The Young Veteran

Portsmouth Invitational Day 1 Notes

Day 1 Notes From The Portsmouth Invitational

PIT WE BACK!!!

Following two straight cancellations. We are finally getting another PIT. This is by far my favorite even of the year. I love how it’s a showcase for seniors that may be “under the radar” or not “top” prospects for the NBA. A few of these guys may be drafted. But……. All of theses guys will be playing pro basketball at some level next year if they chose to do so. It’s the ultimate job interview.

I just want to highlight some players that stood out to me good or bad in the first day of the PIT.

Good

Jared Rhoden 6’6 210 G/F From Seton Hall

Rhoden played very well. Made some tough shots in iso situations. Showed a nice m/r jumper and also an ability to attack off the dribble. Love his body and size also.

Keve Aluma 6’8 235 PF From Virginia Tech

Aluma showed versatility as a scorer. He can hit the p/pop jumper from 3 and the m/r. He also showed the ability to score in the post with his r/hook. On defense he showed solid lateral movement as well.

Fatts Russell 5’11 165 PG From Maryland

Russell showed how he can be very dangerous when attacking the lane under control. He kicked out to open shooters countless times. He was also hitting his 3pt shots as well. When Russell finds the balance of when to pass and when to score he is a solid athletic PG. Now he still loves to gamble on defense, but thats just in his DNA.

JD Notae 6’2 190 G From Arkansas

Notae is electric. He can be erratic at times, but tonight he attacked off the dribble more often that shooting deep 3’s. He got to the rim often and creates space very well off the dribble. I look forward to what else he can do the next few days.

Garrison Brooks 6’9 230 PF From Mississippi State

Brooks dominated in the mid to deep post. He has a solid jump shot. Despite the fact his arc almost touches the ceiling of the gym its intoxicating to watch. Brooks showed the ability to hit the m/r jumper and showcased his much improved 3pt range. Physically he is tough as well on offense and defense. He was definitely one of the most impressive standouts.

Bad

The first few minutes of the first game were rough. Tons of turnovers. Missed shots, air balls etc. It’s expected, but thankfully it got better.

The amount of times players stepped out of bounds looking to pump fake a 3 then drive.

Make your ft’s.

Interesting things I liked

Lucas Williamson having a bad first half shooting, then finding a way to make an impact on defense and as a facilitator in the second half.

Trevor Hudgins D2 PG Legend vs R.J. Cole Former Howard University player that transferred up to UCONN. Both has similar games and styles. And their both lefties. They both also have been overlooked. For Cole not too long, but Hudgins his whole career. Well guess what… Cole had 5 pts, 3 assists and 4 turnovers. Hudgins had 11 pts, 3 assists and 1 turnover.

Darryl Morsell picking up Fatts Russell full court. Being a resident of Maryland and watching both of these players a lot in my career I just found this battle very fun to watch. Two tough minded competitors not giving an inch to each other.

Jordan Usher and Nysier Brooks being great teammates. They talked and cheered while on the bench constantly. I loved it.

Koby McEwen’s quick hands on defense.

Quenton Jackson’s explosiveness. Sometimes it was good, sometimes a little much. But, it made an impression for sure.

The passing of Grant Golden and Tommy Kuhse. I love an unselfish player that understands WHEN to pass a ball without forcing.

Well here we go. Day two is coming soon!

Game 11 of 37 – UNCG pulls away late defeating UMBC 62-51

#RetrieverNation #AEHoops
#letsgog #uncghoops #SoConHoops

Originally my game eleven was supposed to be Towson @ Coppin State. But, my wife went out of town for a girls weekend in the Poconos. So, I had a weekend with my three kids. Needless to say a lot of pizza, ice cream and popcorn were eaten. We also watched… Jingle All the Way and both Home Alone 1 & 2. It was a good weekend.

Back to this game. I had a feeling it would be a close game throughout. It really was up until it was 54-51 UNCG with 3:01 left in the game. UMBC never scored again from there.

UNCG dominated the boards 37-28 and played better team ball in the closing minutes. I was most interested in seeing De’Monte Buckingham. However, his impact was limited until late in the second half, when he hit a couple high arcing three’s and made several key passes to open cutters to the basket. Buckingham is a solidly built 2 guard that possesses good vision and can contribute on both ends. He finished with eleven points, six rebounds and two assists. He is shooting the three ball very well this year at over 42%.

