do that.

“I don’t want to sit here and use my knee as an excuse.”

Rider trying to build on recent run of form

2012-01-03T16:52:00.001-05:00

When Tommy Dempsey looked at the Rider men’s basketball team’s schedule and saw a 1-10 record and eight of the next nine games on the road he was ready to burst into tears.

Four games into this crucial stretch, the Broncs have gone 3-1 and are coming off their best performance of the season, beating Manhattan 88-77 for their first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win.

“All you can do is keep pressing forward,” Dempsey said during Tuesday’s league conference call. “Just because we played well (Monday) night doesn’t mean we’re a great team by any stretch, but I do think we’re improving.”

Rider, already behind the eight-ball following a pair of conference losses in December, avoided a season sweep against the Jaspers, who had won 71-55 in Lawrenceville on Dec. 2.

Dempsey was asked if he felt his team’s improvement was the result of players metaphorically having their backs against the wall.

“I don't think it's as simple as that,” was his answer.

Instead, he credited the character of his players for not pointing fingers when the team was off to its worst start in 68 years.

“When you go through a stretch like we have things can get really ugly if you don’t have the right people in your locker room,” Dempsey said. “One of things that has helped us before is that we’ve won before. Guys realize we’ve won before and we can win again. It’s just a matter of doing a couple of things better and more consistently.”

The Broncs were rewarded against Manhattan.

“We’ve hung together,” said Dempsey, whose team shot 58 percent from the floor and 54 percent from behind the arc in the win over the Jaspers. “(Monday) night was our best performance to date and it had been coming. I think we were due one of those. We went up there and had a very good performance.”

Rider gets its lone home game in this nine-game run Friday night against Marist. The Red Foxes are coming off a win over Saint Peter’s and are 7-7 overall and 2-1 in the MAAC.

They already hold a 95-75 victory over the Broncs.

“Winning makes you feel good,” said Marist coach Chuck Martin, whose team has already surpassed its six wins from a season ago. “Our kids are feeling really good about where we’re at. We’re taking baby steps but we’re starting to get there slowly-but-surely.”

Martin said he expects a different Rider team than the one that got blown out in Poughkeepsie in early December.

“They’re playing much better basketball,” Martin said. “You can tell on tape that they are a much more confident group. It was just a matter of time. Tommy’s a good coach, he’s been in this league for a long time and you knew at some point he would get his guys going.”

Happy New Year for Rider; Broncs get first MAAC win by knocking off Manhattan

2012-01-02T22:34:00.000-05:00

RIVERDALE, N.Y. — This was the version of the Rider men’s basketball team everybody expected to see.

The Broncs waited until the New Year, but finally came to life with an 88-77 victory over Manhattan Monday night at Draddy Gymnasium.

Novar Gadson scored a season-high 21 points and Rider (4-11, 1-2) built a 22-point first half lead.
The Broncs shot 58 percent (29 for 50) for the game and connected on 12 of their 22 attempts from behind the arc.

Danny Stewart added 15 points and Brandon Penn chipped in 12. Penn also hauled in 11 rebounds for his third consecutive double-double.

Gadson, who has been fighting sore knees all season, returned to the starting lineup and repaid coach Tommy Dempsey with his best performance to date.

The senior got his 21 points on 6 of 9 shooting and hit on both of his 3-point attempts. He also got to the free throw line seven times, making all seven shots.

Manhattan (9-6, 2-1) got 19 points from Kidani Brutus and 13 from George Beamon.

The Jaspers, who have already eclipsed their six wins from a year ago, were one of the surprise teams in the MAAC after winning their opening two league games, including a 71-55 triumph over Rider in Lawrenceville. But they struggled early Monday night and even after Brutus scored nine points during a 20-7 run to cut the Bronc lead to 80-71 with 4:06 left there wasn’t enough time to get any closer.

Rider will again look to avoid a season sweep when it hosts Marist Friday night at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Red Foxes improved to 7-7 and 2-1 in the MAAC after beating Saint Peter’s (2-12, 1-2) 71-67 Monday night. Niagara (6-9, 1-2) also upset Loyola (9-4, 2-1), 66-61 in the night’s other game.

MAAC Monday (Jan. 2)

2012-01-02T11:38:00.004-05:00

-- Happy New Year! Time to take a look at the week that was in the MAAC and look ahead to the upcoming week (including games tonight):

Tonight's games:

Rider (3-11, 0-2) at Manhattan (9-5, 2-0): What a great opportunity for the Jaspers to start 3-0 in league play. They already own a win over Rider and host Tommy Dempsey's struggling club at 7 p.m. Steve Masiello's done an outstanding job, already winning nine games with a team that was victorious just six times a year ago. George Beamon (16.6 ppg) is having a terrific season.

Saint Peter's (2-11, 1-1) at Marist (6-7, 1-1): Chuck Martin's Red Foxes are another having more success this season than they did all of last. Their six wins match the total they had all of last year. On the other side, John Dunne's Peacocks were always going to struggle after losing four starters from the team that stormed to the MAAC tournament championship. SPC averages 58.4 points per game, a number that ranks it 328th in the country.

Niagara (5-9, 0-2) at Loyola (9-3, 2-0): Great bounce-back win by the Greyhounds at Bucknell after falling at Kentucky. Jimmy Pastos' next step: get his team to challenge Iona and Fairfield for the top spot in the MAAC. Loyola has great balance offensively -- four players scored in double figures against the Bison, led by 18 from the freakishly-athletic Erik Etherly. For the Purple Eagles, Juan'ya Green has all but locked up the league's Rookie of the Year. He scored 32 points (26 in the second half) as NU nearly rallied to knock off St. Bonaventure in its last game and leads the conference in scoring at 20.1 ppg.

-- Looking back at the week that was:

Canisius (3-10, 0-3): Last week -- def. Binghamton, 75-66; lost to Fairfield, 72-54. This week -- Jan. 5 at Saint Peter's; Jan. 7 at Loyola. OUTLOOK: More woe from the Griffs who shot 29.5 percent in the 18-point loss to Fairfield. Canisius' challenge this year will be to battle Rider, Saint Peter's, Niagara, Marist and Siena to finish outside the bottom four and grab a first round bye in the MAAC tournament.

Fairfield (8-6, 3-0): Last week -- lost to Drexel, 77-69; def. Canisius, 72-54. This week -- Jan. 6 at Siena; Jan. 8 at Manhattan. OUTLOOK: Sydney Johnson's Stags may have been disappointing in the non-conference but a 3-0 start to league play will still have them thinking they can repeat as regular-season champs. Boston College transfer Rakim Sanders is living up to the hype, averaging 16.1 ppg.

Iona (10-3, 2-0): Last week -- lost to Hofstra, 83-75. This week -- Jan. 3 vs. Siena; Jan. 6 vs. Niagara; Jan. 8 at Marist. OUTLOOK: The Gaels continue to be the class of the league despite their loss to Hofstra. They start the conference long haul Tuesday against Siena. Iona is fifth in the nation in scoring at 85.1 points per game and the 75 against Hofstra was only the second time this season they haven't his the 80-point mark.

Loyola (9-3, 2-0): Last week -- def. Bucknell, 72-67; This week -- Tonight vs. Niagara; Jan. 5 vs. Manhattan; Jan. 7 vs. Canisius. OUTLOOK: Three in a row at home at row could get the Greyhounds to 5-0 in league play.

Manhattan (9-5, 2-0): Last week -- def. Binghamton, 94-51. This week -- Tonight vs. Rider; Jan. 5 at Loyola; Jan. 8 vs. Fairfield. OUTLOOK: See above.

Marist (6-7, 1-1): Last week -- def. Columbia, 79-59. This week -- Tonight vs. Saint Peter's; Jan. 6 at Rider; Jan. 8 vs. Iona. OUTLOOK: See above.

Niagara (5-9, 0-2): Last week -- def. UMBC, 92-75; lost to St. Bonaventure, 72-70. This week -- Tonight at Loyola; Jan. 6 at Iona; Ja. 8 at Siena. OUTLOOK: Just give Juan'ya Green Freshman of the Year already.

Rider (3-11, 0-2): Last week -- lost to Stony Brook, 79-62; This week -- Tonight at Manhattan; Jan. 6 vs. Marist; Jan. 8 at Saint Peter's. OUTLOOK: Tommy Dempsey's team is desperate to avoid a season sweep against Manhattan. Dempsey still believes there is a gap between the top three (Iona, Fairfield, Loyola) and the rest of the league leaving spots 4 through 10 up for grabs. Rider will want to avoid finishing in the bottom four.

Siena (5-7, 1-1): Last week -- def. Florida Atlantic, 67-60; This week: -- Jan 3. vs. Iona; Jan. 6 vs. Fairfield; Jan 8 vs. Niagara. OUTLOOK: The Saints have rebounded nicely from a stretch in which they lost seven of eight to win two straight. They'll find out a lot about themselves when they face Iona tomorrow and then Fairfield in their first two MAAC games of 2012.

Saint Peter's (2-11, 0-2): Last week -- lost to Lehigh, 76-67. This week -- Tonight at Marist; Jan. 5 vs. Canisius; Jan. 8 vs. Rider: OUTLOOK: See above.

