If you are a casual basketball fan, not too familiar with names and class standing, and you saw Derek Needham play this season, you'd be shocked to learn he was named the MAAC Rookie of the Year. This is not because you wouldn't think he was deserving, but because you didn't think he was eligible.
Needham has played beyond his freshman standing since he took the court for Fairfield. He is averaging 16.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, all in the top five in the conference and first among freshmen. He's also pulling down 3.3 rebounds per game, an impressive number for a 5'11" point guard.
The numbers, while incredible, don't tell the whole story. Needham is a leader for Fairfield, no small feat considering the Stags finished in second place in the MAAC after posting a 13-5 record. You often hear announcers and even coaches talk about a "freshman wall," but if one existed for Needham, he bulldozed right through it.
After winning the rookie award and being named to the All-MAAC second team, Needham elevated his game even more in the conference tournament in Albany 10 days ago, proving he belonged right up there with the league's backcourt stars, most of whom are upperclassmen. In Fairfield's first game against Canisius, Needham played all 40 minutes and dropped a game-high 29 points, outperforming senior point guard Frank Turner, who scored 15 before an unfortunate incident led to his ejection with five minutes remaining. The Stags won 67-57.
Against Niagara and senior guard Tyrone Lewis, a name associated with clutch play in the MAAC tournament, Needham was outscored by Lewis 20-17, but Fairfield won 69-63 to advance to the final. Lewis had to watch the final 1:28 from the bench after fouling out.
During Fairfield's postseason run, Needham admitted he owes some of his success against the elite, veteran guards in the league to imitation. "When we watch film, I like to watch them," he said. "I feel we have great guards in our league, and I can be one of them. My preparation is to watch what they do and maybe take some of their moves."
The Stags came out on the wrong side of an overtime game against No. 1 seed Siena, but Needham's 16 points and three assists led the team. Playing all 45 minutes, he outperformed the Saints' Ronald Moore, who scored nine and added six assists.
Siena head coach Fran McCaffery was certainly impressed with Needham's play throughout the season. "Phenomenal point guard," he said. "One of the best freshman point guards I've seen in my 27 years."
In fact, every MAAC coach, media member, and fan who had an opinion on Needham had a positive thing to say. And why wouldn't they? The freshman from Dalton, Ill. is a star on the court and appears to be a great kid off of it. The person who knows Needham as well as any of these people, Fairfield head coach Ed Cooley, had the highest of praise. He was asked whether he knew Needham would be this good so quickly.
"When we recruited Derek I told my boss, 'We've got a point guard. We're going to give him the ball right away. We feel he can be good,'" Cooley said after his team had advanced to the championship. "But that kid's a really special talent. Hell no, I didn’t think he was that good; you'd call me a liar."
To expect a freshman to achieve the level of success Needham has is unreasonable, but Cooley obviously saw a lot of traits he liked, even if some of them have blossomed earlier than anticipated. "Not only is he good (as a player), he's a great person...unbelievable character, natural-born leader. And that's really what our program has been missing, and to get a freshman to be able to do that, you can't ask for more than that. He's a home run recruit."
Needham and the Stags came up just short in their quest for an NCAA Tournament appearance, but they'll still get a taste of the postseason in the College Insider Tournament, which starts tonight. Fairfield plays at George Mason.
With the 2011 MAAC Tournament moving to Fairfield's home arena in Bridgeport, the Stags have hopes of their soon-to-be sophomore star leading them to a much bigger postseason stage.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Marist Womens Basketball: A MAAC Dynasty
ALBANY, N.Y. -- The big story on the women's side is that Marist is the MAAC Tournament Champion for the fifth straight year after defeating Fairfield 66-49 early Sunday afternoon. But before I get into that, it would be unfair not to mention Fairfield's unbelievable run to the MAAC title game. To win nine games in a row and get itself to the final after all the injuries this season was truly incredible. Winning its third game in three days with a virtually non-existent bench was simply too tall of a task. However, if it weren't for the overwhelming excellence of the opponent, the Stags may have been able to do it.
The fact that the opponent was top-seeded Marist was no surprise. There hasn't been a MAAC Tournament final in the last seven years that hasn't involved the Red Foxes. The most amazing part, though, is of course the consecutive championships. Consider that on the men's side the most consecutive titles won is three (by LaSalle). It may seem like the Saints have been dominating for a long time, but the Siena men have only won two in a row and are appearing in only their fourth straight final.