The rest of the scoring and impact for the Spartans was spread out. Everyone chipped in here and there. They had seven players with six or more points. Kobe Langley had a nice game as well. He was steady at the point. Not forcing the issue and making sure the offense was being run. He showed nice poise after going scoreless in his previous two games. He finished with ten points, four rebounds and three assists.

UMBC struggled shooting in every facet. They shot just 40% from the field, 28% from 3 and an abysmal 53% from the foul line. Those stats right there are why they lost. Normally they shoot the ball much better and score a lot more points. This was just one of those games. The Spartans aggressive pressure defense on the perimeter really bothered the Retrievers shooters and they closed out well also.

Keondre Kennedy led the Retrievers with 14 points, but he was just 1-5 from three. Jacob Boonyasith was in foul trouble the whole game and was just 1-5 from three. He did chip in six rebounds and four assists though. L.J. Owens ended up fouling out with nine points. I thought he could’ve been more aggressive to score.

Two guys that just struggled in general were, Yaw Obeng-Mensah and Darnell Rogers. Yaw just seemed out of control to me. Forcing shots. Fumbling passes and ending up on the floor a lot. I was surprised Dimitrije Spasojevic didn’t get more playing time. He looked like he would’ve made a more consistent impact. Rogers had a really bad final ten minutes or so of the game. He had multiple turnovers in the final minutes. He was pressing and trying to do too much for his squad. He over penetrated throughout the game. He really should incorporate a floater to his game. Rogers finished with six points and five turnovers.

Not a great streak for UMBC as they have now dropped four straight. UNCG on the other hand just stopped a two game skid.

Up next for me is game 12 – Radford @ UMBC

Game 10 of 37 – The Greyhounds edge The Mount 61-55

#gohounds #patriotmbb #MoveMountains #NECMBB

I missed the first six or so minutes of this game. Loyola isn’t the easiest place to get to, especially at one on a Saturday. And I have three kids under seven, so thats my excuse.

The game was very close throughout. Loyola seemed to have the lead most of the second half, before finally getting some distance in the last minute. Cam Spencer and Jaylin Andrews were basically all of the offense for Loyola. They combined for 45 of the 61 points. Spencer was constantly rubbing off the shoulders of his screeners, as he would catch a pass and curl into the lane for a mid range jumper. He isn’t the best athlete or quickest, but he understands angles and how to use his body to create space. Spencer had 26 points, four rebounds, two steals and was 12-12 from the foul line.

Andrews, a 6’4 186 combo guard, is utilized much like Spencer is by Coach Tavaras Hardy. By the way I love Hardy’s energy. He’s not afraid to let the refs hear him talk and he is very proactive in getting the student section involved. Back to Andrews now… Andrews was very effective getting in the lane. He has the handle and slithery like ability to get by his defender and finish at the rim. He’s a below the rim finisher, but who cares if you constantly get there like he did. Andrews was also very comfortable coming off screens or taking mid range pull ups. His three point shot is still inconsistent, as he went 0-5. He finished with 19 points.

Andrews with a hesitation dribble off of a screen

For The Mount they were a little more balanced. They just struggled to slow down Spencer and Andrews. The Mount had a huge advantage with size and athleticism. They just struggled to get there big guys involved and get them to finish in the paint. While I was most interested in their trio of senior big men… Nana Opoku, Mezie Offurum and Malik Jefferson, the two players that kept The Mount close with three point shooting was Deandre Thomas and Jalen Benjamin. Thomas was very solid shooting the ball. He went 5-9 overall, including 4-7 from three. He scored a team high 14 points, had four rebounds and two assists. Its a shame he was in foul trouble.

Benjamin was the steady point guard much needed for his squad. If they didn’t have him in they really struggled to get much going. He showed poise and an ability to set the offense. Benjamin had eleven points, three rebounds, two assists and two made three’s.

The trio of bigs struggled to finish. The advantage was there, but they just didn’t make shots. And surprise…. You have to make shots to win a game. I really like how they compliment each other on the court though. I will definitely keep following their progress as a team.

Up next for me is Towson @ Coppin State

Game 9 of 37 – Behind Holden’s 21 points, the Tigers cruise by the Sharks 72-63

Game 9 of 37 – Behind Holden’s 21, the Tigers cruise by the Sharks 72-63

#LIUSharks #NECHoops
#CAAHoops #UnitedWeRoar

Long Island University Sharks started the game strong jumping out to an early 12-2 lead. It was short lived, as Towson roared back and eventually controlled much of the way.