GAME BALLS

Juan'ya Green (Niagara) scored 32 points, 26 in the second half, to nearly lead the Purple Eagles to a comeback victory against St. Bonaventure. Green was 10 of 17 from the field, 2 of 5 from behind the arc and 10 of 15 from the foul line. He leads the MAAC in scoring at 20.1 points per game and surely is a look for Freshman of the Year.

Erik Etherly (Loyola) scored 18 points to help the Greyhounds bounce back from their loss at No. 1 Kentucky with an impressive win at Bucknell.

AIR BALLS

It's hard to say anything negative about the play of Scott Machado (Iona) but the First Team All-MAAC point guard had just five points in the loss to Hofstra. He did dish out 10 assists but had a very un-Machado like six turnovers.

Tom Parrotta (Canisius) has to get more out of his Griffs. 3-10 isn't good enough for a coach that really needed a good season.

Rider's first half at Stony Brook. The Broncs had won two in a row coming in but made it impossible for themselves to make it three by scoring 19 first half points and falling behind by as many as 20 in those opening 20 minutes. By the time Rider rallied to get within eight, it didn't have anything left to get any closer.

Look ahead to Rider's game against Manhattan

2012-01-01T10:54:00.001-05:00

Who: Rider (3-11, 0-2) at Manhattan (9-5, 2-0)

When: Monday, Draddy Gymnasium, 7 p.m., 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider lost to Stony Brook, 79-62. Manhattan def. Binghamton, 94-51.

Background: Two rounds of MAAC games are in the book and the long haul starts Monday. In tune with the rest of their season, the Broncs are behind the proverbial 8-ball after dropping both games.

Manhattan (71-55 winners in Lawrenceville) can complete the season sweep Monday night and heap more misery on Tommy Dempsey’s scuffling club.

“We have a huge game,” Dempsey said. “They would be 3-0 in the MAAC and we would be 0-3 so they can kind of put us in the rearview mirror right off the bat.”

To salvage anything from this season, Rider is going to have to make some noise in conference play. Dempsey still thinks there is a gap between Iona, Fairfield, Loyola and everybody else.

So he's preaching, "don't get swept" to his players.

“If you sweep a team early, it really gives you a leg up,” Dempsey said. “We feel it’s important that we get that game back because we didn’t feel like we played real well the first time.”

Avoiding the sweep won’t be easy. First-year coach Steve Masiello is doing yeoman’s work in Riverdale. The Jaspers, who won six games a year ago, are easily the most improved team in the league with nine wins already to their credit.

They’ve won six of their last seven thanks largely to the play of George Beamon. The junior guard is averaging an outstanding 16.6 points per game, scoring in double figures in 13 of the team’s 14 games (he didn’t play against Columbia).

Danny Stewart and Jeff Jones both average 13.4 points per game to lead the Broncs. Brandon Penn is coming off back-to-back double-doubles, averaging 18 points and 12.5 rebounds in those two contests.

“That first league game is really big for us,” Dempsey said. “I think everybody knows that.”

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Jon Thompson (Jr., 7.6 ppg), G-Eddie Mitchell (Fr., 4.4 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 10.9 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (So., 13.4 ppg), C-Dera Nd-Ezuma (Jr., 2.4 ppg)

Manhattan: G-Michale Alvarado (So., 8.3 ppg), G-George Beamon (Jr., 16.6 ppg), G-Mohamed Koita (Jr., 2.5 ppg), F-Emmy Andujar (Fr., 8.3 ppg), F-Roberto Colonette (Sr., 6.9 ppg).

Poor first half dooms Broncs at Stony Brook

2011-12-30T22:15:00.000-05:00

If only the Rider men’s basketball team could have the first half back.

The Broncs dug themselves a 20-point hole they couldn’t get out of and fell to Stony Brook, 79-62 Friday night in their final game of 2011.

Jeff Jones led Rider (3-11) with 17 points. Jones banged home his fifth 3-pointer with 6:03 remaining to cut the Seawolves’ lead to 61-53 but the Broncs would get no closer.

As Rider ran out of gas in those final six minutes, Stony Brook (5-6) pulled away.

Dave Coley scored 16 points and Dallis Joyner added 15 for the Seawolves.

The Broncs were their own worst enemy in the first half. They turned it over 10 times and shot 7 for 20 in the opening 20 minutes.

The Seawolves attempted 13 more shots (33-20) in the first half and scored 20 points in the paint.
Rider did come out strong in the second half, outscoring SBU 17-9 to open the final stanza.

After the Broncs got it to eight on Jones’ 3-pointer, the team’s traded baskets for the next three minutes before the Seawolves finished the game on a 10-3 run.

Brandon Penn had 10 points and 11 boards for his second consecutive double-double.

Rider returns to action Jan. 2, traveling to Manhattan where it will try to avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Jaspers.

Brandon Penn stepping up at right time

2011-12-29T16:06:00.005-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE – Brandon Penn swears he never looked at the scoreboard during last week’s win over Monmouth to see how close he was to reaching a career high in points.

“I always look at the scoreboard but only to see how close the game is,” Penn quipped through a smile after the Rider men’s basketball team finished practice Wednesday afternoon.

Penn matched a career high in points with 26 and set a career best in field goals made (eight) and rebounds (15) in the Broncs’ 74-62 win over their in-state rival.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rewarded him with Player of the Week honors.

“I didn’t know I was (Player of the Week) until one of my brothers told me,” Penn said. “I thought I could have got it a few times before but it’s nice to be recognized and finally get something like that.”

Coach Tommy Dempsey told Penn before the season started that he thought this could be the senior’s breakout year.

Penn has always been second fiddle to Justin Robinson, Mike Ringgold and Novar Gadson. But with Robinson and Ringgold graduating and Gadson struggling with injuries the Broncs need somebody to step up.

Penn provided that lift against Monmouth.

“He’s playing with confidence,” Dempsey said. “He’s one of those guys we’ve really grown to rely on.”

Now it’s up to him to continue to play with that confidence. Penn might not get 26 and 15 every night – he’s averaging 11 points and four rebounds per game – but Dempsey thinks he can be a difference maker the second half of the season.

“I know that he can make shots,” Dempsey said. “If he continues to rebound the ball like he did the other night and continues to be a leader that is probably more important to me. He’s always been a high percentage shooter and it’s more the rebounds and the leadership I’ve grown to appreciate through these last few weeks.”

Rider (3-10) has won two in a row and begun to show signs of life after starting the season 1-10. Its defense, which was allowing 82 points per game, has given up less than 80 in the last three games.

The Broncs, who had three days off for Christmas, travel to 4-6 Stony Brook Friday night before starting the New Year Jan. 2 at Manhattan.

Penn said they’re feeling like a team refreshed.

“We feel good,” he said. “We’ve had some good practices and we feel like we’re getting off to a new start.”

And his New Year’s resolution.

“Hopefully,” he said, “that is getting more wins.”

MAAC Monday

2011-12-26T12:35:00.002-05:00

-- Every Monday I'll take a look around the MAAC from the week that was and look ahead to what's on tap. Without further ado, on to the inaugural addition of MAAC Monday:

Canisius (2-9, 0-2): Last week -- def. South Dakota, 90-80 in overtime; lost to Loyola-Illinois, 59-45. This week -- Dec. 28 vs. Binghamton (0-10), Jan. 1 at Fairfield (7-5). OUTLOOK: Rumblings that Tom Perrotta could be on the hot seat in Buffalo started after his team's exit in the MAAC quarterfinals a year ago and the Griffs' rough start this season can't be helping matters. Facing winless Binghamton in their final non-conference game could at least give them a lift heading into the league grind.


AP Photo: Rakim Sanders Fairfield

Fairfield (7-5, 2-0): Last week -- lost to No. 9 Connecticut, 79-71. This week -- Dec. 28 at Drexel (6-4), Jan. 1 vs. Canisius (2-9). OUTLOOK: There was hope the MAAC could grab two NCAA bids this year with both the Stags and Iona putting out talented teams. After the first 12 games, it looks like the only way the league gets two bids is if someone other than Iona wins the conference tournament. The Stags had chances for quality wins but are 0-5 in those games with the only solid victory coming against 6-6 Old Dominion. That said, Sydney Johnson will like the way his kids battled back against UConn after falling behind by double digits in the first half. A win over a good Drexel team that was picked to win the CAA would be nice boost heading into league play.

Iona (10-2, 2-0): Last week -- def. Vermont, 73-72; def. William & Mary, 83-65. This week -- Dec. 29 at Hofstra (5-7), Jan. 3 vs. Siena. OUTLOOK: The Gaels have lived up to the hype that came with their talented roster. They can finish an eight-game road trip 7-1 by beating Hofstra Thursday. Mike Glover's been a beast, averaging 18.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and Scott Machado has been every bit of a top-five point guard, averaging 10.4 assists per game. Barring a 2012 collapse in MAAC play, Iona has set itself up nicely for an at-large bid should it falter in the conference tournament.