In other words, the Marist women's basketball dynasty is unlike any other in MAAC hoops history. Leading the way is 6' forward Rachele Fitz. The senior has done nothing but win since arriving on campus. Marist head coach Brian Giorgis said, "If there's a better player in the history of this league, I'd like to meet her." Hard to argue with him considering Fitz's resume which, after this weekend's wins and awards, includes four MAAC regular season and conference titles, three MAAC Player of the Year awards, and two MAAC Tournament MVPs, to name a few.
She is averaging 18 points and eight rebounds this season. Despite some foul trouble that kept her on the bench for a period in the first half, Fitz still scored 15 in the title game, shooting seven-of-12 from the field. She is modest enough to deflect praise to her teammates and coaching staff, but anyone involved with women's basketball in the MAAC knows about her great career. A couple of wins in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and even more people in the college basketball community will know too.
Fairfield eliminates the Gaels from one tournament, helps them get into another: Iona may have lost to the Stags on Saturday, but Fairfield's loss to Marist in the title game guaranteed that the Gaels would receive an invite to the NIT. Per NCAA rules, if the regular season champ also wins the conference tournament, then the second-place team automatically gets an NIT bid. Therefore, Marist's win clinched a spot for Iona.
Iona head coach Anthony Bozzella, good friends with Giorgis, was appreciative of the Red Foxes accomplishment. Said Giorgis: "I already got a text that said 'congrats and thanks.'"
The fact that the opponent was top-seeded Marist was no surprise. There hasn't been a MAAC Tournament final in the last seven years that hasn't involved the Red Foxes. The most amazing part, though, is of course the consecutive championships. Consider that on the men's side the most consecutive titles won is three (by LaSalle). It may seem like the Saints have been dominating for a long time, but the Siena men have only won two in a row and are appearing in only their fourth straight final.
In other words, the Marist women's basketball dynasty is unlike any other in MAAC hoops history. Leading the way is 6' forward Rachele Fitz. The senior has done nothing but win since arriving on campus. Marist head coach Brian Giorgis said, "If there's a better player in the history of this league, I'd like to meet her." Hard to argue with him considering Fitz's resume which, after this weekend's wins and awards, includes four MAAC regular season and conference titles, three MAAC Player of the Year awards, and two MAAC Tournament MVPs, to name a few.
She is averaging 18 points and eight rebounds this season. Despite some foul trouble that kept her on the bench for a period in the first half, Fitz still scored 15 in the title game, shooting seven-of-12 from the field. She is modest enough to deflect praise to her teammates and coaching staff, but anyone involved with women's basketball in the MAAC knows about her great career. A couple of wins in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and even more people in the college basketball community will know too.
Fairfield eliminates the Gaels from one tournament, helps them get into another: Iona may have lost to the Stags on Saturday, but Fairfield's loss to Marist in the title game guaranteed that the Gaels would receive an invite to the NIT. Per NCAA rules, if the regular season champ also wins the conference tournament, then the second-place team automatically gets an NIT bid. Therefore, Marist's win clinched a spot for Iona.
Iona head coach Anthony Bozzella, good friends with Giorgis, was appreciative of the Red Foxes accomplishment. Said Giorgis: "I already got a text that said 'congrats and thanks.'"
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Niagara Eliminates Iona, Feels the Gaels Pain
ALBANY, NY. -- Last night here at the Times Union Center, the No. 6 seed Niagara Purple Eagles defeated the No. 3 seed Iona Gaels. Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich was all too familiar with the outcome.
"Two years ago we were in this game, the three-six game," Mihalich said. "(Tonight) was like history repeating itself. We lost to Marist. We finished third, Marist finished sixth, and these guys -- Tyrone Lewis and company -- learned from that painful experience."
The two matchups and their results are amazingly similar. In the 2008 MAAC Tournament, Niagara was the young team that went 12-6 in conference to earn the three seed. Marist was the six seed, but had the veterans that so often reign supreme in postseason play, starting four seniors and a junior. Many thought Marist would be a difficult matchup for the Purple Eagles and they were right, as the game went down to the wire. Back and forth throughout, Marist took the lead for good with just under two minutes left and won 66-62.
Compare that to last night's (or should I say, this morning's) game. Iona, at 12-6, was the young, inexperienced three seed with the unlucky Tournament draw. Yes, the Gaels had already beaten Niagara twice this season, but the Purple Eagles have been playing their best basketball of late. College basketball coaches always talk about peaking in March, and that's certainly what Mihalich's squad is doing. With a completely healthy roster, Niagara is clicking after a mid-season slump that saw them lose six of seven conference games.
