Tag: UMBC Basketball

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

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.

Nice court side view of the game

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 7 of 37 American @ UMBC

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.

Rogers on defense

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.

Wojcik shooting a free throw

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.

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15 – Saturday Doubleheader

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15 – Saturday Doubleheader

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 14 & 15

Saturday Doubleheader

 

March 2 – Game 1 – New Hampshire vs UMBC

IMG_3388 

So, I was fortunate enough to get to sleep in before my big day of basketball. I slept until 10:30 or so. Now granted this was after I had already been woken up by my kids countless times, but the wife got up with them this time! My morning was pretty basic. I had some coffee, cinnamon toast crunch and a shower before I left for UMBC around 12:30. Tip-off was at 1 p.m. I arrived literally during player introductions. I am getting pretty good at timing things. Or so I think. See what happens later…..

IMG_3390

This game was the last placed team in the America East, which is New Hampshire; against UMBC, who is battling for third place. UMBC was struggling all game long. A couple of journalists that were sitting next to me were expecting a 15-0 patented UMBC run. Well, they sure took their time to do so. New Hampshire went scoreless for like eight minutes mid way into the second half, to about the two minute mark. UMBC was down by as much as 18 at one point. Brandon Horvath, a slender 6’10 200 forward, led the charge. Horvath 13 points and made nine free throws to close the gap. The game was capped off by Jose Placer. Placer hit a game winning three with just 2.4 seconds left. Before that UMBC was 2-19 from three. During this span UMBC pressured New Hampshire and they had no answer. They turned the ball over 20 times and struggled to get into their offense. New Hampshire is a young squad and it showed. Leading the way for them was point guard Marque Maultsby. Maultsby had 15 points, four steals and four turnovers. Senior guard Jordan Reed had 10 points, five rebounds and three turnovers.

 

UMBC escaped in this one. They have been battling injuries all year, but the consistent senior Joe Sherburne was once again the main constant. Sherburne finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.

 

After the game, I left as soon as I could. Of course it was raining. I believe it has during every trip to UMBC this year. I rushed home so I could eat some of the wife’s loaded bake potato soup. I had to pick up some sourdough bread on the way home. I stopped by Panera Bread and they were fresh out, so I went to Food Lion, which is closer to where I live. Objective complete. I got home and watched some of the UCF vs Houston game I had recorded. Then I ate some soup while watching some Kid’s Baking Championship with the family. I watched more of the UCF vs Houston game, then departed around 6:15 for the nightcap at Loyola MD.

 

 

Game 2 – Lehigh vs Loyola MD

IMG_3392

So, I thought I would have plenty of time to get to this game. Remember earlier in the day I was thinking man I’m good at this timing thing…… Wrong. Loyola is located in the middle of Baltimore city. There is no easy way of getting there. Waze, my gps friend, took me right through the middle of downtown. I was supposed to arrive at 6:57 for the 7 p.m. tip. Well, I did arrive around that time. I had to park, then go to will call to pick up my credential. Needless to say, I walked in 25 seconds after the tip off. Objective not complete.

 

Lehigh came into the game looking to end the season tied at the top of the Patriot League standings. Loyola was trying to finish top eight. Well, Loyola played extremely well on senior night. They controlled the game from the start and won by a final of 92-73.

 

Lehigh was led by their normal trio of guards. The two seniors, Kyle Leufroy and Lance Tejada, combined for 30 points. Leufroy is a steady shooting guard that has the ability to play some point in small doses. He has a solid three-point jumper and is a good mid range shooter as well. Tejada likes to use his quickness to blow by defenders and cause chaos in the lane. He also has the ability to shoot from three. Junior point guard Jordan Cohen displayed his great vision all night. He is a knockdown shooter as well. Cohen finished with 16 points and four rebounds. Lehigh has a solid trio on the perimeter. They just lack overall size as a team. However, big man Nic Lynch did provide solid minutes in the paint. He had 13 points, twelve rebounds and three blocks.

 

For Loyola they also excel in guard play. Freshman Jaylin Andrews exploded for 21 points and hit five three-pointers. He will be a player to keep an eye on. He has good size and length at 6’4 for a shooting guard. Point guard Isaiah Hart delivered 18 points and seven assists. Hart cut his turnovers down this season and is going to be a factor for Loyola the next couple of years. The consistent Andrew Kostecka chipped in 19 points. Kostecka seems to shoot better with a hand in his face. Some guys are just like that. He is also a pest on defense. He uses his quickness and anticipation to disrupt passing lanes and ball handlers regularly.