Loyola (8-3, 2-0): Last week -- lost to No. 3 Kentucky, 87-63. This week -- Dec. 28 at Bucknell (8-5), Jan. 2 vs. Niagara (4-8). OUTLOOK: Jimmy Pastos won't be disappointed with his team's effort at Rupp Arena. The Greyhounds trailed by six at the half before the Wildcats pulled away in the second half. Erik Etherly (12.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg) is having an All-MAAC type of season.

Manhattan (8-5, 2-0): Last week -- def. Towson, 81-62; lost to George Mason, 81-61. This week -- Dec. 30 at Binghamton (0-10), Jan. 2 vs. Rider (3-10). OUTLOOK: Steve Masiello's team won five in a row before falling at George Mason and after a 2-0 start to conference play the Jaspers should feel confident. George Beamon is averaging 16.4 points per game for a team that has overachieved this year after winning six games a year ago.

Marist (5-7, 1-1): Last week -- def. Hartford, 89-86 in double overtime; lost to Penn, 84-71. This week -- Dec. 28 vs. Columbia (7-4), Jan. 2 vs. St. Peter's (2-10). OUTLOOK: The five wins for Chuck Martin's squad is a success after six wins all of last season. The Red Foxes will surely surpass that total but it's still hard to see them finishing in the top six.

Niagara (4-8, 0-2): Last week -- lost to Quinnipiac, 85-81. This week -- Dec. 2 vs. UMBC (1-10), Dec. 30 vs. St. Bonaventure (6-5), Jan. 2 at Loyola (8-3). OUTLOOK: The Purple Eagles have lost five of their last six after a 3-3 start but it's not the fault of freshman Juan'ya Green. The guard's averaging 19.1 points per game to lead the league.

St. Peter's (2-10, 1-1): Last week -- lost to Kent St., 67-58; lost to Utah St.; 72-47, lost to Texas-Arlington, 73-68. This week -- Dec. 28 vs. Lehigh (9-4), Jan. 2 at Marist (5-7). OUTLOOK: John Dunne knew this was going to be a difficult season. He lost four starters from last season's MAAC tournament championship team and his team's youth has been exploited. They've lost six straight, failing to score 50 points in three of those games.

Siena (4-7, 0-2): Last week -- def. Princeton, 63-59. This week -- Dec. 28 at Florida Atlantic (4-8), Jan. 3 vs. Iona (10-2). OUTLOOK: How to figure the Saints? They lost seven of eight after starting 2-0, then picked up a nice win over Princeton at home. Freshman guard Evan Hymes has been outstanding this season, scoring a career-high 22 points against Princeton. Siena might just be dangerous in the MAAC this season.

Rider (3-10, 0-2): Last week -- def. UMBC, 73-66 in overtime; def. Monmouth 74-62. This week: Dec. 30 at Stony Brook (3-6), Jan. 2 at Manhattan (8-5): OUTLOOK: No question the Broncs have been the biggest disappointment in the league, but they showed signs of life last week. The defense is starting to pick up, holding three straight opponents under 80 points.

GAME BALLS

- Brandon Penn (Rider) matched a career-high 26 points in the team's win over Monmouth. He also set career bests in field goals made (eight) and rebound (15). The Broncs have won two in a row for the first time all season.

- Evan Hymes (Siena) scored a career-high 22 points to help the Saints get a much-needed win over a decent Princeton team. Hymes leads the Saints with 15 point per game.

AIR BALLS

- St. Peter's has lost six straight and while the defending tournament champs were going to struggled after losing four starters, the Peacocks look like they could finish rock bottom in the MAAC.

Brandon Penn matches career-high 26 points to lead Rider over Monmouth

2011-12-23T00:08:00.003-05:00

WEST LONG BRANCH — Even in the midst of the tough start to this season, the Rider men’s basketball team has been able to count on Brandon Penn.

The senior matched a career-high 26 points Thursday night as the Broncs won their second straight and fifth consecutive over in-state rival Monmouth with a 74-62 victory at the Multipurpose Activities Center.

“It’s great to see Brandon be rewarded with the way he’s been playing,” said coach Tommy Dempsey. “He’s been a really underrated player in our program, and he’s kind of been in the shadows of some other really good players. I think he’s really stepped up through this struggle.”

Everybody saw Penn Thursday night. His 26 points — he hit the 26-point mark Dec. 2 of last year at Manhattan — came on a career-best eight made field goals (8 for 16), six of which came from behind the arc.

He also set a career high in rebounds with 15.

“There wasn’t really a different feeling about the game,” Penn said. “I just came in like it was any other game. I just made more shots.”

The Broncs (3-10) didn’t wilt when Monmouth scored five straight points to cut the deficit to 64-60 with 3:43 left, instead, coming right back within seconds to increase the lead back to six after Eddie Mitchell and Danny Stewart connected on an alley-oop.

“We’ve been having trouble closing games out,” Penn said. “Since we were up, we didn’t want to be complacent and slow it down, so we just kept pushing it.”

The defense took care of the rest.

After getting within 64-60, the Hawks (2-10) made only one field goal the rest of the way.

“I feel good about us right now,” Penn said. “We’re starting to get a good rhythm and hopefully we can keep it going after the break.”

Rider even came back on the boards, out-rebounding Monmouth for the game, 38-34, making it the first time all year that it has grabbed more boards than the opponent.

In the first half, it was the Hawks’ offensive rebounding that allowed them to stay in the game. They grabbed 11 boards on the offensive glass that led to 10 second-chance points.

The Broncs led 31-25 at intermission despite going 7:01 without scoring in the first half.

Penn hit a trio of 3-pointers with his first one giving Rider a 7-2 lead and forcing Monmouth into an early timeout. But the Hawks responded with eight straight points over the next 7:01 to take a 10-7 lead until Danny Stewart finally broke the scoring drought with a layup.

Stewart was the only other Rider player in double figures with 17 points.

Ed Waite had 15 points and 11 rebounds to lead Monmouth.

Hawks coach King Rice wasn’t happy with his team’s performance.

“Our players weren’t here tonight,” Rice said. “They had already gone on break. That’s what happens — finals come, kids want to go home, they leave before they’re supposed to and you get beat.”

Penn didn’t take an early vacation.

“He was here. He wanted to play before he went home,” Rice said. “They’re 3-10, we’re 2-10 and when your record looks like this, you either say, ‘I’m going to be a man and fight,’ or, ‘I’m going to run like a little boy.’ And tonight, he was a man and he fought, and we ran like little boys.”

Rider (2-10) at Monmouth (2-9) Gameday

2011-12-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

Who: Rider (2-10) at Monmouth (2-9)

When: Thursday, Multipurpose Activities Center, 7 p.m. 107.7 FM The Bronc.

Last time out: Rider def. Maryland-Baltimore County, 73-66 in overtime. Monmouth lost to Rutgers, 81-66.

Background: The Broncs have played better in their last two games — an overtime loss to princeton and an overtime victory over UMBC — but are in the midst of playing eight of their next nine away from home.

They went 11-6 on the road last year but are 1-4 this season.

The biggest improvement in the last two games has come on the defensive end of the floor. Tommy Dempsey has made a tactical adjustment to use a half-court trap that falls back into a matchup zone.

Rider was allowing 82.3 points per game prior to its previous two contests and allowed less than 80 in both of those games.

Dempsey said utilizing the trap has given his team an energy boost.

“We try to put in a game plan that helps us get stops,” Dempsey said. “We needed something to grab onto defensively, something to rally around. We’ve used this little three-quarter, half-court trap to get the guys excited about defense and keep our opponents off balance.”

Monmouth will play just its second home game of the season Thursday. The Hawks are 2-9 but beat Fordham by 15 in that one home date.

They’ve also played a difficult schedule including games against Villanova, Virginia Tech, George Mason, Vanderbilt and Rutgers.

“I’m really worried about the game,” Dempsey said. “They’ve been away so much that I think they’re going to be really ready for a home game. It’s going to be a tough game.”

At beginning of the season, you would have pegged Rider to win this game but considering the fortunes for the Broncs that’s far from a given.

“Going into the season, it’s a game we really need to win,” Dempsey said. “But if you look at it now, it’s no gimme. We have a two-point win and an overtime win. That’s it. To sit here and make any sense of we’re better this team and they’re better than that team, we’re not there right now. We have to focus on us.”

Monmouth is in a transition year. The Hawks are under first-year coach King Rice and have a depleted roster after several players were dismissed from the team last season.

Junior guard Jesse Steele is the Monmouth player to watch. He leads the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game.

Projected starting lineups: Rider: G-Eddie Mitchell (Fr., 3.1 ppg), G-Jon Thompson (Jr., 7.9 ppg), F-Danny Stewart (So., 13.3 ppg), F-Brandon Penn (Sr., 9.8 ppg), C-Dera Nd-Ezuma (Jr., 2.8 ppg).
Monmouth: G-Dion Nesmith (Jr., 8.3 ppg), G-Andrew Nicholas (Jr., 7.5 ppg), G- Jesse Steele (Jr., 11.1 ppg), F- Mike Myers Keitt (Sr., 7.5 ppg), F-Ed Waite (Jr., 8.4 ppg).

Jon Thompson's move to two-guard provides lift

2011-12-21T15:39:00.001-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE – Jon Thompson had all summer to think about how his role would change for the Rider men’s basketball team.