Of the five players who saw the most minutes last night for Niagara, four are seniors and one is a junior. Contrast that with Iona's underclassmen-heavy roster (two freshmen and a sophomore started) and you've got the makings for another "upset," at least in terms of seeding. Sure enough, Niagara reclaimed the lead with just under two minutes remaining and never looked back. Even the final score, 68-64, was nearly identical to the Niagara-Marist outcome.
The post-game chatter was focused primarily on Niagara's advantage in one of the areas you can't coach: experience. "Our seniors are winners. Our seniors have been there before," Mihalich said. "Somebody said to me this morning, "It's going to be the up-and-coming stars against the current stars -- the seniors -- and it was going to be a battle of wills. And thank goodness our seniors did what they had to do at the end, whether it was a defensive play, taking a charge, or making foul shots."
The most clutch player was certainly the senior guard Lewis, who had a game-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds. His three-pointer with 1:47 to play put Niagara up for good, and he was perfect from the free throw line, including going six-for-six in the final 1:25 to preserve the victory.
"I think (experience) is huge," Iona head coach Kevin Willard said. "They're an experienced team. We beat St Peter's (in the regular season finale) and they told me we got Niagara. They were picked second in the conference for a reason.
"Experience is tough. We had our chances though.”
Iona fans can rest assured knowing that in just a couple of years it will be the Gaels who have the experience that is just so critical in these conference tournaments.
"Two years ago we were in this game, the three-six game," Mihalich said. "(Tonight) was like history repeating itself. We lost to Marist. We finished third, Marist finished sixth, and these guys -- Tyrone Lewis and company -- learned from that painful experience."
The two matchups and their results are amazingly similar. In the 2008 MAAC Tournament, Niagara was the young team that went 12-6 in conference to earn the three seed. Marist was the six seed, but had the veterans that so often reign supreme in postseason play, starting four seniors and a junior. Many thought Marist would be a difficult matchup for the Purple Eagles and they were right, as the game went down to the wire. Back and forth throughout, Marist took the lead for good with just under two minutes left and won 66-62.
Compare that to last night's (or should I say, this morning's) game. Iona, at 12-6, was the young, inexperienced three seed with the unlucky Tournament draw. Yes, the Gaels had already beaten Niagara twice this season, but the Purple Eagles have been playing their best basketball of late. College basketball coaches always talk about peaking in March, and that's certainly what Mihalich's squad is doing. With a completely healthy roster, Niagara is clicking after a mid-season slump that saw them lose six of seven conference games.
Of the five players who saw the most minutes last night for Niagara, four are seniors and one is a junior. Contrast that with Iona's underclassmen-heavy roster (two freshmen and a sophomore started) and you've got the makings for another "upset," at least in terms of seeding. Sure enough, Niagara reclaimed the lead with just under two minutes remaining and never looked back. Even the final score, 68-64, was nearly identical to the Niagara-Marist outcome.
The post-game chatter was focused primarily on Niagara's advantage in one of the areas you can't coach: experience. "Our seniors are winners. Our seniors have been there before," Mihalich said. "Somebody said to me this morning, "It's going to be the up-and-coming stars against the current stars -- the seniors -- and it was going to be a battle of wills. And thank goodness our seniors did what they had to do at the end, whether it was a defensive play, taking a charge, or making foul shots."
The most clutch player was certainly the senior guard Lewis, who had a game-high 21 points and added 10 rebounds. His three-pointer with 1:47 to play put Niagara up for good, and he was perfect from the free throw line, including going six-for-six in the final 1:25 to preserve the victory.
"I think (experience) is huge," Iona head coach Kevin Willard said. "They're an experienced team. We beat St Peter's (in the regular season finale) and they told me we got Niagara. They were picked second in the conference for a reason.
"Experience is tough. We had our chances though.”
Iona fans can rest assured knowing that in just a couple of years it will be the Gaels who have the experience that is just so critical in these conference tournaments.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Rider Beats St. Peters; Siena Tops Manhattan
ALBANY, NY. -- Manhattan did something not too many teams have been able to do this season: make the Times Union Center crowd nervous. The Jaspers led Siena by four at the half of tonight's MAAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup. But then the Saints did what No. 1 seeds typically do to No. 9 seeds, and doubled up Manhattan in the second half en route to a 78-61 victory.
But can Rider, which beat St. Peter's earlier today, do what Manhattan failed to do and put together a complete game effort to topple the Saints? Well, if recent history is any indication, Siena should have no problem advancing to its third straight title game. Rider lost its two meetings with the Saints by 26 and 22 points this season.