The Sharks (yes, that is their new mascot or name or what have you) have a trio of seniors with a lot of experience. Ty Flowers, is a 6’9 smooth scorer and came into the game as the leading scorer averaging 15 ppg. I was very interested in watching him with his size and shooting ability. Lets just say it wasn’t his best night. He was just 2-14 from the field and finished with nine points and four assists. He took a lot of tough shots and honestly missed a lot of open jumpers he probably normally makes. Just wasn’t the night for him.

Eral Penn and Isaac Kante played solid games though. Penn is a very athletic forward that kind’ve plays out of position. He plays the 4, but he’s not a pure big. He can score some in the paint, but is most effective as a rim runner or crashing the offensive glass. His outside shot is still developing. Penn was very active and flashed potential on both ends of the floor. He finished with 14 points, five rebounds and one block. Kante is a massive man. He’s listed at 6’8 240. He looked more like 270. He was surprisingly agile for his size. As you would expect he is a load to deal with on the block and literally could move the defender with ease. Kante also showed an ability to drive into his own post up from the perimeter. I was surprised by that. He even made a three…. That is still a work in progress. Kante finished with 17 points and six rebounds.

I would be remiss not to mention Alex Rivera as well. Listed at 6’1 (he looked more like 5’11) he had a massive tip slam, multiple huge three’s and led the team with eleven boards. And I love that he wasn’t afraid to let anyone in the gym know either….

The Tigers trio of bigs played well also. Cam Holden, who is like a wing/forward, scored at will and made an impact on defense also. He plays with confidence and his lack of athleticism is made up for by his strength. He did have four turnovers, but he more than made up for that. Holden loves posting up. It can be a smaller defender or a bigger one. He doesn’t care. He will find a way to score or create a pass to a teammate. Holden finished with 21 points, six rebounds, three steals and was 2-2 from three.

Charles Thompson had a nice game also. Thompson is very long. He’s a quick leaper and his hands have improved from years past. Thompson had 13 points and five rebounds. Chase Paar made an impact as well. He makes little mistakes on defense and offense at times, but he provided a nice spark off the bench with eight points and four rebounds.

Nicolas Timberlake was also a big part of this game. He sky’d for rebound after rebound. He is an explosive athlete. Timberlake also had a nice dunk in the first half as well. He had nine points and eleven rebounds.

Up next for me is Mount St. Mary’s @ Loyola MD

Game 8 of 37 – Terps fail to close the game against the Hokies and fall 62-58

Game 8 of 37 – Terps fail to close out the Hokies and fall 62-58.

#Terps #accmbb #Hokies
#B1Ghoops #b1gmbball #LenBias
#CBHOF

On a night where Maryland was honoring the late great Len Bias, for finally getting inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the Terps yet again showed the same struggles that have plagued them early this season. The Terps shot 1-13 from three. That literally could be the end of the story of this game. Because nowadays if you only make one three you probably lose 95% of the games (don’t fact check me, I just made that up). Maryland also added 15 turnovers. Not all turnovers are created equal. A lot of these were forced passes trying to run the fast break. Now, Maryland seems to be best suited to play fast, but they desperately need to build some continuity to do so.

Virginia Tech played solid most of the game. The game was close throughout. The biggest lead for both teams was seven. When Maryland went up by seven around midway left of the second half the Hokies turned it on. Hunter Cattoor hit several huge three’s in the second half ended with four on the night to go along with 12 points, three assists and two steals. Cattoor provides steady defense and the ability to knockdown three’s at over 40%. He stepped up huge on a night where Storm Murphy went scoreless.

The front court of Keve Aluma and Justyn Mutts is what really provided the difference for the Hokies. Though a bit undersized, Aluma and Mutts are versatile and mobile big men. They can both step out and hit an outside jumper, or even play the dribble hand off or two man game. They struggled with Qudus Wahab in the paint, but Wahab has size and length on them. Wahab did get into foul trouble which Va Tech took advantage of. Aluma dominated the glass getting twelve rebounds and finishing with a team high 17 points. Mutts is an athletic combo forward. He can post up and use his length and strength, or spot up from the outside. He is a tough overall defender with a lot of versatility as well.

The Hokies impressed me overall. They lack height, but the play with toughness on both ends of the floor. They also can shoot the three ball. And like I said you see how important that is nowadays.