Thompson, a junior from Orlando, would be asked to take over at point guard and fill the void vacated by the graduated Justin Robinson.

But just like his team, Thompson had a rocky start to the season. He was suspended for the first two games because of an NCAA violation that also cost him the MAAC Tournament last year.

Once he did get on the court, the Broncs were already 0-2, and by the time Thompson or any of his teammates knew what hit them, Rider was off to its worst start in 68 years.
Thompson had a tough time adjusting to all the responsibilities put on the point guard’s shoulders.

“It was almost like he had too much responsibility,” said coach Tommy Dempsey. “You’re not a natural point guard and you’re trying to get everybody organized. You’re trying to get the right guys shots. You’re trying to figure out how to get those guys shots while picking your own spots.”

So Dempsey made a decision to start freshman Eddie Mitchell at the point and move Thompson off the ball to the two-guard.

Thus far, it has worked well.

Thompson has scored in double figures in his last four games, including a career-high 17 in an overtime loss to Princeton.

“I’m way more comfortable off the ball than on,” Thompson said. “Playing with the ball is something that I’m learning as I go this year.”

Thompson said he’s simply taking what the defense gives him.

Dempsey thinks he’s in a more natural position.

“He missed the first two games and then was thrown into a position where Novar (Gadson) was injured and couldn’t do the things he was supposed to do as a senior,” Dempsey said. “Jon’s trying to figure out, “where do I best fit in?’”

The change has also allowed Thompson to be more of a force defensively. Dempsey has started to utilize a half-court trap that falls back into a matchup zone to help his defensively-challenged team.

Rider has allowed less than 80 points in each of its last two games, both of which went to overtime.

“It slows them up,” Thompson said about changing the defensive look. “It gives them a short shot clock and that helps us defensively.”

The Broncs picked up their second win by beating UMBC in overtime last Saturday and can try to win two in a row for the first time this season Thursday night when they face Monmouth (2-9).

If Rider is going to put a win streak together it is going to have to come away from Alumni Gymnasium. The Broncs are in the midst of playing eight of the next nine games on the road.

They went 11-6 in road games last year but are 1-4 this season.

Tommy Dempsey happy to reach century mark

2011-12-20T21:43:00.003-05:00


AP Photo

--Caught up with Tommy Dempsey at practice Tuesday to chat about reaching the 100-win mark and if he ever thought he'd get there considering the way the team has struggled this year.

LAWRENCEVILLE — Tommy Dempsey will go down in Rider men’s basketball history as the fastest coach to 100 victories.
It still took a little longer than expected.
Dempsey entered this season, his sixth as head coach in Lawrenceville, needing two wins to reach the century mark.
Off to a 1-10 start and on the heels of a six-game losing streak, Dempsey admitted he felt like it might not ever come. But the Broncs held off Maryland-Baltimore County, 73-66, Saturday night in overtime for the milestone victory.
“Any time you reach a milestone, it’s a good feeling,” Dempsey said Tuesday after practice as he prepares to embark on another 100 when his team faces Monmouth Thursday night. “It was just soured by how long it took. But at the same time, it’s a reminder that we won before, and hey, we’ll win again.”
Dempsey needed 176 games to reach 100 wins, passing Kevin Bannon as the quickest to reach the century mark. Bannon, who spent eight years in charge at Rider and is the last coach to guide the Broncs to the NCAA Tournament, did it in 179 games.
“We’ve been talking about it for a while,” said senior forward Brandon Penn. “It just took a long time to get it. I’m glad we finally got it.”
Dempsey said it slipped his mind how close he was to 100 because of the way the team has struggled.
“I didn’t think too much about it because you only need two wins and you don’t think you’re going to have to wait until December,” he said. “I didn’t really give it a lot of thought and kind of forgot about it because it took so long.”
If anything, for Dempsey, the milestone serves as a reminder of the success the program has had over the last five years.
During those first five seasons, the Broncs’ 98 wins were more than any other school in the New York Metropolitan area. Hofstra (95), Long Island (82), St. John’s (81) and Seton Hall (79) all come in behind them. Only Siena (110) had more wins in the MAAC over that period.
“We’re in a little bit of a tough stretch,” Dempsey said. “It does serve as a little bit of a reminder that we’re going to get this right.”
Rider is the midst of playing eight of its next nine games away from Alumni Gymnasium.
While the games are on the road, the schedule does lighten up. Monmouth and Stony Brook — the next two opponents — are a combined 5-15.
“Right now, it’s not about a win-loss number,” Dempsey said. “It’s about performance-by-performance and what can we take out of each game and build on.
“I know that winning is important, but our overall record isn’t going to change overnight. It has to be about, ‘Are we getting better?’ And I feel like we are getting better over the last few weeks. Now you hope that it will translate into wins as you get better.”
Gadson hurting
Dempsey said senior forward Novar Gadson is being hampered by sore knees. Gadson had microfracture surgery in the offseason and said he felt “100 percent” prior to the season opener
Dempsey played him regular minutes but quickly realized he was having a hard time getting up and down the court.
“It’s a wear and tear thing,” Dempsey said. “He’s just having a hard time with his range of motion.”
Gadson didn’t play against Princeton but did see 14 minutes off the bench in the win over UMBC.
Myles picks up knock
Anthony Myles injured his left wrist and sat out practice Tuesday. Dempsey said it’s a minor injury and Myles, who is left handed, will practice Wednesday and play Thursday against Monmouth.
Medley to redshirt
Dempsey said freshman guard Mark Medley will seek a medical redshirt. Medley broke his left wrist in the offseason and re-aggravated the injury during practice.
Medley, from Wilmington, Del., played seven minutes in the season-opener at Robert Morris but hasn’t appeared since and isn’t dressing for games.
He is practicing with the team.

Rider 88, Manhattan 59

2010-12-02T21:11:00.004-05:00

NEW YORK -- Whether it was a 3 from the wing or an emphatic dunk to finish an alley-oop, Brandon Penn found ways to score Thursday night against Manhattan.

And in a conference game Rider badly needed to win, Penn had plenty of help.

In Rider's 88-59 rout of Manhattan, Penn scored a career-high 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting. He passed his carer high of 14 in the first half, then kept the baskets coming -- from inside and out -- after that.

"He can be an explosive scorer at times," coach Tommy Dempsey said. "If he can defend and rebound and become a complete player he can be really good. ... He was good in our press, he rebounded the ball well and the shots fell."

Read the full story here.

LIVE COVERAGE: Rider at Manhattan

2010-12-02T13:42:00.001-05:00

Rider at Manhattan

Weekly MAAC chat

2010-12-01T10:57:00.001-05:00

Weekly MAAC chat

Hofstra 58, Rider 48

2010-11-29T20:00:00.006-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Rider was cold early and inefficient late. That meant an early-second half surge wasn't enough in what ended as an ugly 58-48 loss to Hofstra Monday night at Alumni Gym.

Charles Jenkins scored 19 points to lead a balanced scoring attack, and the Pride beat the Broncs for the second straight year, sending Rider to its second straight home loss after a four-game winning streak.

The Broncs, who ranked at or near the top of the national leaderboard in 3-point percentage for their first five games, shot 21 percent (6-for-28) from beyond the arc and only 34 percent (20-for-59) from the floor.

"Really no excuses," said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey. "We played poorly, I coached poorly. Just a group effort. Everyone was bad, from the coaches to the players, right on down the line. There's really no excuse for it. We'll get here early in the morning and try to get better."

Rider (4-3) has scored 60 points or fewer twice in a row after scoring no fewer than 67 in its first five games.

Read the full story here.

LIVE COVERAGE: Hofstra at Rider

2010-11-29T17:41:00.000-05:00

Hofstra at Rider

Heading north

2010-11-29T11:58:00.002-05:00

When this blog launched in December of 2007, no one was sure if there would be enough interest in MAAC and mid-major basketball to make it worthwhile.

I wasn't fully sold on it myself, but my hope was that combining Rider beat coverage with news and some analysis from throughout the MAAC would get the attention of enough people to get it off the ground.

Thanks to an amazingly loyal and dedicated group of people who have taken part in live chats, left comments and, in many cases, contributed with original ideas, the blog has been by far the most fun part of my job at The Trentonian.

With that in mind, it's with mixed emotions that I'm leaving The Trentonian next week for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, where I'll be the morning news editor for the Connecticut Post, Stamford Advocate, Danbury News-Times and Greenwich Time.

In new my new job, I'll be overseeing day-time news coverage on the sites while chipping in for the sports department, which has a heavy focus on local colleges. Conveniently, the MAAC tournament this year will be in Bridgeport -- within walking distance of the Post newsroom.

This blog will stay up at Trentonian.com and likely be taken over by my replacement when he or she arrives. In the meantime, the sports staff will keep it active with Rider coverage and tidbits from throughout the MAAC.

I'll be at two more Rider games -- tonight against Hofstra and Thursday at Manhattan -- and will also co-host the weekly MAAC chat with Andy Santillo on Wednesday at 11 a.m.

To everyone who has read the blog and especially to those who have taken part in our live coverage, I'll always be grateful to you for making this work.