"Siena's embarrassed us twice," Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey said when asked about a potential rematch with Siena. "We're going to have to call a better game plan this time. Our kids will be up to the challenge. The fact that they slapped us around a little bit should be in the back of our minds as well."
But Rider found an easy way to get 31 of its points in today's game. The Broncs attempted 46 free throws (no, that's not a typo). Thirty-one of those were in the second half when St. Pete's was trying to extend the game, but 46 free throws is an eye-popping number, no matter how you analyze it. "We're hard to guard," Dempsey said. "Overall, we did what we wanted to do -- we threw the ball inside, we drove the ball into the paint -- and that normally gets you to the free throw line."
If Rider does have its way with Siena early in the game, don't expect the Saints to panic. This is a veteran team with a lot of big game experience. As they say, they're No. 1 for a reason. Senior forward and recently-named MAAC Player of the Year Alex Franklin put it best. "We always keep our composure. That's the great thing about this team," he said. "We've been through a lot of different situations together. We try not to get rattled. If things aren't going for us early, we know we're always in the game and good things are going to start coming our way."
It's that mindset that allowed Siena to weather Manhattan's hot start. The Jaspers came out with a ton of energy, claiming a 16-6 lead. There was a palpable nervousness among the Siena fans. But when Manhattan's shots stopped falling at one point in the second half, Siena was right there, ready to strike. The Saints took the lead 50-49 with 13:29 to play and never trailed again.
"We have a lot of respect for Siena; they've been the class of the league," Dempsey said. "But to have an opportunity to play Siena tomorrow in front of 10,000 people is not something that our kids will run from. That's what they're here for."
But can Rider, which beat St. Peter's earlier today, do what Manhattan failed to do and put together a complete game effort to topple the Saints? Well, if recent history is any indication, Siena should have no problem advancing to its third straight title game. Rider lost its two meetings with the Saints by 26 and 22 points this season.
"Siena's embarrassed us twice," Rider head coach Tommy Dempsey said when asked about a potential rematch with Siena. "We're going to have to call a better game plan this time. Our kids will be up to the challenge. The fact that they slapped us around a little bit should be in the back of our minds as well."
But Rider found an easy way to get 31 of its points in today's game. The Broncs attempted 46 free throws (no, that's not a typo). Thirty-one of those were in the second half when St. Pete's was trying to extend the game, but 46 free throws is an eye-popping number, no matter how you analyze it. "We're hard to guard," Dempsey said. "Overall, we did what we wanted to do -- we threw the ball inside, we drove the ball into the paint -- and that normally gets you to the free throw line."
If Rider does have its way with Siena early in the game, don't expect the Saints to panic. This is a veteran team with a lot of big game experience. As they say, they're No. 1 for a reason. Senior forward and recently-named MAAC Player of the Year Alex Franklin put it best. "We always keep our composure. That's the great thing about this team," he said. "We've been through a lot of different situations together. We try not to get rattled. If things aren't going for us early, we know we're always in the game and good things are going to start coming our way."
It's that mindset that allowed Siena to weather Manhattan's hot start. The Jaspers came out with a ton of energy, claiming a 16-6 lead. There was a palpable nervousness among the Siena fans. But when Manhattan's shots stopped falling at one point in the second half, Siena was right there, ready to strike. The Saints took the lead 50-49 with 13:29 to play and never trailed again.
"We have a lot of respect for Siena; they've been the class of the league," Dempsey said. "But to have an opportunity to play Siena tomorrow in front of 10,000 people is not something that our kids will run from. That's what they're here for."
Fairfield Women Advance to MAAC Finals, Will Face Top Seed Marist
ALBANY, NY. -- Remember when the Fairfield women were 10-12 overall and 4-7 in the MAAC? That was as recently as a month ago, after the Stags fell 55-41 to St. Peter's, their seventh loss in nine games. To say Fairfield has since turned it around would be the understatement of the season. After defeating Iona 61-57 earlier this morning in the semifinals of the MAAC Tournament, the Stags are riding a nine-game winning streak into the championship game against No. 1 seed Marist. How did this happen?
From Iona head coach Anthony Bozzella's perspective, it's all about confidence. After the Stags eliminated the Gaels from the Tournament, Bozzella spoke about this being a different Fairfield squad, one that is playing with a ton of confidence. Fairfield, the three seed, eliminated the second-seeded Gaels with the help of 16 points from Stephanie Geehan. It's hard to believe this team was tied eighth place in the conference with only seven games left.
