Michigan State Overwhelms Long Island University with Interior Play

The Big Ten Champions were just too big, too strong, too skilled, and practically impossible for the Blackbirds to defend in the paint.  Tom Izzo’s Michigan State (MSU) Spartans took full advantage of it.

Despite a hard fought effort, the undersized Long Island University (LIU) Blackbirds simply couldn’t overcome a monster effort from MSU’s interior trio of Adrelan Payne, Derrick Nix, and, of course, Big Ten Player of the Year and potential National Player of the Year, Draymond Green.  All three big men scored a combined 58 points on 26-for-41 shooting to go along with 27 rebounds and 12 assists.  Green led the charge with a triple double (24/12/10), which was the third of his career.

The gross interior mismatch resulted in an 89-67 defeat for LIU, which knocks them out of the NCAA tournament in the round of 64 game for the second straight year.

“I thought we did a good job using speed and quickness to negate their size in the first half.  We were a little overwhelmed in the 2nd,” said LIU head coach Jim Ferry in the post-game press conference.

After 20 minutes of play, LIU found themselves only down 5 points, 42-37.  LIU was staying competitive by out-producing MSU from behind the arc (5 made 3s versus 0 for MSU) and at the foul line (8 FTs versus 4).  CJ Garner led the charge with 8 points on only 4 shots, as his team was making an concerted effort to be aggressive on the offensive end.

For the second half however, Tom Izzo showed why he’s one of the best NCAA tournament coaches in the business.  The Spartans hardly went a possession without passing the ball into the interior, forcing the undersized forwards of LIU to defend players like Green, Payne, and the massive Nix.  The halftime adjustment quickly paid off, as MSU scored 10 points on their first 6 possessions of the second half, building a commanding double-digit lead.

MSU outscored LIU in the paint, 62-26.  They out-rebounded the Blackbirds, 42-19.  And that was obviously the difference, no matter how well the Blackbirds shot from the outside or how aggressive they were on offense.

Jamal Olasewere led LIU in the game with 17 points. Julian Boyd and C.J. Garner each had 15 points, while Michael Culpo ends his career on a soar note, scoring only 3 points on a 1 for 7 shooting performance.

After the game, you can’t help but wonder how much LIU’s 0-3 start to the season affected their chance at a #15 seed.  Given the vulnerably of the #2 seeds this season with Duke and Missouri losing, one could certainly make the argument that LIU had a chance to pull off an upset if they were put in the same position as Lehigh and Norfolk State. 

In spite of their second round of 64 loss in as many years and the early season disappointment though, the LIU Blackbirds had another excellent season under Ferry.  Michael Culpo is the only major contributor leaving due to graduation, so once again, LIU will enter next season as the undisputed NEC favorite.

Together with Wagner, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, and St. Francis, LIU will help lead the NEC into perhaps their most successful season for the 2012-2013 campaign.  It's an exciting prospect for the future of the conference and hopefully, the NEC will finally be able to pull off a NCAA Tournament upset.  It will happen one of these years.

You can follow Pioneer Pride on Twitter at @pioneer_pride

Can #16 seeded Long Island University Knock Off #1 Seeded Michigan State?

As you know by now, the Long Island University (LIU) Blackbirds won their second consecutive Northeast Conference (NEC) title and qualified once again for the NCAA tournament by defeating Robert Morris in Brooklyn last Wednesday night.  Their reward for ripping through the NEC with a superb 19-2 record, however, leads to a first round showdown with Tom Izzo’s Michigan State (MSU) Spartans, winners of the Big Ten regular season and tournament championship.  Not only will the #16 seeded LIU Blackbirds battle MSU this Friday night, but they’ll also face off against history, and some pretty serious history at that.

To date, a #16 seeded team has failed to record one victory in 108 tries when challenging a #1 seeded team in the NCAA tournament.  LIU, despite four previous Big Dance appearances, has never won a NCAA game, with their closest moment resulting in a three-point loss to Jim Calhoun’s Northeastern team in 1984 (yes, THAT Jim Calhoun).  LIU has never defeated a team in the RPI top 50 (I know, Ken Pomeroy hates RPI, but just follow along until I sign up for KenPom before next season).  From the other side, MSU is 10-4 in the first round of the NCAA tournament under Tom Izzo and 8-0 when seeded fifth or higher.  Michigan State has never lost to a NEC school, nor has LIU ever beaten a Big Ten team in its history.

There are some serious historic hurdles to clear for Jim Ferry’s Blackbirds, aren’t there?

Well, I’m here to tell you LIU has a chance.  Sure, it’s a slim chance, but if LIU plays their best and gets a few lucky bounces and calls, I do honestly believe they have a shot to make history.  Just please don’t expect me to have the balls to write LIU into the second round of my office tournament bracket.