VIDEO: Mitch Buonaguro after Siena's win

2010-11-27T00:31:00.001-05:00

VIDEO: Tommy Dempsey after Rider's loss

2010-11-27T00:04:00.001-05:00

Siena 73, Rider 60

2010-11-26T19:03:00.006-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Different cast of characters, same story.

Siena's Big Three of Ronald Moore, Alex Franklin and Edwin Ubiles are gone, but the Saints rolled past Rider in Friday night's MAAC opener using the same recipe that got them a win in last year's MAAC tournament semifinals: a backbreaking run in the second half to pull away for a convincing win.

The difference this time -- as the Saints beat the Broncs 73-60 for their seventh win in eight meetings -- was the magnitude of the run.

After the Broncs led 47-44, Siena went on a 20-1 to put the Broncs away. The run was a prolonged version of the 16-0 run the Saints used last March in Albany.

It wasn't an all-out thrashing like the one the Saints delivered last February in their last trip to Alumni Gym. It was, however, a sign that things haven't changed all that much in the MAAC, in which Siena is capable of routinely winning on the road.

"I thought the team that played better won the game," said Rider coach Tommy Dempsey. "We were just a step slower today. We were a step off. ... It wasn't a good performance by our group and I thought, to give Siena credit, they played well, they played better than us and we got what we deserved because we didn't play well enough to win."

Read the full story here.

LIVE COVERAGE: Siena at Rider

2010-11-26T18:09:00.000-05:00

Siena at Rider

Siena-Rider at a glance

2010-11-25T13:57:00.002-05:00

THE BASICS

WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Alumni Gym

RECORDS: Siena is 1-3; Rider is 4-1

ON THE AIR: Radio: 107.7 FM, GoBroncs.com (Daryl Fein, Steve Rudenstein, Kevin Bannon)

SERIES: Siena leads 23-10

LAST MEETING: Siena won 72-62 last year in the MAAC tournament semifinals

SCOUNTING SIENA

The Saints, winners of the last three MAAC regular-season and tournament championships, figure to contend in the MAAC despite losing a class that included all-MAAC players Alex Franklin (last year's conference Player of the Year), Ronald Moore and Edwin Ubilies. ... Ryan Rossiter, the preseason MAAC Player of the Year, has lived up to or exceeded expectations early on. The Staten Island native is averaging 22.8 points (21st in the country) and 12.3 rebounds (fifth). He has double-doubles in three of the Saints' four games this season and 20 of their last 23 going back to last year. ... Senior shooting guard Clarence Jackson, a Marlton native and preseason first-team all-MAAC pick, is averaging 18.8 points and shooting 50 percent (10-for-20) from 3-point range. ... O.D. Anosike (9.0 points, 4.0 rebounds) is the Saints' best hope for a third scoring option. ... Freshman point guard Rakeem Brookins (7.3 points, 3.5 assists) has played well after moving into the starting lineup last Saturday at Northeastern. ... Junior forward Owen Wignot (6.8 points) is shooting 55 percent (6-for-11) from 3-point range.

SCOUTING RIDER

With a balanced scoring attack led by Justin Robinson, the Broncs have won four straight for the first time since late in the 2008-09 season. .... Robinson, who shared Player of the Week honors with Siena's Jackson last week, is averaging 17 points per game and shooting 52 percent from 3-point range. ... Novar Gadson, taking significant strides forward and drastically improving his shot selection, is averaging 13.6 points and shooting 65 percent (11-for-17) from 3-point range after shooting 29 percent last year. The junior from Philadelphia has scored in double figures in all five games, including a season-high 18 in a 73-63 win last Sunday over Loyola Marymount. ... Mike Ringgold is averaging 12.6 points and a team-high six rebounds. He scored 16 points last Sunday on 8-for-11 shooting. ... Brandon Penn, in his first year as a full-time starter, is averaging 6.2 points and shooting 50 percent (6-for-12) from 3-point range. ... Sophomore Jon Thompson has started all five games and is averaging 4.2 points in 19.6 minutes. ... Freshman Danny Stewart is averaging 4.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 22 minutes.

Pre-Thanksgiving MAAC chat

2010-11-24T10:57:00.000-05:00

Weekly MAAC chat, Nov. 24

Pre-Thanksgiving MAAC chat

2010-11-23T21:03:00.001-05:00

VIDEO: Tommy Dempsey on win over LMU

2010-11-21T21:11:00.000-05:00

Rider 73, Loyola Marymount 63

2010-11-21T14:20:00.009-05:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Rider was sluggish early and not fully in control late. But the Broncs are headed back to New Jersey having put together a fulfilling weekend -- and feeling confident heading into next Friday's MAAC opener against Siena.

The Broncs, with a balanced approach led by Novar Gadson's 18 points, beat Loyola Marymount 73-63 for their fourth straight victory. They've won their last three games -- all on the road or a neutral site -- by an average of 15 points.

Rider trailed by as many as eight in the first half. After the Broncs took control with a 17-4 run early in the second half and stretched the lead to 14, the Lions went on a 10-0 run to get within four at 63-59.

But the Broncs executed late to win their fourth straight -- something they didn't do at all last year and haven't done since winning five straight from Feb. 18 to March 7, 2009.

The Broncs host Siena Friday in the MAAC opener for both teams.

The MAAC has been anything but impressive in the season's first two weeks, but the Broncs and Saints both made the league look good this weekend: Rider winning with relative ease in the Hall-of-Fame Tip-Off Classic and Siena routing a talented Northeastern team Saturday on the road.

Read the full story here.

LIVE COVERAGE: Rider vs. Loyola-Marymount

2010-11-21T11:45:00.001-05:00

Rider vs. Loyola-Marymount

Rider 76, TCU 61

2010-11-20T16:18:00.004-05:00

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Back in Massachusetts, Rider put to bed any notion that the Broncs are a first-half team.

Playing a TCU team that had won its first two games by 20 or more points apiece, Rider overcame a six-point halftime deficit Saturday afternoon for a thoroughly impressive win, its third in four games to open the season.

Unlike the Broncs' first trip to the Bay State, when they blew a 21-point halftime lead and lost to UMass, Rider turned it on in the second half, quickly turning a back-and-forth struggle into a blowout.

The Broncs used a 32-12 run to build a double-digit lead and coasted from there, getting contributions from nearly everyone.

Justin Robinson, enjoying the best four-game stretch of his career, scored 18 points. Novar Gadson, starting to work within the flow of the offense and drastically improving his shot selection, had 15 -- just the beginning of the list of players who made an impact.

Every Bronc played and all but two -- freshman guard Tommy Pereira and sophomore center Dera Nd-Ezuma -- scored.

Read the full story here.

LIVE COVERAGE: Rider vs. TCU

2010-11-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

Rider vs. TCU

Travel, win over USC helping Rider build chemistry

2010-11-20T11:25:00.004-05:00

Few teams have traveled as much this season as Rider, which opened the season at UMass, played one home game and flew cross-country to play USC before heading back north this weekend to Springfield.

But given the Broncs' 77-57 rout of the favored Trojans last Wednesday, the travel has helped build chemistry.

Unlike last year, when Rider got its doors blown off by Virginia and Kentucky before heading on a long trip to Cancun, the Broncs have had reason to be in a good mood.

Even after blowing a 21-point lead in last Friday's opener at UMass, Rider remained confident, knowing it had a chance to quickly move on with its home opener looming.

The trip back from Los Angeles could have been dreadful, but having blown out a Pac 10 team on its home floor, the Broncs were eager to get up and hit the road at 6 a.m. for the return cross-country flight.

"Everyone was smiling, having a good time," coach Tommy Dempsey said. "We got up to get on the plane. We checked out of our hotel at 6 a.m. and you would have thought it was noon. I don't care if you're at home or you're 20,000 miles away, nothing builds chemistry like winning. We went out there, played 10 guys and we won. Losing tests your mettle and tests your character, but when you win it seems to be a lot easier to keep good chemistry."

Rider-TCU at a glance

2010-11-20T01:51:00.002-05:00

THE BASICS

WHEN: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

WHERE: MassMutual Center, Springfield, Mass.

WHAT: Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic

RECORDS: Rider is 2-1; TCU is 2-0

SERIES: First meeting

ON THE AIR: Radio: 107.7 FM, www.gobroncs.com (Daryl Fein, Steve Rudenstein and Kevin Bannon)

SCOUTING RIDER

The Broncs manhandled USC Wednesday night in one of their most impressive showings of the past two seasons. Justin Robinson scored a game-high 28 points on 9-for-10 shooting. The senior guard was 5-for-5 from 3-point range and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. In three games this season, Robinson is 9-for-13 (69 percent) from 3-point range and 11-for-12 (92 percent) from the line. He's averaging team bests in points (19.3) and assists (4.3). ... Mike Ringgold is averaging 11.7 points and a team-high six rebounds. ... Novar Gadson is averaging 11.7 points off the bench and is 5-for-9 (56 percent) from 3-point range despite having shot 29 percent from long range last year. ... Brandon Penn is averaging seven points and 4.7 rebounds. ... Danny Stewart (five points, five rebounds) and Jon Thompson (3.7 points) are also probable starters.