If Fairfield is going to win its 10th straight, it's going to have to beat the four-time defending champions in the Marist Red Foxes. Led by three-time MAAC Player of the Year Rachele Fitz, Marist defeated Niagara 69-47. Fitz had 17 of Marist's 30 points in the first half and finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds despite being under the weather.
The last time these two teams met, Fairfield was coming off the aforementioned loss to St. Pete's. The 61-60 upset of the Red Foxes energized the Stags, which haven't lost since that matchup on Feb. 9. Marist won the first contest at home by seven.
"I think the biggest thing for them was getting Tara Flaherty back," Marist head coach Brian Giorgis. I think that really, really changed their team. And (Fairfield head coach) Joe Frager does a great job. He didn't win a national championship in Division II for nothing. He's a very smart coach. He's not very deep, but what he has is very good. We know we'll have our hands full."
Having been in the title game the past six years, Marist certainly comes in with the target on its back. "You always would rather be the hunted than to be the hunter," Giorgis said. "The important thing that we've been trying to do is get these guys to play like the hunter." Given Fairfield's winning streak, that might not be such a tough sell.
From Iona head coach Anthony Bozzella's perspective, it's all about confidence. After the Stags eliminated the Gaels from the Tournament, Bozzella spoke about this being a different Fairfield squad, one that is playing with a ton of confidence. Fairfield, the three seed, eliminated the second-seeded Gaels with the help of 16 points from Stephanie Geehan. It's hard to believe this team was tied eighth place in the conference with only seven games left.
If Fairfield is going to win its 10th straight, it's going to have to beat the four-time defending champions in the Marist Red Foxes. Led by three-time MAAC Player of the Year Rachele Fitz, Marist defeated Niagara 69-47. Fitz had 17 of Marist's 30 points in the first half and finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds despite being under the weather.
The last time these two teams met, Fairfield was coming off the aforementioned loss to St. Pete's. The 61-60 upset of the Red Foxes energized the Stags, which haven't lost since that matchup on Feb. 9. Marist won the first contest at home by seven.
"I think the biggest thing for them was getting Tara Flaherty back," Marist head coach Brian Giorgis. I think that really, really changed their team. And (Fairfield head coach) Joe Frager does a great job. He didn't win a national championship in Division II for nothing. He's a very smart coach. He's not very deep, but what he has is very good. We know we'll have our hands full."
Having been in the title game the past six years, Marist certainly comes in with the target on its back. "You always would rather be the hunted than to be the hunter," Giorgis said. "The important thing that we've been trying to do is get these guys to play like the hunter." Given Fairfield's winning streak, that might not be such a tough sell.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Senior Night for Iona Gaels
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- As the college basketball regular season winds down, many of the power conference schools will be honoring their seniors in upcoming games. The MAAC has already wrapped up its regular season, with the conference tournament starting on Friday night (check back here for coverage). On Feb. 20th against William & Mary, the Iona Gaels men's basketball team celebrated its Senior Night at the Hynes Athletics Center. For Iona, it was quality over quantity.
The Gaels only have three seniors—Milan Prodanovic, Jonathan Huffman, and David Nelson—but the trio has been a special part of a program that has come a long way in the past few years. Their college experiences, both at Iona and elsewhere, have all been very different from one another. One thing they share, however, is gratitude that they’re ending their college careers on such a successful note.
Nelson has had quite the unusual college athletic career. A native of Denver, the 6’8, 240 lb. Nelson was recruited to play football at Iona. The tight end chose Northern Iowa though, where he played for two years. He eventually found his way to New Rochelle after a transfer, but only got one season on the gridiron. The Iona football program was cancelled after the 2008 season.
“I came here to play football and when that fell through I didn’t want to leave Iona,” Nelson said after Friday’s 69-53 victory. “I really like Iona; the people here are great. So I decided to try walking on to the basketball team and I made it.”
Nelson had to sit out last year but became eligible for this season. Although he has only appeared in five games, he doesn’t regret his decision to stay at Iona and join the hoops team. “It’s a great thing to be a part of,” he said. “The team—they’re all such great guys. I love being around all of them…Ending (my college career) with a team like this is pretty cool.”
Huffman is no stranger to transferring either. The seven footer from Montgomery, Alabama enrolled at Louisville when Kevin Willard was an assistant there under Rick Pitino. When Willard got hired at Iona, Huffman followed. After sitting out a year, Huffman stepped in last season and played 20 minutes a game, averaging nearly seven points. This year he has been the most productive senior statistically, knocking down 40% of his three-pointers.