In the past two seasons, LIU has lost both of their games to Big Ten schools.  Neither team, Penn State nor Northwestern, came close to the quality of MSU, and with the absence of a ranked power conference opponent in their schedule this season, it’s difficult to forecast how the Blackbirds will respond to a national juggernaut on the big stage of the NCAA tournament.  The only real comparison is LIU's NCAA opponent from a year ago, North Carolina, but the Tar Heels don't resemble your typical Big Ten team. 

I can, however, tell you what the Blackbirds must do in order to have a chance to play in the second round on Sunday.  These four things listed below are essential for LIU to execute in order to have a fighting chance.

1) Play Up-tempo LIU Basketball

Within the vacuum of mid-major basketball, LIU can score at an efficient level in the half-court set or when pushing the pace.  With the defensive minded Spartans however, the Blackbirds must do their best to set the tempo to a 75-possession game.  Izzo’s Spartans thrive in the half-court set and lead the Big Ten in points allowed per possession at 0.91, therefore it would benefit Jason Brickman and company to run like they’ve never run before to help stay away from the Big Ten brand of physical basketball.  More possessions won’t necessarily increase LIU’s chances for an upset, but efficient possessions coupled with a low turnover ratio certainly will.

2) Shoot Lights Out Behind the Arc

Three-point shooting almost always shows up as a key to the game when I’m writing a game preview involving LIU.  This is because when LIU hits their long-range buckets, they’re almost impossible to beat…well at least at the NEC level.  This David and Goliath match-up shouldn’t be an exception to the rule, since most Cinderella schools need the three-point shot to help pull off the monster upset.  It wasn’t a coincidence that Richmond, VCU, and Morehead State each shot better than 47% from behind the arc in their respective first round upset victories last year.  Thus, Blackbird fans better hope Michael Culpo, CJ Garner, and Brickman are feeling it on Friday night.

3) Be Aggressive by Getting to the Free Throw Line

A major strength of LIU, as depicted nicely by John Templon, is their production at the free throw line.  Currently, the Blackbirds are ranked second in the nation (yes, second) in free throw production, so fouling has to be a concern for Tom Izzo.  The Spartans are only 2-4 on the year when they foul their opponent more than 20 times.  Sure, those 4 losses are to Wisconsin, Duke, Northwestern, and North Carolina, but one of those two wins could serve as an excellent blueprint for LIU.  Patriot Leaguer Lehigh lost a close December showdown with MSU, as they were competitively in the game for the first 30 minutes, in spite of playing at the unfriendly confines of East Lansing.  In the game, Lehigh forced 22 MSU personal fouls, which led to 30 free throw attempts and a rather respectable nine point defeat.

4) Elicit the Tom Izzo Face As Much As Possible

This statistic hasn't been confirmed by Basketball Prospectus, but I'm pretty sure MSU loses most of the time when the Tom Izzo face comes out at least 10 times in the second half of a game (for proof, watch MSU's loss at Illinois).  You know, it's the face Coach Izzo makes when a player commits a bonehead foul, shoots a contested jumper early in the shot clock, or fails to properly defend a high pick-and-roll.  If you didn't know any better, you'd think Izzo found out his student athlete was just arrested for dealing drugs.  If LIU can elicit the Izzo face throughout most of the game, then LIU has a shot.  I'm setting the Izzo Face magic number to 13.5 for the game.  Anything under that, and it's probably curtains for the Blackbirds.

Seem easy enough, right?  If LIU can execute their game plan, they could surprise with a competitive game in the first round.  Only five #16 seeded teams have ever lost to a #1 seed by five points or less, but it’s a fairly reasonable possibility that Jim Ferry’s club can keep the game close.  After all, the NEC (aka, LIU and Robert Morris) has competed admirably in the most recent NCAA tournaments, so it isn't a stretch to think that Draymond Green, Keith Appling and company may sweat it out in the second half of Friday's contest.

All I know, is it will be a fun game to watch on TBS this Friday night.  Especially with my wife, who is a Spartan alum and a big Tom Izzo fan.

You can follow Pioneer Pride on Twitter at @pioneer_pride

Long Island University dominates Robert Morris to Earn Back-to-Back NEC Championships

Long Island University star forward Jamal Olasewere entered the press conference room, with an understandably wide grin, telling the members of the media to ask his point guard Jason Brickman a question. “You need to make him talk,” Olasewere joked.

The shy point guard may be a reserved person off the court (a la Ryan Peters circa 1994), but on the court, Brickman’s assertive, fantastic play was a major reason why his teammates were sitting at the press conference table tonight with the Northeast Conference trophy by their side.