SCOUTING TCU

The Horned Frogs, under aptly named third-year coach Jim Christian, have cruised in their first two games, routing Jackson State 86-62 and 84-64 over SMU. ... TCU is eight in the country in field goal percentage at 55.5 percent but 325th in rebounding at 29 per game. ... Five-9 junior point guard Hank Thorns is averaging 11 points and a team-high 10 assists. He had 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting and 10 assists against SMU. ... Six-2 junior guard Ronnie Moss is averaging a team-high 18 points along with 3.5 assists. He scored 20 to lead the Horned Frogs over Jackson State. ... Six-9 freshman Amric Fields is averaging 13.5 points. ... Six-7 sophomore Garlon Green is averaging 13 points and five rebounds. ... Sammy Yeager, a 6-4 sophomore guard, is averaging 12.5 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds. He had 17 points and nine rebounds in 23 minutes against SMU.

Rider 77, USC 57

2010-11-18T03:52:00.001-05:00

This report filed by The Trentonian's Fred Sakai:

LOS ANGELES - Any negative effects Rider may have had traveling cross-country for the game against USC were quickly erased when the Broncs took command in the opening minutes, ultimately leading to a wire-to-wire 77-57 victory Wednesday night.

Rider (2-1) started out hot with a 15-6 lead and continued to play good basketball throughout the game, part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic.

While the Trojans clawed back to a 21-21 tie with 5:39 left in the first half, the Broncs quickly responded with their own 10-2 run in a span of 3:51. Justin Robinson and Jhamar Youngblood each scored five in that run.

Rider took a 36-27 lead to halftime.

While still fresh were the memories of the second half collapse at UMass, the Broncs had two 6-0 runs, sandwiched between a USC 3-point play by Bryce Jones, to lead by 18 with 16:36 left in the game.

Read the full story here:

LIVE COVERAGE: Rider at USC

2010-11-17T20:13:00.001-05:00

Rider at USC

Weekly MAAC chat

2010-11-17T02:39:00.001-05:00

MAAC hoops weekly chat

Rutgers 68, Fairfield 53

2010-11-15T21:07:00.006-05:00

PISCATAWAY -- Judging by the staggering number of empty seats at Monday's Rutgers-Fairfield game, you wouldn't know that Mike Rice was beginning to infuse life into a dormant program.

Rice, having just signed a top-10 recruiting class and coaching his first game at the RAC, has created a buzz that has affected recruits but not yet potential ticket-holders.

Yet despite the rag-tag roster that Rice inherited from Fred Hill, the product on the court may be worthy of increased support.

In a 68-53 win over the Stags, the Knights surged ahead by clamping down on defense late in the first half, then maintained that energy down the stretch to pull away from the MAAC favorites.

"I thought against Princeton our energy was good but when we went back and watched film, the details were brutal," Rice said, referencing Rutgers' season-opening overtime loss last Friday. "We had two days of great practice defensively and we shored up some of the mistakes in our defense. When you put that intensity with a purpose, it's a pretty good effort."

Read the full story here.

LIVE COVERAGE: Fairfield at Rutgers

2010-11-15T19:01:00.000-05:00

Fairfield at Rutgers

Fairfield-Rutgers chat Monday from the RAC

2010-11-15T02:54:00.001-05:00

VIDEO: Rider-Lafayette postgame

2010-11-15T02:50:00.001-05:00

VIDEO: TCNJ preview

2010-11-15T02:47:00.001-05:00

TCNJ, which played an exhibition game last weekend at Rider, opens its season tonight against Elon.

Here's what Pete Kelly, Brandon Johnson and coach Kelly Williams had to say about the team's Mercer County flavor and the challenges of playing Division I teams:

Rider 80, Lafayette 73

2010-11-14T18:24:00.000-05:00

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Every Rider player player and all but one scored, lifting the Broncs to an 80-73 win over Lafayette on Sunday at Alumni Gym.

The Broncs' bench outscored 37-7 their Lafayette counterparts 37-7, helping Rider recover from an opening-night loss to UMass to record their first win of the year.

Justin Robinson had 18 points and five assists, Novar Gadson had 10 points and freshman Danny Stewart had nine points and eight rebounds for the Broncs, who play at USC Wednesday.

Mike Ringgold had six points and six rebounds and passed the 1,000-point mark for his career in the first half.

Jim Mower scored 31 points on 8-for-11 3-point shooting for the Leopards (0-2).

LIVE COVERAGE: Lafayette at Rider

2010-11-14T11:25:00.001-05:00

Lafayatte at Rider

Lafayatte game a chance to move on for Rider

2010-11-14T11:19:00.001-05:00

Mike Ringgold stood outside the Rider locker room Friday night still unsure of exactly what went wrong.

At halftime, in the same hallway, the Broncs' captain had gathered an energized team that shouted its signature phrase -- hungry and humble -- before taking the court in the second half with a 21-point lead.

Now the senior forward was perplexed, having just been part of a collapse in which Rider was outscored 53-22 in the second half of a 77-67 loss to UMass.

The mood was different. This, though, remained the same: Regardless of the outcome Friday, the Broncs had a quick turnaround before Sunday's game against Lafayette.

This is a long season, one in which Rider needs to build momentum heading into the MAAC season. The Broncs were sky high after upsetting Mississippi State in last year's opener. They were dejected Friday night, but last year offered a lesson: Reacting to performances, good or bad, is as important as the initial performance.

"It's a learning experience," Ringgold said. "We're going to have to get back to the drawing board."

Friday's game was not a game was not seesaw battle. Rather teams going on alternate runs, this was a rout in Rider's favor in the first half followed by an even bigger rout in UMass' favor in the second.

The Broncs had opportunities to halt UMass' momentum, but could never do so.

"I thought we could have done a better job handling the pressure," Ringgold said. "I thought the whole time that we would push the lead back to 15, but it just went the other way."

Yet for all their struggles, the Broncs won't have to ponder what went wrong for long. Sunday presents an opporunity both to move on and to make a statement in Rider's home opener.

"This game really doesn't mean anything," Ringgold said. "We want to try to win them all, but it's good that we get to go back home and play before the home crowd."

Princeton gearing up for No. 1 Duke

2010-11-13T18:38:00.000-05:00

Princeton's season-opening 78-73 win over Rutgers was an impressive first step -- a game in which the Tigers followed through when many predicted they would win against a team that has owned them in the recent past.

Sunday, it gets a whole lot harder.

The Tigers, preseason favorites to win the Ivy League, will get the biggest test imaginable when they play No. 1 Duke in front of a hostile Cameron Indoor Stadium crowd.

The Blue Devils, the consensus favorite to repeat as national champions, are playing their opener -- a scene that could cause many opponents to become unraveled.

But the Tigers are talented, experienced and smart -- the hallmarks of successful Princeton teams of the past. Coach Sydney Johnson said he's confident his team can maintain its composure.

“I just think we’re trying to play to our strengths," Johnson said. "Are we going to run and gun with Duke? Probably not, but there are certain opportunities when we’re going to go. It is a point of emphasis and we’re not going to get crazy with it, but I think we can score points. We have talent, but we still have to defend. Rutgers field goal percentage was a little too high, so we have to fix that.”

Read the full story here.

Rider-Lafayette at a glance

2010-11-13T15:54:00.002-05:00

THE BASICS

WHEN: Sunday, 4 p.m.

WHERE: Alumni Gym

ON THE AIR: Radio: 107.7 FM, GoBroncs.com (Steve Rudenstein and Kevin Bannon); TV: ESPN Full-Court, ESPN3.com, RCN Cable Network.

RECORDS: Both teams are 0-1

SERIES: Lafayette leads 39-36

LAST MEETING: Rider won 84-77 on Nov. 23, 2008 in Easton, Pa.

SCOUTING LAFAYETTE

The Leopards, picked second in the preseason Patriot League coaches' poll, lost their season opener 63-58 Friday at Wagner. ... Jared Mintz, a 6-9 senior forward who averaged 14.1 points per game last year, had 23 points and seven rebounds in Friday's loss. ... Six-8 junior forward Ryan Willen (12.2 ppg last year) had 11 points on 3-for-7 shooting Friday. ...Six-3 junior guard Jim Mower (13.3 ppg last year) had 10 points Friday. ... Tony Johnson, a 6-foot sophomore guard, had eight points and three assists, while fellow guard Ben Wheeler had five points and four rebounds. ... The Leopards got virtually no production Friday from their bench -- an indication that Rider's reserves could have a major advantage Sunday. Guard Rob Delany, with one point in 19 minutes, was the only Lafayette reserve who scored. ... Forward Levi Giese and guard Nick Petrovich played 18 and 14 minutes, respectively, but neither scored.

SCOUTING RIDER

The Broncs looked like a Big East team in the first half Friday at UMass and an NJAC team in the second. Rider built a 22-point lead with aggressive ball-movement and lights-out 3-point shooting, then let it slip away with passive offense and sometimes lackluster defense. ... Mike Ringgold led the Broncs Friday with 21 points and nine rebounds, all but two of the rebounds coming in the first half. ... Novar Gadson had 13 points off the bench on 3-for-3 3-point shooting, while Justin Robinson scored 12 points but was largely contained in the second half by UMass freshman point guard Daryl Traynham. ... Rider's three freshmen -- forward Danny Stewart and guards Anthony Myles and Tommy Pereira -- combined for only six points in 36 minutes. Stewart, one of Rider's starting power forwards, had no points and three rebounds in 13 minutes. ... Brandon Penn started but played only 14 minutes, finishing with five points on 1-for-5 shooting.