He poses a match-up problem for opposing teams because of his combination of height and shooting prowess. Many centers are not used to defending beyond the foul line, yet alone past the three-point line. On Friday, Huffman got the start and hit four-of-six shots, including three-of-four from downtown, for 12 points.
“Huff,” as his teammates and coaches call him, is quick to deflect any individual praise, preferring to talk about the chemistry of the team. “Everybody’s on the same page,” Huffman said. “That’s one thing about this year—the reason that we’re doing so well is that there are no outsiders.”
Rounding up the group of seniors is Prodanovic. He’s had a more standard college arc—no transfers, no football, just your typical four-year stint at one school…sort of. Prodanovic started more than 25 games each of his first three years at Iona. His freshman season was the infamous two-win campaign. The win total upped to 12 each of the next two seasons. On Senior Night, Iona picked up its 20th win. As the wins have increased, though, Prodanovic’s playing time has decreased. He got the start on Friday, but he’s only averaging 12.5 minutes per game.
The guard from Queens never complains though, at least not publicly. When he enters the game he plays hard on both ends and provides yet another outside shooting threat for this Iona team. He was in disbelief over how hard his teammates played for him and the other seniors on Friday. He also reflected on his college career, from the two-win season to the success of this year’s team.
“Life is about ups and downs and being able to overcome the downs,” Prodanovic said. “Dave Nelson told me, ‘It’s bittersweet.’ It’s beautiful and sad at the same time. I love college, I love being here at Iona…It’s sad that I’m leaving, but at the same time I’m happy that I was able to accomplish a lot of things throughout my career.”
The statistical stars of the game, sophomore Scott Machado and junior Alejo Rodriguez, who started at Iona the same year as Prodanovic but still has a year left due to a medical redshirt, both spoke about “playing for the seniors.” Willard called it one of the best wins since he’s been at Iona, though it wasn’t easy.
“Huffman and Milan have been terrific all year—not only on the basketball court but I think most importantly as leaders,” Willard said. “They’ve really helped the young kids develop all the way throughout the year. This has been a tough Senior Night for me…It’s tough to see them go. They’ve been such special kids to the program. It’s great to have those kids in the program.”
Huffman and Nelson say they do what they can to help out the underclassmen, but declined to identify themselves as the leaders of this young team. Prodanovic said the Gaels “have a bunch of leaders” and that “everybody brings something to the table,” giving the impression that he feels the same way as his fellow seniors. But as he continued to speak about his role on the team, it became clear he brings more than a little “something” to the table.
“What I wanted to make sure that the freshmen and the sophomores understood is that you have to work harder than everybody else,” he said. “You don’t want to finish off college, be a senior, and regret that you weren’t in the gym enough.
“Like Coach Willard always told me, ‘You’ve never arrived;’ you’ve never gotten there. You have to consistently be hungry and get after it even more. That’s the only way that you can be successful.”
Prodanovic would certainly know. He’s seen a whole lot in his four years with the Iona basketball program, but he can graduate knowing this: He left it in a lot better shape than it was when he arrived.
The Gaels only have three seniors—Milan Prodanovic, Jonathan Huffman, and David Nelson—but the trio has been a special part of a program that has come a long way in the past few years. Their college experiences, both at Iona and elsewhere, have all been very different from one another. One thing they share, however, is gratitude that they’re ending their college careers on such a successful note.
Nelson has had quite the unusual college athletic career. A native of Denver, the 6’8, 240 lb. Nelson was recruited to play football at Iona. The tight end chose Northern Iowa though, where he played for two years. He eventually found his way to New Rochelle after a transfer, but only got one season on the gridiron. The Iona football program was cancelled after the 2008 season.
“I came here to play football and when that fell through I didn’t want to leave Iona,” Nelson said after Friday’s 69-53 victory. “I really like Iona; the people here are great. So I decided to try walking on to the basketball team and I made it.”
Nelson had to sit out last year but became eligible for this season. Although he has only appeared in five games, he doesn’t regret his decision to stay at Iona and join the hoops team. “It’s a great thing to be a part of,” he said. “The team—they’re all such great guys. I love being around all of them…Ending (my college career) with a team like this is pretty cool.”
Huffman is no stranger to transferring either. The seven footer from Montgomery, Alabama enrolled at Louisville when Kevin Willard was an assistant there under Rick Pitino. When Willard got hired at Iona, Huffman followed. After sitting out a year, Huffman stepped in last season and played 20 minutes a game, averaging nearly seven points. This year he has been the most productive senior statistically, knocking down 40% of his three-pointers.
