Jon Davis Scouting Report – Charlotte 49ers

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Loyola Completes Late Comeback To Beat Lehigh 62-60

Baltimore, Md – In a pivotal matchup for seeding in the top half of the Patriot League, the Greyhounds provided a late run of efficient offense to hold off Lehigh and finish a 62-60 comeback. This was not the prettiest of games for either team on offense. Both teams struggled to get into any flow and the defenses played at a high level. It was a typical hard fought conference game towards the end of conference play. The scrappy and gritty play was a sight to see for two squads battling for the four spot in the Patriot League. Back to back conference player of the year Tim Kempton Jr. (6’10 245) struggled on both ends of the floor. The senior big man ended up fouling out in only 18 minutes of play. This was a huge factor in Lehigh’s struggles on the night. Junior point guard Andre Walker (6’0 170) broke out of his recent scoring slump and also scored a late layup with 27 seconds left, that proved to be the eventual game winner. Kahron Ross had two misses in the final twelve seconds that would have tied the game for Lehigh.

Lehigh (12-10, 6-5) could not rely on their pro prospect Tim Kempton in this game. Kempton could not use his low post scoring prowess or pick and pop versatility to provide any offense for Lehigh. This really limited them on the night. A couple of players that did step up for the Mountain Hawks were guards Kyle Leufroy (6’3 195) and Jordan Cohen (6’1 185). Leufroy, a powerfully built sophomore guard, used his body and aggressiveness to get in the lane and finish. He takes on contact well and is a solid below the rim finisher. Leufroy could have been more assertive on the night. He rarely had the ball in the final nine minutes, to the point where it was quite questionable. He was very efficient, scoring 6-9 field goals and seemed to get in scoring positions at will. Leufroy finished with 17 points and three rebounds. Cohen, a freshman guard, played solid defense on Walker early and was a spark on offense as well. Cohen did most of his damage in the first half scoring ten points. He gave high effort on defense and was a big factor in Lehigh holding a 30-29 halftime lead. He is a versatile defender and has potential to be a big contributor in the future once his playmaking skills improve. Cohen finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two assists.

For Loyola once again the story was the play of Andre Walker. He was in a bit of a struggle recently but this may be the game he needed to break out of it. Walker is a deadly three-point shooter and also has a solid isolation game to break down defenders on the perimeter. Walker struggled from three on the night going just 2-7, but contributed in other ways. The feisty guard led the entire game with nine rebounds and also made plays for his teammates garnering six assists. It has become clear that if Loyola will be successful and want to have a chance to make a run in the conference tournament, it will need Walker to score and set the offense. Walker finished with 19 points.

The other big contributors for Loyola were junior Cam Gregory (6’8 214) and senior Jarred Jones (6’6 205). Gregory is a high-energy post player. His skills are not the most refined in the post, but he makes it work with his relentlessness. Gregory finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Jones was a little out of touch on offense at times. He missed several mid range jumpers he normally knocks down and struggled with his decision making at times. He is still a threat on offense that opponents have to respect. Jones ended with 14 points, four rebounds and two assists.

In a game that was vital for positioning in the Patriot League the home team prevailed. This is huge in this conference because in the post season the higher seeded teams host the tournament games. This win for Loyola should be one to build on. For Lehigh this loss could be a crossroad for the rest of their season.

Up next for Lehigh is @ American on Saturday

Up next for Loyola is home vs Army on Saturday

Melo Guides The Terps Past Rutgers 67-55

College Park, MD – Melo Trimble led Maryland past Rutgers 67-55. Melo had been battling a sickness the previous few days before this contest. Quite honestly, it was hard to tell. Melo looked like his normal and steady self. He made some timely shots and was the veteran presence the Terps (18-2, 6-1) needed to pull away in the second half. Rutgers (12-9, 1-7) showed great toughness. They guarded hard all night and forced the Terps into many ugly turnovers, 18 to be exact. Rutgers had a tough time getting into any offensive flow. They really struggled from the foul line going just 10-24. If Rutgers could have made just even a handful more free throws, this game could have gotten interesting. Coach Steve Pikiell has his team doing all the right things to succeed in time. Once more talent comes through, Rutgers should compete in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten.