Olasewere certainly agreed.  “He’s the captain behind this ship.  He’s a coach on the floor.  And he controls the game, night in and night out.  He does his thing on the court, and without him we couldn’t have done this. He’s a great point guard.”

NEC Player of the Year and NEC Tournament MVP Julian Boyd was even more complimentary.  “I definitely wouldn’t have gotten Player of the Year without him (Brickman).  The way he distributes the ball on the court and still scores, it’s amazing.”  At the end, Boyd jokingly added, “I love the guy, but just for now.”

There’s certainly plenty to love if you’re a Blackbird’s player or fan.  Brickman’s 11 assists last night were a NEC finals record and his 29 assists were a NEC Tournament record.  The sophomore All-NEC Second Team selection was consistently driving by the Joneses of Robert Morris, Lucky and Velton, to create plays both on the fast break and in the half-court set.

In the first minute of the game, All-NEC First Team Selection Velton Jones hit the deck hard, after scoring the first points of the game on a contested layup defended by Boyd.  Jones stayed on the floor for 5 minutes before getting up gingerly under his own power.  It was a sign of the rough night ahead for Robert Morris.

Early on however, the Colonials got off to a fast start, thanks mainly to Coron Williams and Mike McFaddan, but a Blackbirds 13-0 and 20-5 run midway through the first half, led by Brickman’s playmaking of course, gave them a lead they would never relinquish.

In the second half, despite some attempts by Robert Morris to chip away at the deficit, LIU kept making big time plays to keep the lead at double digits.  One play in particular, nearly brought down the Wellness Recreation Athletic Center.

On another fast break, CJ Garner decided it was a good idea to hoist a more than half-court pass near the rim toward a driving Julian Boyd.  The perfectly placed pass was received by Boyd in mid-air, who then emphatically slammed it home, sending the sellout crowd into a frenzy.  Immediately after the dunk, Boyd pointed toward the front row, directing his attention to the most famous celebrity at this game, Spike Lee.

It was a fitting way to end a spectular night, and season, for Boyd.  The NEC Regular Season and Tournament MVP finished the game with his patented double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds.  

So how did this dominant performance by LIU happen?  Robert Morris head coach Andy Toole explains. “We tried to play LIU basketball better than LIU.  We have to play the game in the 60s, that’s where we live.  We didn’t do a very good job in the start of the game, the game was played in their speed and style, and we weren’t very successful.”

The tempo, coupled with other factors, certainly led to the Colonial demise.  They were as follows:

1) The aforementioned inability of Robert Morris to contain Jason Brickman.  Brickman set the tempo early, with 6 points and 7 assists in the first half, despite having a defensive stud in Velton Jones guarding him much of the time. Brickman impressively finished with 18 points (8 for 8 at the free throw line), 11 assists, and 3 rebounds.

2) The inability of Robert Morris to hit open outside shots.  The Colonials had plenty of opportunities to get back into the game with the trifecta, but it wasn’t meant to be.  Robert Morris missed 21 of their 26 three-point attempts, led by a 0 for 6 three-point shooting performance by Jones.

3) LIU outscored Robert Morris at the free throw line, 31-14.  In the end, a bloated Robert Morris foul total was exasperated by an ill-fated comeback attempt, but make no mistake, 32 personal fouls against the NEC leader in free throw production, usually won’t lead to success.  The 32 fouls was a season high for Robert Morris.

In the end, the LIU students for a second straight year rushed the court, in celebration of another NEC Tournament Championship and a repeat appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  With any luck, the Blackbirds might be placed on the 15-line (c’mon tournament committee, have some love for the Blackbirds!), and draw a #2 seeded opponent like Michigan State, Duke or Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

For Robert Morris, an NIT bid is possible, but most likely not probable.  Instead, they may have to post $30K to play in the CIT or CBI, which should give Andy Toole’s players valuable experience heading into the 2012-2013 season.

And finally for this blogger, it was one remarkable experience for me, since I got to pretend that I was an important member of the media for a night.  Sure, my laptop was almost trampled when a LIU student jumped the press pass table to rush the court, but otherwise it was a night I would never forgot.  Hopefully, there are many more in my future.

Four Excellent Candidates Fight for the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year

For the final installment of my Northeast Conference regular season awards, I delve into the Coach of the Year debate.  Like the Player and Rookie of the Year races, this vote is completely unpredictable.  In any given year, my top 4 coaches could all be the favorite to win the award, but this season has been unusual to say the least.  Below, I examine each candidate and attempt to make sense of which man deserves the 2011-2012 Northeast Conference Coach of the Year.