For the Terps, Qudus Wahab had a solid game. While he still shoots a little off balanced of fading away in the post, he is still very effective with his size and soft touch. He will need to improve his quick twitch or explosiveness to really have the same success in the post at the next level. The main problem Wahab will have all season seems to be staying out of foul trouble. He commits silly fouls or has simple lacks of concentration at times on defense. Wahab finished with a game high of 18 points and seven rebounds.

Donta Scott and Hakim Hart had okay games. Hart probably the better, even with rushing his last shot which was a triple screen around the top of the three point arc to tie the game. Had he took his time, he was wide open. Scott and Hart need to keep aggressive looking to score. Russell and Ayala had nothing going for them. Scott finished with eleven points and seven rebounds. Hart finished with ten points.

Another very clear way to say the Terps lost just by looking at the box score is Eric Ayala and Fatts Russell combined to go 3-19 from the field and 0-6 from three. This may have been the worst I’ve ever seen Ayala play. The Hokies were extremely physical with him on defense. Ayala, who is normally very aggressive at attacking the basket just never got there. He would pull up or shoot a very bad fadeaway shot. He was forcing the issue. Russell same thing. Too much 1v1, dancing with the ball just to settle for a step back 25 footer.

On a night where Len Bias was honored, the Terp fans and students left very disappointed.

Up next for me is Long Island University SHARKS!!! vs Towson

Game 7 of 37 American @ UMBC

UMBC shoots the lights out with 16 three’s and shooting 65% overall to blow out American 98-67

#AUMBB #RetrieverNation #AEHoops

I had some decent expectations with this game. I was interested in seeing UMBC for the first time this season, with their roster that is loaded with seven seniors. American is intriguing as well. My main focus was going to be on Stacy Beckton Jr. He is a fifth year guy with plenty of tools and has potential to carve out a solid career overseas. Well tonight wasn’t his night, or any of the American Eagles for that matter. UMBC shot 65% from the field including 16-23 from three. So yeah, UMBC won 98-67.

For American, Johnny O’Neil and forward Matt Rogers played well. O’Neil had 15 points, five rebounds and made 3 three pointers. Rogers showed a solid motor and an ability to be effective in the dribble hand off situations. He finished with 14 points, five rebounds, on 7-11 from the field. Another player of note was Jaxon Knotek, a senior wing who played three years at North Dakota State. Knotek has a nice shooting stroke and is built solidly. I think he will be a better pro than college player if he choses to pursue that.

Beckton made zero impact on the game. He was 1-7 from the field and finished with just four points.

UMBC shot the ball quite possibly the best I have ever seen a team shoot in person. Keondre Kennedy was the main source of offense throughout the game. He was hitting from three going 4-5, as well as showing the ability to score in transition as well. At 6’6 180, Kennedy has the physical tools and abilities to effect the game positively on offense and defense. He did just that in this game. I am still not sold on his three point shot. He tends to short arm it some and lacks a consistent follow through. Keondre had a game high 21 points and three rebounds.

Darnell Rogers is a lot of fun to watch. One of the refs before the game I guess saw him for the first time and said to the other ref he was shocked how small Rogers is in person. Well at 5’2 150 Rogers plays more like a 6’2 190 pound guard. He uses angles well and his quickness to cut off defenders. He is a lot stronger than he looks as well. Rogers was causing issues for American all night. He gets in the lane at will and has the ability to find others for open perimeter shots. He had ten points and seven assists.

UMBC has a ton of depth at guard. L.J. Owens, ex American guard Jacob Boonyasith and Ray Salnave. Owens is a smooth and slithery mid range shooter. He still has to develop from three and tends to lack arc at times, but he is solid overall. Boonyasith definitely came out with more energy this game. He was playing his old squad and played with an edge and intensity. He has deep three point range and is a physical defender as well. Salnave was very efficient off the bench. He plays with intensity and provides another veteran piece that is needed for teams looking to win their conference title.

Szymon Wojcik, a 6’9 220 big, stepped up big for the Retrievers. He had seven points, five rebounds and two tone setting blocks in the paint.

I went to this game Wednesday November 24th. I am posting this today November 29th, because I have been busy with Thanksgiving and all that good stuff. Since then UMBC defeated Pittsburgh 87-77. Yes, Pitt is not good. But, UMBC seems to be pretty solid because beating a power conference team on the road is a big deal for any lower conference team.