Melo Trimble proved that no matter the circumstances he is a leader on the court for Maryland. Coach Mark Turgeon said he had no idea how Trimble would feel, because the day before he looked terrible. Sickness does not always stop a player from playing at a high level. Some players rise through it and play at a high level, that is exactly what Melo did. Melo finished with a game high of 17 points, 3 three-pointers, six rebounds, four assists and five turnovers. The other main contributor for the Terps was Kevin Huerter. The freshman guard continues to show that he has a tremendous feel for the game. He see’s the passing lanes like few players do. Many times he passes the ball to open teammates and they have no clue it’s coming because they don’t even realize they are open. Huerter impacts the game for the Terps in so many ways. He defends at a high level, and helped limit Corey Sanders to 15 points, on 5-19 shooting. Huerter is a very solid rebounder as well. Despite not being the biggest or most physical presence (6’7 190) he led the team in rebounds with eight. Huerter has such a versatile skill set and is destined to be a solid contributor for the Terps for many years to come, as long as he stays in college. Huerter finished with eleven points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Another contributor for the Terps was Damonte Dodd. Dodd had eight points, five rebounds and three blocks.

The guard play for Rutgers is what fuels them. They rely way too much on sophomore guard Corey Sanders (6’2 181) and junior guard Nigel Johnson (6’1 186). Sanders is a very explosive scoring guard. He struggles with his outside shot and shooting jumpers in general. He is much more comfortable attacking off the dribble or off of the pick and roll. He turns the corner hard in pick and roll, and has great leaping ability allowing him to rise over defenders or perform acrobatic lay-ins. Sanders struggled shooting in this game, but a lot of that may be due to the fact that his team has only one other scoring option, Nigel Johnson. Sanders was shadowed by Huerter in the second half and that is when he became really limited on offense. Sanders finished with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Sanders back-court mate Nigel Johnson had a decent impact on offense as well as defense. He compliments Sanders well and if they had more teammates that could run and gun that may suit their team better. Johnson is not the best shooter. Like Sanders he thrives when he gets into the lane. He has a crafty floater and understands when to get all the way to the rim. Johnson is a solid on ball defender. He has great quickness and his active hands bother players with a suspect handle. Johnson posted 14 points, two three-pointers, four rebounds and two steals on the night.

Maryland continues to surprise many and probably even themselves with their hot start. This matched their best start ever, back when Steve Francis was their star guard in 1998-1999. Maryland at 18-2 and 6-1 in the Big 10, has officially put the conference and the rest of the country on notice.

Rutgers continues to struggle in conference play. They lack the skill players and veteran leadership needed to compete in a high-major conference like the Big 10. The effort and commitment to defense is definitely there though.

Up next for Rutgers is a home game vs Wisconsin on Saturday.

Up next for Maryland is @ Minnesota on Saturday.

Maryland Starting 5 Scouting Reports

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Melo Trimble

Anthony Cowan

Kevin Huerter

Justin Jackson

Damonte Dodd

Kevin Huerter Scouting Report

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Walker Fuels Loyola Md Past Boston U.

Baltimore, Md – Loyola Md held off a late Boston University run with several important late game free throws, closing the game with a final score of 77-69. Boston opened conference play on a five game winning streak sitting atop the Patriot League standings. Loyola has been a little inconsistent to say the least, and started play at 2-3. This game was different than many would have expected, even with Boston being on the road. Loyola got off to a great start and never looked back leading the entire game. The Greyhounds were led by sophomore point guard Andre Walker’s (6’0 170) 35 points, on 9-12 from the three point line. Walker was scorching hot and at one point was 9-10 from three. Conference leading Boston battled throughout, but ultimately came up short in the end. Boston was led by senior shooting guard Eric Fanning (6’5 215), who scored 27 points and chipped in 13 rebounds.

Eric Fanning did his best to keep his team close throughout, but when a team finishes shooting 1-18 from three it was a miracle they only lost by eight. Fanning, a solidly built guard, bullied his way to the basket overpowering his defender. Fanning has an array of isolation moves he uses to get into the lane, where he then uses his body and strength to get shots off at the rim. Fanning finished the game by going 13-15 from the free throw line. He has a knack for taking on contact and using his great body control to hang in the air and finish. He plays more like a point forward than just a guard. He sets the offense, as well as defends and rebounds at a high level. Fanning will be a candidate for Patriot League player of the year.

Other contributors for Boston were junior forward Nick Havener (6’8 225) who had 15 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore point guard Kyle Foreman (6’1 170) who finished with six points, four assists and three steals.

Andre Walker bested his previous career high of 31, by dominating the game from deep and scoring 35 points, on nine three pointers. Walker was shooting from NBA range. He came off screens, shot pull-ups and even on the move. When Walker released from the catch and shoot, it was as good as automatic on the night. Walker scored in bunches and forced Boston to blitz him when he had the ball on the perimeter. This really opened the entire floor up for his teammates. The scoring guard proved that he will be a deadly force from downtown for the rest of the Patriot League to keep tabs on.