VIDEO: Tommy Dempsey after loss to UMass

2010-11-13T04:13:00.001-05:00

VIDEO: Pregame, postgame scene at UMass

2010-11-13T03:24:00.002-05:00

Here's the pregrame and postgame scene at the Mullins Center, with postgame reactions from the Minutemen's Freddie Riley and Anthony Gurley and coach Derek Kellogg:

Princeton 78, Rutgers 73

2010-11-12T22:57:00.001-05:00

This report filed by The Trentonian's Steve Miller:

PRINCETON — For as much as the first half at Jadwin Gymnasium was all about Princeton on Saturday, the second half was all Rutgers.

But the deciding period was overtime, when the Tigers earned a 78-73 win.

Princeton sophomore Ian Hummer got the Tigers going, driving to the basket and laying it in as the shot clock expired to give the Tigers a 69-66 advantage.

It was the second key basket for the 6-foot-7 forward, who tied the game at 65, forcing the extra period. A 3-pointer by senior guard Dan Mavraides extended Princeton’s advantage, sealing the decision in the intrastate rivals’ season openers.

“It feels great, it definitely feels great,” said Mavraides, who led all scorers with a career high 26 points. “I personally never beat Rutgers, coach [Sydney Johnson] has never beat Rutgers, so it definitely means a lot. We play them every year and it’s kind of a backyard battle, so it means a lot.

UMass 77, Rider 67

2010-11-12T21:43:00.004-05:00

AMHERST, Mass. -- The first half of Friday's Rider-UMass game was so lopsided in Rider's favor that the UMass student section nearly emptied at halftime.

Too bad they didn't stick around.

What looked like an emphatic statement for Rider turned into a stunning collapse, one full of defensive breakdowns, sloppy possessions and untimely turnovers in a 77-67 loss.

I think the worst thing that could have happened to us was halftime," coach Tommy Dempsey said. "We were in such a good rhythm in the first half and what got us ahead, what gets you ahead is that aggressiveness, but now you're up 20 points and you're trying to play smart while still being aggressive, and we didn't have a good mix of that."

With a barrage of early offense led by lights-out 3-point shooting, the Broncs threatened to turn this into an all-out thrashing. Rider finished the first half on an 11-3 run and led 45-24 at the break -- a score that stood out among the number of eye-openers from throughout the country.

But the second half ended up being even more lopsided than the first, the Minutemen all but running the Broncs off the floor. Those of the 3,784 who actually stuck around made it a hostile environment for the Brocns, who couldn't halt UMass' momentum as a 15-3 run became a 40-9 run.

"We were trying to chip away, but chipping away became a couple of 3s," said UMass coach Derek Kellogg. "... I thought early in the game, we had an unbelievable crowd. The students were here in droves. To have them there and kind of lay an egg, we have to make sure they write some good stuff and the students realize we had a good game so they come back."

Read the full game story here.

LIVE COVERAGE: Rider at UMass

2010-11-12T18:53:00.000-05:00

Rider at UMass

LIVE COVERAGE: Rutgers at Princeton

2010-11-12T18:48:00.000-05:00

Rutgers at Princeton

Live Opening Night coverage

2010-11-12T13:07:00.001-05:00

VIDEO: Justin Robinson on Rider-UMass

2010-11-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

VIDEO: Mike Ringgold on Rider-UMass

2010-11-11T11:57:00.001-05:00

Rider-UMass at a glance

2010-11-11T03:13:00.005-05:00

THE BASICS

WHEN: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Mullins Center, Amherst, Mass.

ON THE AIR: Rider radio: 107.7 FM, GoBroncs.com (Daryl Fein, Steve Rudenstein); TV: Live feed available at UMassathletics.com.

RECORDS: Season opener for both teams.

SERIES: UMass leads 7-0

LAST MEETING: UMass won 73-63 on Dec. 23, 2004 in Amherst.

SCOUTING RIDER

The Broncs return seven of their top eight scorers from last year, but not Ryan Thompson, who led the team in points and minutes and tied for the lead in assists. ... Justin Robinson (13.3 points, 45 percent 3-point shooting) is their leading returning scorer. After sharing ball-handling duties with Thompson over the past two seasons, he'll be back to being the full-time point guard, a role he played during his freshman season in 2007-08. ... Mike Ringgold (11 points, 7 rebounds per game last year) joined Robinson as a preseason second-team all-MAAC pick. He'll likely be joined in the starting frontcourt by Brandon Penn (4.2 points, 39 percent 3-point shooting last year) and freshman Danny Stewart. ... Sophomore Jon Thompson (2.4 points in 16.9 minutes last year) will likely start alongside Robinson in the backcourt, with freshman Anthony Myles (16 points in Sunday's exhibition win over TCNJ) and Novar Gadson (11.2 points, team-high 7.5 rebounds last year) coming off the bench.

SCOUTING UMASS

The Minutemen, under third-year head coach Derek Kellogg, were picked 11th out of 14 teams in the preseason Atlantic 10 media poll. ... Leading scorer Ricky Harris (19.8 points per game last year) is gone, now playing professionally in Lithuania, but the rest of the core of last year's team is back, led by 6-3 senior guard Anthony Gurley. Gurley, who played one season at Wake Forest before transferring, averaged 13.6 points and 4.2 rebounds last year. He needs 30 points to reach 1,000 for his career. ... Six-7 forward Terrell Vinson (9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds last year) will be a handful for Ringgold and Stewart in the low post, as will 6-9 junior center (7.1 rebounds, team-best 1.3 blocks). ... Vinson had 21 points and nine rebounds last year in a win over Memphis. ... Six-10 senior Hashim Bailey, who played his first two seasons at Memphis, averaged 4.7 rebounds last year off the bench. ... Six-5 sophomores Freddie Riley (9.3 points, 35 percent 3-point shooting) and Javorn Farell (38 percent from 3) are threats from the perimeter. ... Highly regarded freshman Daryl Traynham, a 5-9 point guard, will share ball-handling duties with Gurley.

Greg Lewis, Myles Mack, Mike Taylor first to sign with Rutgers

2010-11-10T15:24:00.003-05:00

Rutgers sent out this press release on the Knights' first three signees:

PISCATAWAY -- Rutgers University head men's basketball coach Mike Rice announced Wednesday that power forward/center Greg Lewis (Baltimore, Md), point guard Myles Mack (Paterson, NJ) and shooting guard Mike Taylor (Brooklyn, NY) have signed to compete for the Scarlet Knights. The incoming trip signals the start to the early period, in which recruiting analysts predict RU to sign an incoming class ranked among the top nationally.

"We are very excited to welcome Greg, Myles and Mike into the program," said Rice. "Not only are they talented basketball players, they are quality young men who will help us build a foundation for the future. We look forward to a recruiting class that Rutgers and its fans will be proud of."

Live chat: MAAC season preview

2010-11-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

MAAC season preview

MAAC chat Wednesday at 11 a.m.

2010-11-09T23:23:00.001-05:00

MAAC Lookalikes of the Year are .... Anthony Bozzella and Rick Moranis

2010-11-09T20:45:00.004-05:00

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, it's time to announce the winners of the first annual Full-Court Press MAAC lookalikes contest.

Having received 36 percent of the vote in the six-way race, the MAAC Lookalikes of the Year are Iona women's coach Anthony Bozzella and Rick Moranis, as shown playing Dark Helmet in the sci-fi mega-hit Spaceballs.

Congratulations to mo_donnell, who submitted the nomination via Twitter, and thanks to everyone else for the nominations.

Below are the official elections results:

Anthony Bozzella and Rick Moranis: 36 percent
Ed Cooley and Aaron Neville: 28 percent
Tim Cluess and Edward Rooney: 19 percent
Jimmy Patsos and Jack Arnold: 11 percent
Ryan Rossiter and McLovin: 6 percent
Joe Frager and John Malkovich: 0 percent

Stonehill 61, Fairfield 60

2010-11-08T23:51:00.002-05:00

Well, Fairfield lost to a Division II team last year and still rebounded to get to within a jump shot of the NCAA tournament.

With that in mind, there is a precedent -- also set last year with Syracuse, which lost to LeMoyne before eventually earning a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance -- for teams suffering humilating defeats like the one Fairfield suffered tonight.

But if Ed Cooley and Co. wanted to keep the buzz going into Saturday's opener against Sacred Heart, losing to Cooley's alma matter tonight at the Arena at Harbor Yard probably wasn't the best idea.

The most alarming stat for a team that's supposed to have good low-post play? The Stags were outrebounded 39-34.

If you're not on high blood pressure medication and think you can survive looking at it, here's the box score.

***

Anyone up for MAAC hoops chatter?

In addition to the regular Rider game chats, I'm pleased to announce I'll be co-hosting a live MAAC chat every Wednesday morning along with Troy Record Siena beat writer Andy Santillo.

The chat will be live every week at 11 a.m. both here and on Andy's On the Sidelines blog.