Up next for me is Virginia Tech @ Maryland on Wednesday.

Game 6 of 37 Hofstra @ Maryland – Maryland surges late to a comeback win 69-67

Maryland surges late to beat Hofstra 69-67, as Martinez hits winning free throws.

#CAAHoops #B1G

Maryland has scheduled some tough mid majors to start their season. Quinnipiac, George Washington, Vermont, George Mason and Hofstra. All of those teams should finish in the top half of their respected conferences. With all that said Maryland has struggled with all of them, but Quinnipiac.

Hofstra took the Terps to the brink and had a chance to win the game with a shot multiple times. The execution just wasn’t there. Omar Silverio was blocked by Eric Ayala and subsequently fouled Ian Martinez on the loose ball deflection. Martinez knocked down both free throws, and after a couple of timeouts and fouls, Fatts Russell stole the final in bounds pass to end the game.

Ian Martinez hitting go ahead free throws

Hofstra plays small ball. This forced Turgeon’s hand at not even playing Qudus Wahab the entire second half. It looks to me Maryland is best built to play fast and uptempo, then pick and choose when to enter Wahab into the picture.

Jalen Ray for Hofstra was hitting contested three’s from all over the court. He is quick with the ball and showed the ability to penetrate and find the shooters on the perimeter. A career 39% shooter from deep, Ray is someone that will be heavily relied on all season. He finished with 18 points, four rebounds, three assists and went 5-12 from three.

Zach Cooks is Hofstra’s other star player. He is in his fifth season (crazy even typing those words out) playing the previous four at NJIT. He is a flat out scorer. He can make the three, pull up from mid range and create space for himself with ease. Just super quick off the dribble. While he didn’t have a great night shooting the ability is very clear. I wish he would attack the lane more instead of all the jumpers, but maybe he knew the size of Maryland would be waiting on him. Cooks finished with 13 points and four assists.

As far as Maryland goes. Everyone chipped in a little bit here and there. The two guys that stepped up big time to me were Ian Martinez and Julian Reese. Reese has great hands and a soft touch around the rim. He fit the uptempo undersized style much better than Wahab, therefore he got more minutes. He still needs to work on his lower body strength, and the Big Ten bigs will surely test him early. He has a silky smooth mid range jumper and shows the potential to knockdown an open three. Reese had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Ian Martinez was the X factor in this game. While he is still learning as a decision maker and taking questionable shots, he stepped up when others struggled to make plays. Martinez is a good athlete. Has the ability to create off the bounce. He is also a tough and versatile defender. Stepping up and hitting those two clutch free throws with just four seconds left should be huge for his confidence moving forward. Martinez is instant energy off the bench and its a role he looks very comfortable with. He finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Up next for me is American @ UMBC on Tuesday.

Game 5 of 37 George Mason embarrasses Maryland in College Park

George Mason embarrasses Maryland in College Park 71-66

#A10MBB #RockWithUs #B1G #B1GMBBall #Terps

Coming into this game I was very intrigued to see how Mason was going to handle playing in College Park…. on a big stage…. with first year head coach Kim English. Well, they definitely answered any questions I may have had by handing the Terps their first loss in a very demoralizing fashion. Mason won 71-66.

Mason had three guys I wanted to see specifically. Jamal Hartwell II, DeVon Cooper and D’Shawn Schwartz.

Hartwell is a very slender and small point guard. Has some quickness and burst, but unless he is wide open for a three, he’s not much of a scoring threat. Hartwell basically just provided a ball handler that was steady.

DeVon Cooper is a solid all around guard. He can handle the ball. Score off the bounce, or see the open man on the perimeter. Very tough defender and extremely aggressive. Every time Maryland tried to drive the lane or feed a big man there were multiple Patriots surround and digging at the ball. Cooper was the perfect compliment to Schwartz in this game. Both players can create their own shots and made tough contested jumpers as well. Cooper finished with 16 points, five assists, two rebounds and two steals.

Schwartz with the ball at the top of the three point line

Schwartz was the best player on the court. I watched him in warmups before the game and no lie he missed maybe one jumper the whole time I was watching. I thought to myself, we’ll see if this can carry over. Its one thing to make open shots in warmups….. But Schwartz was on one this game. He made 6-1o from three and hit literally every clutch shot he took. Very intriguing prospect to keep tabs on. He has a strong pro ready body at 6’7 235. Flat out scorer at all three levels. He was making three’s, mid range pull ups and he can score in the lane also. Schwartz finished with 24 points, nine rebounds, six made three’s and three steals.