Senior forward Jarred Jones (6’6 205) did not have the best game shooting or on offense in general. He struggled with his decision making and had a hard time knocking down open mid range jumpers. Jones found other ways to contribute though. He made and impact on defense and used his vision to set up his teammates when he knew it wasn’t his night to score. Jones may be Loyola’s most important player on the team, so him finding other ways to impact the game should provide dividends for the Greyhounds in the rest of conference play. Jones finished with 14 points, ten rebounds, eight assists, four steals and six turnovers.

The other main contributor for Loyola was junior power forward Cam Gregory (6’8 214). The long and slender, but physical forward was a force in the paint for the Greyhounds. Gregory was active on the boards, as well as on defense. He recorded a steal that led to a monstrous open floor dunk over a defender in the first half, which invigorated the student section. Gregory finished with 15 points, twelve rebounds and three steals.

Boston will not shoot this poorly from three for the rest of the season during a game. They came into the game at 38%, so shooting 1-18 is an absolute anomaly. Loyola will need to build on this win. They have a chance at being in the top half of this league and really need to become more consistent.

Up next for Boston is Colgate at home on Wednesday.

Up next for Loyola is at Bucknell on Wednesday.

Damonte Dodd Scouting Report

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Melo Trimble Scouting Report – This Year Compared to Last Year

Melo Trimble Scouting Reports

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Scouting Report For The Maryland Terps Backcourt

The Maryland Terps Backcourt

Anthony Cowan and Melo Trimble

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UMBC Opens Conference Play In Impressive Fashion

Baltimore, Md – First year coach Ryan Odom has UMBC off to a great start this season. They won their conference home opener 85-71, against a solid Binghamton squad that will be a tough competitor in the America East. Coach Odom came to UMBC after one successful season at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. Odom has a long history as an assistant coach at the Division I level, as well as being the interim head coach at Charlotte in 2015. UMBC’s offense and overall team cohesion is miles better than it was last season. UMBC should contend for one of the top spots in the America East this season.

After hearing that they would be missing starting guard J.C. Show for the rest of the season the Bearcats knew someone would have to step up. The Bearcats had a couple of decent contributors, and even first team all conference pick junior forward Willie Rodriguez (6’6 220), who is still working his way back into game shape after missing time with an injury. Binghamton just didn’t have enough fire power and lacked the ability to run with the home Retrievers. Rodriguez labored down the court at times, but provided solid veteran leadership and a post presence. His crafty low post game was on display as he finished with ten points and six rebounds.

Two other solid contributors for Binghamton were guards Fard Muhammad (6’0 180) and Timmy Rose (6’1 175). Muhammad was not shy and looked to pick up the much needed scoring presence Show left behind. Muhammad finished with 16 points, four three pointers, three rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes. Rose, who stepped into the starting point guard role, set the offense well and made sure his team was going through their sets, even if they weren’t executing. He did a solid job providing leadership that a point guard should. Rose finished with 12 points, four assists, two rebounds and only one turnover in 36 minutes.

For UMBC pace was key. They are a run a gun type team when they have the advantage in the open court. They only finished with eight fast break points but that was not indicative of their frenetic pace. Led by junior shooting guard Jairus Lyles (6’2 175), who leads the team with an average of 22ppg., the Retrievers used a balanced inside out attack to keep Binghamton off balance. Lyles would help spread the floor and open up lanes for him to use his solid one on one scoring ability. He has a quick crossover that frees him from his defender and allows him to get to the rim, where he is a good below the rim finisher. Lyles is also electric in the open floor finishing breakaways by blowing past defenders and finishing layups at the rim. Lyles finished with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.

The other big contributor on the night was senior stretch four man Will Darley (6’8 210). Darley is a prototypical stretch four player. He also has an ability to score close to the basket, but prefers to face up in post situations. Darley proved to be a mismatch all night for the Bearcats. He pulled the big guys away from the paint and really opened up the lane for his teammates. Since the defense was concerned with protecting Darley against the three, it allowed him to pump fake and go by defenders on several occasions. Darley made two three’s on the night but had chance to shoot more of them if he wanted too. Darley finished with 17 points, three rebounds and two assists.

Two other solid scoring options on the night for the Retrievers were sophomore wing Joe Sherburne (6’6 215) and sophomore forward Nolan Gerrity (6’10 235). Sherburne finished with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Gerrity finished with 13 points and four rebounds.

UMBC is continuing to prove why they will be a force to be reckoned with in the America East. Once Rodney Elliott is full strength, he will add another dimension for them on offense.

Binghamton will really be hurt by the loss of J.C. Show. Once Rodriguez is at full strength it will help with the scoring load, but they will need some of their young guards to continue to produce to make up for it.

Up next for Binghamton is a home game vs UMass Lowell on Sunday

Up next for UMBC is a home game vs Maine on Sunday