Grant Fiorentinos to Tulane

2010-11-08T14:40:00.002-05:00

Grant Fiorentinos, a 6-foot-10 English import who stars at the Hun School in Princeton and went on an official visit to Rider last month, verbally committed today to Tulane, according to multiple published reports.

Fiorentinos was at Rider for last month's Midnight MAACness festivities. At the time his list of considerations included the Broncs, Robert Morris and Florida Atlantic, but the Green Wave showed increased interest over the last month and today, landed Fiorentinos.

The Broncs, who got a commitment last week from 7-foot-1 Lithuanian Nerijus Anglickis, have two available scholarships.

Guards Eddie Mitchell and Mark Medley committed to Rider over the summer and, along with Anglickis, are expected to sign national letters of intent this fall.

Myles impressive in Rider win

2010-11-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

LAWRENCEVILLE -- After each 3-pointer went through, barely grazing the rim on its way down, Anthony Myles paused for a split second, casually pumped his fist and grinned.

This was the face of a player very much at home -- pleased but not surprised by his success.

If Rider is going to exceed expectations this season, players like Myles -- a touted freshman from Dover, Del. -- will have to make a major imact.

Saturday's 80-42 exhibition win over Division III TCNJ didn't offer many clues as to how the season will unfold. But the play of Myles and junior forward Brandon Penn were clear positives as the Broncs prepare for Friday's opener at UMass.

Myles scored 16 points off the bench in 24 minutes. He finished 5-for-8 from the floor and -- most impressively -- 4-for-5 from 3-point range. He'll have to manage a delicate balance this season, scoring when called upon but knowing his role as a secondary option and not trying to do too much.

Saturday was a good start.

Read the full story here.

VIDEO: Tommy Dempsey after Rider's exhibition win

2010-11-06T20:33:00.003-04:00

Here's Tommy Dempsey after Rider's 80-42 win over TCNJ.

... Quick correction on a question I asked: Anthony Myles HAS missed a 3-pointer. He missed one today, having gone 4-for-5. So the next miss will actually be his second. So my question -- how will Dempsey react to the first miss? -- was off by one.

We'll have video from Myles and Brandon Penn later on.

Rider 80, TCNJ 42

2010-11-06T17:50:00.002-04:00

LAWRENCEVILLE -- In its only dress rehearsal before next week's season opener at UMass, Rider routed Division III TCNJ 80-42 Saturday at Alumni Hall.

Brandon Penn scored 19 points -- the last two on a 360 dunk in the final minutes -- and freshman Anthony Myles had 16 on 4-for-4 3-point shooting for Rider, which played its first game since 2003-04 without one of the Thompson brothers on the roster.

Novar Gadson had 12 points, Justin Robinson had 11 and Mike Ringgold added nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Broncs, who play the Minutemen Friday in Amherst, Mass.

Nottingham High's Peter Kelly scored nine points and Donovan Smalls scored seven -- five in the first five minutes -- to lead the Lions, who had won the previous five meetings between the schools.

LIVE COVERAGE: Rider hosts TCNJ

2010-11-06T13:41:00.001-04:00

TCNJ at Rider

VIDEO: Novar Gadson on Rider-TCNJ

2010-11-06T04:26:00.001-04:00

VIDEO: Justin Robinson on Rider-TCNJ

2010-11-06T04:25:00.001-04:00

VIDEO: Kareem Maddox at Princeton media day

2010-11-04T22:16:00.000-04:00

VIDEO: Sydney Johnson at Princeton media day, part 2

2010-11-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

VIDEO: Sydney Johnson at Princeton media day

2010-11-04T22:08:00.001-04:00

This video and the next two are courtesy of The Trentonian's Ryan Feldman:

VIDEO: Doug Davis and Ian Hummer at Princeton media day

2010-11-04T18:17:00.001-04:00

This video courtesy of The Trentonian's Ryan Howard:

Target on Princeton's back as season approaches

2010-11-04T17:34:00.002-04:00

This report filed by The Trentonian's Ryan Feldman:

PRINCETON – The time is now for Princeton men’s basketball.

After a successful season last year in which the Tigers finished 22-9 overall, 11-3 and second place in the Ivy League, they are now the conference favorites this season.

Princeton had a shot at winning the Ivy last season but fell short of conference powerhouse Cornell after losing both games to the Big Red. The Tigers then won two games in the College Basketball Invitational before being eliminated by Saint Louis in the semifinals.

"Last year taught us a lot," said junior guard Doug Davis. "We went further than we did the previous year. We made mistakes but we also had a lot of success. I think that’s gonna carry over into this year."

Cornell has dominated the Ivy for the past few years, but now Louis Dale, Ryan Wittman, Jeff Foote and head coach Steve Donahue are all gone. That gives the Tigers a huge opportunity to win the league and start a new era of success atop the Ivy League.

"With this team, it’s not ‘This is the year,’" said Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson. "We don’t believe in that stuff at all. If you bust your tail in practice every day, we’ll go get what is coming for us, what belongs to us. There’s no ‘This is our year’ stuff."

Read the full story here.

Notes from Rider practice

2010-11-04T13:33:00.003-04:00

Stopped by Rider practice early this morning, and came away with a few notes:

First, Tommy Pereira is more in the mix than I anticipated he would be.

Coming in -- partially because Periera grew up in England and came to Rider from the Canary Islands -- he was almost an afterthought when discussing Rider's freshmen.

There's no question Anthony Myles and Danny Stewart deserve to be the headliners of the class, and that they'll make an immediate impact. But Tommy Dempsey indicated Pereira is very much in the mix to get starters' minutes or something close to that.

Aside from Justin Robinson, Pereira is Rider's best outside shooter. That gives him an immediate role. But Dempsey has also been impressed with other aspects of his game and thinks he's a good fit in Rider's offense.

Next, Rider is leaning toward flipping Novar Gadson and Brandon Penn, using Penn as more of a small forward and Gadson as a power forward. The Broncs' hope is that will maximize those players' strenghts -- Penn's outside shooting, Gadson's muscle -- while minimizing their weaknesses, such as Gadson's often shaky perimeter shooting.

Because Rider's offense is so perimeter-oriented -- for all intents and purposes, they haven't had a center since Jason Thompson's departure -- there isn't always a huge difference between the guy playing the 3 and the guy playing the 4. But look for Gadson to play more as a post player than a guard.

Lastly, everyone is a full-go healthwise except for Dera Nd-Ezuma, who's still hobbled by tendinitis. Nd-Ezuma, who had injections in both knees last month, will not dress for Saturday's exhibition game against Division III TCNJ.

Rider news and notes with exhibition approaching

2010-11-04T00:55:00.003-04:00

Rider plays its only exhibition game Saturday against Division III TCNJ at Alumni Gym -- the Broncs' lone dress rehearsal before opening the season for real Nov. 12 at UMass.

A few notes as the game approaches:

* When the Broncs scrimmaged Seton Hall last weekend, Tommy Dempsey was extremely impressed -- in some ways, pleasantly surprised -- with the play of freshman Anthony Myles, who came off the bench while classmate Tommy Pereira started.

* Pereira didn't shoot well, but Dempsey was pleased with how the English import fit into the Broncs' offense and passed the ball. Dempsey said another freshman, Danny Stewart, had some "big-time blocks."

* Beyond Justin Robinson and Mike Ringgold, Dempsey isn't sure who will start Saturday against TCNJ or in the opener at UMass.

Regardless, the Broncs should have far more options off the bench than in years past -- one of the few areas where this year's team has a real upgrade over the teams of the last two or three years.

Whereas last year, Dempsey settled into a rotation that was mostly eight or nine deep, this year's bench could include some combination of Myles, Jhamar Youngblood, Pat Mansell, Jon Thompson, Brandon Penn and, presumably, when healthy, an improved Dera Nd-Ezuma, who should make strides since last year was just his third season of organized basketball.

"Our athleticism from the guys who came off the bench was really good," Dempsey said of last week's scrimmage. "I felt like I had some real great players to bring off the bench, and I thought that fit us well. Anthony gave us a real lift and Danny did as well, so we looked like a pretty deep team."

There's no question Myles, rated the No. 171 prospect in the country out of Polytech High in Dover, Del, is one of the four or five most talented players on the roster. A similar thing can be said about Stewart, who fits a need Rider has with interior defense and rebounding.

But there's no guarantee either will start, at least not when the season begins.

There's also no guarantee Novar Gadson will be in the starting lineup, though he's fully healthy now after suffering an offseason ankle injury. Gadson, when he's on, could be Rider's most dangerous weapon. But he's been inconsistent throughout his first two seasons and has sometimes performed better off the bench.

Which five start won't be as important as which six or seven get the most minutes. With that in mind, look for Robinson, Myles, Gadson, Penn, Stewart and Ringgold to be mainstays, with players like Mansell, Pereira, Youngblood and Thompson having opportunities to earn more minutes.

Nd-Ezuma, still recovering from tendinitis in both knees, might take several weeks to work up to full speed, though he should be healthy enough to suit up for the opener. His progress will certainly be hindered by his health, but if he can prove capable of providing five to eight minutes of good defense, look for him to do that as soon as he's physically able.