He poses a match-up problem for opposing teams because of his combination of height and shooting prowess. Many centers are not used to defending beyond the foul line, yet alone past the three-point line. On Friday, Huffman got the start and hit four-of-six shots, including three-of-four from downtown, for 12 points.
“Huff,” as his teammates and coaches call him, is quick to deflect any individual praise, preferring to talk about the chemistry of the team. “Everybody’s on the same page,” Huffman said. “That’s one thing about this year—the reason that we’re doing so well is that there are no outsiders.”
Rounding up the group of seniors is Prodanovic. He’s had a more standard college arc—no transfers, no football, just your typical four-year stint at one school…sort of. Prodanovic started more than 25 games each of his first three years at Iona. His freshman season was the infamous two-win campaign. The win total upped to 12 each of the next two seasons. On Senior Night, Iona picked up its 20th win. As the wins have increased, though, Prodanovic’s playing time has decreased. He got the start on Friday, but he’s only averaging 12.5 minutes per game.
The guard from Queens never complains though, at least not publicly. When he enters the game he plays hard on both ends and provides yet another outside shooting threat for this Iona team. He was in disbelief over how hard his teammates played for him and the other seniors on Friday. He also reflected on his college career, from the two-win season to the success of this year’s team.
“Life is about ups and downs and being able to overcome the downs,” Prodanovic said. “Dave Nelson told me, ‘It’s bittersweet.’ It’s beautiful and sad at the same time. I love college, I love being here at Iona…It’s sad that I’m leaving, but at the same time I’m happy that I was able to accomplish a lot of things throughout my career.”
The statistical stars of the game, sophomore Scott Machado and junior Alejo Rodriguez, who started at Iona the same year as Prodanovic but still has a year left due to a medical redshirt, both spoke about “playing for the seniors.” Willard called it one of the best wins since he’s been at Iona, though it wasn’t easy.
“Huffman and Milan have been terrific all year—not only on the basketball court but I think most importantly as leaders,” Willard said. “They’ve really helped the young kids develop all the way throughout the year. This has been a tough Senior Night for me…It’s tough to see them go. They’ve been such special kids to the program. It’s great to have those kids in the program.”
Huffman and Nelson say they do what they can to help out the underclassmen, but declined to identify themselves as the leaders of this young team. Prodanovic said the Gaels “have a bunch of leaders” and that “everybody brings something to the table,” giving the impression that he feels the same way as his fellow seniors. But as he continued to speak about his role on the team, it became clear he brings more than a little “something” to the table.
“What I wanted to make sure that the freshmen and the sophomores understood is that you have to work harder than everybody else,” he said. “You don’t want to finish off college, be a senior, and regret that you weren’t in the gym enough.
“Like Coach Willard always told me, ‘You’ve never arrived;’ you’ve never gotten there. You have to consistently be hungry and get after it even more. That’s the only way that you can be successful.”
Prodanovic would certainly know. He’s seen a whole lot in his four years with the Iona basketball program, but he can graduate knowing this: He left it in a lot better shape than it was when he arrived.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Robbie Hummel Injured for Purdue; Final Four Contenders in Short Supply
One month ago I listed the seven teams I felt had a chance to win the 2010 NCAA Tournament. I only regret including one of those teams -- Texas? Really, Texas? -- but if I could re-do the list now, I'd have to remove two teams, as Robbie Hummel's season-ending knee injury means Purdue won't be winning it all either.
In my breakdown of the Boilermakers, I wrote that if sophomore point guard Lewis Jackson returned from injury and could play at a level close to what he did last season, Purdue would make the Final Four in Indianapolis and had the third best chance to win the whole thing (behind Kansas and Kentucky). Jackson has in fact returned to the lineup, and even though his numbers and minutes are down from last year, he still provided the true point guard that Purdue lacked.
But less than a month after Jackson returned, Hummel went down, landing awkwardly on his right knee in the first half of Wednesday's game against Minnesota. The diagnosis? A torn ACL and a junior season that ends in disappointment. I feel really bad for Hummel, this Purdue team, and its fans. Other than Jackson, the Boilermaker rotation was mostly all upperclassmen. There were the trio of juniors -- Hummel, JaJuan Johnson, and E'Twaun Moore -- and the pair of seniors in Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer.