3b. Jim Ferry, Long Island University

The Case:  All Jim Ferry has done is lead the Blackbirds to back-to-back regular season NEC championships.  This feat was accomplished in dominant fashion, with the Blackbirds winning 16 of their 18 NEC games this season.  Under Ferry's watch, the LIU Blackbirds have become one of the most efficient offenses in the history of the NEC.

The Argument:  John Templon, in one of his latest posts, stated it perfectly when he wrote that Ferry was “a victim of expectations.”  Ferry’s squad was picked in the preseason to win it all, so their place at the top of the standings comes as no surprise.  Anything less than first place with LIU’s talent, may be categorized as an abject failure.

The Verdict:  Perhaps unfairly so, this season’s lofty expectations will prevent Ferry from earning another Jim Phelan Coach of the Year award, especially in a season where there are multiple candidates worthy of the distinction.

3a. King Rice, Monmouth University

The Case:  The rookie head coach has improbably led his Hawks to a 10-8 NEC record in his first season, despite inheriting a team that hasn't finished with a winning conference record since the 2005-2006 season.  Picked 10th in the Coaches Preseason Poll, Monmouth has greatly exceeded expectations by defeating NEC playoff teams LIU, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (NY) and CCSU, while battling Wagner and Robert Morris in closely contested battles at home.

The Argument:  I’m really digging here, but Monmouth has been a tad fortunate in several of their wins.  After stunning Sacred Heart in a terrific come-from-behind victory, King Rice admitted his team got a little lucky.  And Monmouth’s last two regular season victories came when one team was banged up considerably (St. Francis, NY) and another was just playing out the regular season after locking up a #1 seed (LIU).

The Verdict:  Rice has done a phenomenal job in his first season and has the Hawks moving in the right direction.  But given the seasonal accomplishments of the two coaches I’m about to discuss, I feel Rice falls just short of serious consideration for the Coach of the Year honors.

2. Dan Hurley, Wagner College

The Case:  Where do I start?  Dan Hurley led Wagner to 24 wins, a single season school record.  Wagner’s 12 road victories are tied for first in the country (with mid-major power Murray State) this season.  His Seahawks impressed in the non-conference portion of their schedule, with victories over Pittsburgh, Air Force, and Santa Clara to get them the national recognition that no NEC team has ever experienced.  Even if Wagner falls short of winning the postseason championship, Hurley’s Seahawks are still a virtual lock to qualify for the NIT tournament.  What a season it has been for the Green and White in Staten Island.

The Argument:  Like Jim Ferry, Hurley may be a victim of expectations.  Picked 4th in the preseason poll, Wagner was expected to compete for a NEC title given the talent on the roster.  It seems a bit unfair since Hurley did in fact recruit guys like Kenneth Ortiz, Latif Rivers, and Mario Moody, but their conference success comes with little surprise.

The Verdict:  It’s an agonizing decision, but the final coach I will discuss moves just ahead of Hurley, despite Wagner's terrific achievements.  I certainly wouldn’t be shocked if the NEC made Hurley a Co-Coach of the Year, because Hurley and this next coach would each have a legitimate gripe should they finish 2nd in the ballot.

1. Glenn Braica, St. Francis College

The Case:  Second year head coach Glenn Braica led St. Francis to a surprising 5th place finish last season, however the expectations were significantly lower heading into the 2011-2012 campaign.  The Terriers lost their two leading scorers to graduation and then point-guard and team leader Dre Calloway to a shoulder injury.  That situation seems dire, right?  Well all Braica did was better his conference record from last season, by getting his team to buy into a team first mentality while competing hard defensively and on the glass.  In spite of not having a player finish in the NEC top 20 in scoring, Braica willed his team to a 12-6 conference record and a first round home game in the conference tournament.

The Argument:  There really isn’t an argument against Braica, other than stating that Hurley’s record and accomplishments were simply better.  In fact, it’s difficult to come up with a solid argument for any of these coaches.  That's what makes this vote so difficult.

The Verdict:  Given the low expectations, and Braica’s ability to coach his team to victory in several close games, I would vote for Glenn Braica as my 2011-2012 Coach of the Year.

Do you agree or disagree?  And in case you missed it, go here for my NEC Player of the Year and here for my NEC Rookie of the Year selections.