Two other players of note were Davonte Gaines and Josh Oduro. I remember seeing Coach English trying to convince Oduro to stay at Mason, on Twitter throughout the summer. Good thing he did. Oduro provides that true low post scoring threat that balances the rest of the team out. He has very good footwork. He used his pivot feet masterfully several times to score at the rim. Especially one in the closing seconds of the game. Oduro is still developing his shooting range, but his stroke looks solid and I think that will come in time. Gaines did a little bit of everything. Chipped in big time as a rebounder with ten. He also had 2 three’s and a total of 14 points.

And now to Maryland. This will be brief. Mason deserves the majority of this post. Maryland wasn’t prepared. Stagnant on offense. They gave effort on defense, but just weren’t good enough. They just flat out got beat. Coach Turgeon had many comments about the game on the radio when I was driving back home. He mentioned no ball movement, bounces not going there way, the bad practice the day before. There was a lot of things said. He also said the fans need to show up because their playing good teams and need them. I thought that was interesting to mention that after a loss like this to say the least.

Early first half crowd. It didn’t fill much more than that after either.

,Now he’s not wrong about the attendance. I just thought that wasn’t the time to say it. But to each his own I guess.

Donta Scott and Julian Reese were the two best players for Maryland. Scott kept them close throughout the game. He hit mid range and three point jumpers, as well as providing solid help defense. His athleticism has really improved with his quickness and leaping ability. He looks in way better shape this year. Scott finished with 18 points, ten rebounds, one steal and one block. Reese looked way better this game than previously. He was more decisive. He played physical, drew fouls in the post. He also hit a three pointer and looked comfortable doing so. Reese needs to play more and get involved more early to get him going. Very skilled low post threat with soft touch. JuJu finished with twelve points and three rebounds.

Although Ayala hit two three’s to bring the Terps within three under a minute left, he still struggled shooting overall. He has to improve his consistency. Ayala is at his best attacking the lane and using his strength and body control. That will setup everything else for him. Even making 5-12 from three, he finished 6-17 total and attempted zero foul shots. Thats not his recipe for success. Eric finished with 17 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Nobody else did anything of note for the Terps.

Up next for me is Hofstra @ Maryland on Friday

Game 4 of 37 Hampton @ Towson

Game 4 of 37

Towson dominates Hampton with ease

Coming into this game I had no idea what to expect. Hampton was 2-0, but there was a catch. It was against Mid-Atlantic Christian University (yes, that is a real school) and Regent University. Towson on the other hand, blew out Albany and had a respectable loss to Monmouth.

Hampton hung in there for the first ten minutes or so, until Towson went on a run and controlled the game the rest of the way. Hampton has some individual talent spread through their roster, but the cohesion doesn’t seem to be there. Maybe it will happen at some point….. I wouldn’t take that bet. Towson dominated the boards 47-28 and scored inside basically at will. The final was 78-54, in favor of Towson.

Hampton had three guys I wanted to watch specifically. Johquin “Pinky” Wiley, Najee Garvin and Mario “Rio” Haskett Jr.

Wiley who spent four years at Delaware State (God bless him) is a steady point guard. He sets the offense well. He’s unselfish. Plays the game a way a point guard should. He will shoot if open, but not often. Hampton needs to leave him on the floor all game. When he’s not, its ugly isolation, 1v1 stuff. Wiley played okay. He finished with five points, three rebounds and one assist. His presence on the floor alone is what his team needs.

Rio Haskett Jr. struggled to make much of an impact. He struggled to get into whatever possible flow of offense there was. His shot was a little off and thats his best skill. Rio finished with five points and two assists.

Najee Garvin is the Pirates best player. He has a pro body, but is more of a finesse player at 6’8 210. While he did have 18 points and four rebounds, he also had four fouls and four turnovers. Garvin has quickness in the post and an ability to drive the lane. He had a quick spin and reverse finish in the post in the second half that was smooth. He is still developing shooting range, but he would be more suited for a fast paced offense. Maybe Hampton will pick up the pace this year. It looked to me that would be there best chance, with a real lack of overall size.

Garvin shooting a three. This was an airball FYI.