Moore is leading this team in scoring and Johnson is the top rebounder, but Hummel is a close second in both categories. He is the heart and soul of the Boilermakers. Ask any opposing coach which player means the most to this team, which player is game-planned around, which player Purdue would miss the most, and I can't imagine one that wouldn't say Hummel.
I've read about West Virginia coach Bob Huggins saying this injury is different than when his Cincinnati team lost Kenyon Martin just before the 2000 Tournament. First of all, Purdue will have more games before the Big Dance to learn how to play without its star (Martin was injured in the conference tournament, a game which Cincy lost). Secondly, and this is what I don't fully buy -- Huggins noted that the entire Cincy offense ran through Martin and that Purdue's motion offense won't be altered. The Purdue system itself may not be changed, but it certainly will be affected. Even if he's not scoring, Hummel has exceptional passing skills, especially for a player 6'8. He is often referred to as a "facilitator" on the offensive end. Even if he doesn't get the assist, sometimes he makes the pass that leads to the assist.
Veterans like Kramer -- a hard-nosed, lockdown defender who accumulates more floor burns than points, rebounds, and assists combined -- won't allow this team to lose focus of the team's goals and it's not inconceivable that Purdue could still earn a No. 1 seed (a win at home against Michigan State on Sunday puts them in great position for the top seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and a deep run there should get them a top seed in the Big Dance). But the Boilermakers' dream of winning it all is out of the question and even their goal of playing in the Final Four in their home state is all but washed away.
I still believe in Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Villanova, and Michigan State can win it all (and that's probably my new order of likelihood, too), and I still don't believe the likes of Duke, West Virginia, or Georgetown have a chance. Texas' unraveling and Hummel's injury opens the door for teams like Ohio State and Kansas State as dark horses to reach Indianapolis, though a title for either of those teams would be a huge shock.
We'll all find out soon enough. Luckily for college basketball fans, March is only three days away!
In my breakdown of the Boilermakers, I wrote that if sophomore point guard Lewis Jackson returned from injury and could play at a level close to what he did last season, Purdue would make the Final Four in Indianapolis and had the third best chance to win the whole thing (behind Kansas and Kentucky). Jackson has in fact returned to the lineup, and even though his numbers and minutes are down from last year, he still provided the true point guard that Purdue lacked.
But less than a month after Jackson returned, Hummel went down, landing awkwardly on his right knee in the first half of Wednesday's game against Minnesota. The diagnosis? A torn ACL and a junior season that ends in disappointment. I feel really bad for Hummel, this Purdue team, and its fans. Other than Jackson, the Boilermaker rotation was mostly all upperclassmen. There were the trio of juniors -- Hummel, JaJuan Johnson, and E'Twaun Moore -- and the pair of seniors in Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer.
Moore is leading this team in scoring and Johnson is the top rebounder, but Hummel is a close second in both categories. He is the heart and soul of the Boilermakers. Ask any opposing coach which player means the most to this team, which player is game-planned around, which player Purdue would miss the most, and I can't imagine one that wouldn't say Hummel.
I've read about West Virginia coach Bob Huggins saying this injury is different than when his Cincinnati team lost Kenyon Martin just before the 2000 Tournament. First of all, Purdue will have more games before the Big Dance to learn how to play without its star (Martin was injured in the conference tournament, a game which Cincy lost). Secondly, and this is what I don't fully buy -- Huggins noted that the entire Cincy offense ran through Martin and that Purdue's motion offense won't be altered. The Purdue system itself may not be changed, but it certainly will be affected. Even if he's not scoring, Hummel has exceptional passing skills, especially for a player 6'8. He is often referred to as a "facilitator" on the offensive end. Even if he doesn't get the assist, sometimes he makes the pass that leads to the assist.
Veterans like Kramer -- a hard-nosed, lockdown defender who accumulates more floor burns than points, rebounds, and assists combined -- won't allow this team to lose focus of the team's goals and it's not inconceivable that Purdue could still earn a No. 1 seed (a win at home against Michigan State on Sunday puts them in great position for the top seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and a deep run there should get them a top seed in the Big Dance). But the Boilermakers' dream of winning it all is out of the question and even their goal of playing in the Final Four in their home state is all but washed away.
I still believe in Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Villanova, and Michigan State can win it all (and that's probably my new order of likelihood, too), and I still don't believe the likes of Duke, West Virginia, or Georgetown have a chance. Texas' unraveling and Hummel's injury opens the door for teams like Ohio State and Kansas State as dark horses to reach Indianapolis, though a title for either of those teams would be a huge shock.
We'll all find out soon enough. Luckily for college basketball fans, March is only three days away!
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