You can follow Pioneer Pride on Twitter at @pioneer_pride

Pioneer Pride Mid-Season Northeast Conference Awards

The college basketball season is about two thirds complete, but I felt like generating the first ever Pioneer Pride mid-season men’s basketball awards for the Northeast Conference.  Besides, the conference season isn’t even halfway through.  In this post, I selected my NEC First, Second, and All-Rookie Teams along with Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards, up to this point in the season.  Keep in mind that I placed a little more weight on a player’s performance in NEC games for these selections.  Enjoy…

Pioneer Pride NEC Midseason 1st Team

G- Shane Gibson, Sacred Heart
G- Velton Jones, Robert Morris
F- Jamal Olasewere, Long Island
F- Julian Boyd, Long Island
F- Ken Horton, Central Connecticut

Gibson, Olasewere, Boyd, and Horton are no-brainers, as all could be considered for NEC Player of the Year honors at season’s end.  The only difficult decision was between Velton Jones and Quinnipiac's James Johnson.  Jones, who is second in the conference in usage rate, means slightly more to his team offensively than Johnson, thus I gave him the nod.  Of all guards, Gibson leads the NEC in both points per game (20.7 ppg) and efficiency rating, according to BBState.com.  As a result, Gibson’s insertion bumped Wagner’s Tyler Murray to the Second Team.


Pioneer Pride NEC Midseason 2nd Team

G- James Johnson, Quinnipiac
G- Tyler Murray, Wagner
G- Jason Brickman, Long Island
F- Ike Azotam, Quinnipiac
F- Scott Eatherton, St. Francis (PA)

Despite leading the NEC in rebounding as a sophomore, Azotam falls to the Second Team due to the dominance of Boyd, Olasewere, and Horton.  I have nothing against Azotam; there were just too many elite players in the front-court to squeeze onto the First Team.  Point-guard Brickman gets a slight nod over Central’s Robby Ptacek and Wagner’s Latif Rivers, thanks to leading the league in assists, while shooting an incredibly efficient 48% from behind the arch (and an obscene 67% in eight NEC games).  Scott Eatherton was the biggest surprise of the list and should earn NEC Most Improved Player of the Year honors.  Averaging 15.2 ppg/7.3 rpg/1.2 bpg is an excellent improvement coming off a 2010-11 campaign in which he only played ten minutes per game as a freshman.

Pioneer Pride NEC Midseason All Rookie Team

G- Kyle Vinales, Central Connecticut
G- Phil Gaetano, Sacred Heart
F- Jalen Cannon, St. Francis (NY)
F- Ousmane Drame, Quinnipiac
F- Lucky Jones, Robert Morris

Vinales will be a mainstay on the NEC First or Second Team for his remaining three years.  In his rookie campaign, Vinales makes up part of CCSU’s three headed scoring monster – along with Horton and Ptacek – by scoring 18.6 points per game.  Cannon and Jones have been dominant on the glass for their respective clubs, while Drame has shown glimpses of defensive dominance in the paint.  The 5-foot-10 Gaetano edges out Mount St. Mary's forward Kelvin Parker, probably because I haven’t seen Parker play, while I’ve been impressed with Gaetano’s poise since taking over the starting point guard role from Evan Kelley.

Pioneer Pride NEC Midseason Coach of the Year

Dave Bike, Sacred Heart

This has to be the cherry on top of a wonderful 34 year coaching car………alright, sorry that was a joke.  I just wanted to rile up the Quinnipiac fans.  OK, my REAL Coach of the Year is…

Jim Ferry, Long Island

The hype machine promoting Dan Hurley wasn’t enough for me to select him as my Midseason Coach of the Year.  Not when Jim Ferry is coaching an undefeated 8-0 squad that convincingly defeated Hurley’s Seahawks twice.  Sure, Wagner has improved beyond our expectations this season, but Ferry’s LIU club hasn’t lost a conference game since January of last year.  While I expect a slip up or two before NEC tournament play begins, Long Island clearly has the best chance to represent the NEC in the big dance.  The eventual NEC champion must go through Brooklyn.

Pioneer Pride NEC Midseason Player of the Year

Ken Horton, Central Connecticut

I really wanted to give Shane Gibson the honor, but Horton has just been too dominant.  The 6-foot-6 reigning NEC Player of the Year – and future NBA player – does it all.  He scores (2nd in NEC with 20.4 ppg), rebounds (2nd with 9.5 rpg), shoots the three (31%) and defends (1st in NEC with 2.0 spg, 2nd in NEC with 1.5 bpg).  If this was NEC Most Valuable Player award, an argument could be made for Gibson, because without him the Pioneers would have a 2-6 conference record AT BEST (compared to 4-4 now).  But I’ll be objective and unbiased here – Ken Horton is the unquestionable winner and has a very good chance to repeat as NEC Player of the Year.

Do you disagree with anyone?  Did I omit someone worthy of consideration?  Please let me know!  And stay tuned for my Wagner/Sacred Heart preview tomorrow night.