Towson impressed me. They don’t have a lot of big men depth. Charles Thompson and Cam Holden basically had there way when they posted up. Holden is an interesting player. Listed at 6’5 200, he plays bigger and tougher than that. He’s an undersized 4. Holden isn’t going to shoot much from mid range or from the outside. His game is backing down defenders, using fakes and his adept scoring ability close to the basket. He had a good showing with eleven points, twelve rebounds and four assists.

Terry Nolan Jr. had a massive dunk in the second half. He plays with pace, sometimes too much. Nolan is still inconsistent as a shooter, but very dangerous when slashing to the basket. His length gave Hampton issues on offense as well. Nolan had eleven points, four rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Jason Gibson looks like Coach Pat Skerry’s favorite player. The crowd loves him and its hard not to. He’s all over the court. Running off screens, diving on the floor and even driving the lane against defenders with five inches on him. He’s a spark plug that Towson hasn’t had in a while before he got there. Gibson led the team with 13 points, three assists, three steals and was 8-8 from the foul line.

Nicolas Timberlake and Charles Thompson also had eleven points a piece.

Towson had five players with eleven points or more.

Up next for me is George Mason @ Maryland on Wednesday.

Game 3 of 37 Vermont @ Maryland

Game 3 of 37

Maryland has a huge second half to beat Vermont 68-57

Everyone knows how consistent Vermont is as a program. Constantly in the top three at least in the America East. John Becker has nine straight 20 win seasons. They are the epitome of a dangerous “mid major” program. No surprise they gave Maryland everything they could handle on Saturday. Maryland eventually pulled away to win 68-57. After a big second half.

Vermont plays eight seniors. Yes, you read that correctly. Eight. Their top guy is guard Ben Shungu. Shungu is a strong guard at 6’2 200. Being the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the America East, maybe one wouldn’t expect so much on offense. However (Stephen A. Smith voice), he is a very well rounded player. He hit several tough jumpers with hands in his face. He was hitting from mid range and from three. He had 20 points at half and single handedly was the reason Vermont had a four point lead. Shungu struggled to make more of an impact in the second half as Maryland upped their defensive intensity. The senior finished with 27 points, four rebounds, two assists, three steals and went 4-6 from three. He definitely caught my attention and I will be keeping close tabs on him.

The other senior that caught my eye and showed offensive versatility was Isaiah Powell. Powell has the ability to put the ball on the floor and get into the lane. He plays under control and has solid footwork. Powell keeps the defense honest with the ability to knock down the three ball as well. Athletically he is average, but plays with a savvy that makes up for it. High IQ player with good vision on offense. Solid overall defender as well. Powell was really the only other scoring option Vermont had going other than Shungu. He finished with 14 points, eleven rebounds and three assists.

Vermont’s other star player is Ryan Davis. Davis struggled making any impact on offense. He had many open mid range opportunities, but instead of a jumper or going up strong he would do a weird floater from the baseline. He seemed bothered by Maryland length and athleticism. He didn’t have his best game thats for sure scoring just 8 points on 3-12 shooting. Davis also didn’t have much of a impact on the glass with just three rebounds. He will bounce back for sure, but I was expecting more. Especially being the Player of the Year in the America East last season.

For the Terps today was about Fatts Russell and Eric Ayala. Russell took over down the stretch. He hit a lot of contested looks. Some probably ill-advised, but today they went in so who knows. Russell is still at his best playing in transition and attacking the rim. He showed why he was a coveted transfer today though. He can score in bunches and plays very tough defense. I would like to see him create more for others, but maybe that will come in time. Russell finished with 22 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Ayala seemed to finally get his shooting stroke back in the second half. He was in a battle all game with the final Duncan brother (at least I think!) Robin. They were going at it all day. Playing physical, getting in each others faces. Neither backed down. It was fun to watch actually. Of course the Maryland fans enjoyed chanting “F*** you Duncan!”, literally every time he touched the ball. Ayala is the leader and emotional leader of the Terps. He needs to keep his confidence high because others lean on him for that. Ayala finished with 22 points.

One other thing of note is Qudus Wahab really struggled with the double team today. He needs to be more decisive and make a move or pass out. He lost the ball or made off target passes too often. Vermont did a solid job of blitzing him right away or delaying it. Wahab was held to six points, eight rebounds, two blocks in 22 minutes.

Expect Vermont to win the America East or make the championship in the conference. Anything less than that I would be very surprised.

Up next for me Hampton @ Towson on Tuesday.