 

Once the game was over I ran out a soon as possible. I went home and my kids were already put in bed. I got home around 9:45p.m. My kids keep waking up super early on the weekends, like 7 a.m. This is earlier than they wake up for school. Maybe we should let them stay up super late on the weekends…. Nah, sounds too risky. The rest of my night consisted of some IPA’s, leftover Chinese food, “Friends”, “This Is Us” t.v. show, finishing the UCF vs Houston game, watching some of the Saint Mary’s vs Gonzaga game and a little bit of the UFC fights. So, yeah I didn’t go to sleep until 2:30 a.m.!

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 12 – Hartford vs UMBC

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 12

 

February 6 – Hartford vs UMBC

IMG_3327

This was my first game in a while. I have been watching games on t.v., but just have been super busy. I went to New York for a Third Eye Blind concert, and for my wife’s work event. I also went on a week-long family cruise to the Bahamas. So, I have been all over the place in the last couple of weeks. I returned from the cruise on super bowl Sunday….. That game sucked. Being a Ravens fan, or maybe a football fan in general I am tired of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots. I digress……

 

After another boring and typical day at work, that consisted of many podcast’s being listened to, I left to pick-up my kids from the in-laws. What podcast’s did I listen to? Thanks for asking. I had many episodes to catch up on since I was gone for a week in the Bahamas. I listened to “The Pat McAfee Show”, “Heartland Radio 2.0” and my personal favorite “Pardon My Take”. Once I got the kids I came home, cleaned up some dog piss and throw-up on the couch; then preceded to eat a quick left over Little Caesar’s pizza for dinner with the kids and wife. I bought seven pizza’s for the super bowl, so I have a weeks worth of left overs. After dinner and watching some of “Kid’s Baking Championship” with the family I put the kids in the van and headed to off to church to drop them off at Awanas. My wife was doing a free financial seminar at the church and needed to get there early, so Mr. Mom in the minivan had to take the little ones before I departed for the game. I arrived at the game around 6:30 with plenty of time to settle in. As you can see I have a very glamorous Dad life.

 

The last time Hartford and UMBC played Hartford won at home in overtime. I watched some of it on t.v. Hartford has six seniors and all of them contribute. This was a big game for me to watch since my scouting service I provide for professional teams is for collegiate senior prospects. Hartford does not have a ton of depth, but their starting five has plenty of firepower. They are led by Irish big man John Carroll. Carroll struggled on the night. He seemed a bit off. He struggled to get things going and missed several close range shots. He was only 3-12 from the field and finished with 8 points and 10 rebounds. He also had four turnovers and four fouls. Their other big man George Blagojevic from Australia showed some versatility. He has good mobility and a decent handle for his size. This handle caused him to force some dribbles however. He finished with 13 points, six rebounds, two blocks and six turnovers. Jason Dunne the shooting guard displayed exactly what his position should entail, shooting. He made four three-pointers on the night. Several of his misses were forced up towards the end of the shot clock or were just forced in general. He has ideal size to play shooting guard at the next level. He will be able to run off screens and has a very quick release. Dunne also has solid vision and plays good defense. Travis Weatherington plays shooting guard and a little small forward. He is an interesting player. He is built like a fullback. He’s 6’2 215 pounds. Honestly probably closer to 225. His arms are like tree trunks. Weatherington is strictly just a spot up shooter on offense. He plays decent defense and is a solid rebounder as well.

 

The player that dominated this game was 5’10 point guard J.R. Lynch. Lynch penetrated at will for Hartford. He knew when to play fast or slow the pace. He is going to be a player overlooked for the next level just due to his size and playing at a smaller school. Lynch had 28 points, six rebounds and four assists. He also went 15-16 from the foul line. The fact that he got to the line that many times is super impressive. He drew fouls at will when penetrating the paint, and is an open court threat as well. Lynch played all 40 minutes of the game. The dude doesn’t get tired.

 

Lynch led the Hawks to a 70-61 win on the road. This was huge for them. It brought them to 12-12 on the year and 5-4 in conference play. UMBC fell to 14-10 overall and 6-3 in conference. This also snapped UMBC’s five game win streak. I understand Hartford lacks in depth, but I still feel that they should have a better record than this. Multiple guys on their team could play at higher levels.

UMBC was led by K.J. Jackson who had 16 points, four rebounds and four turnovers before fouling out. Arkel Lamar also chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds.

  

SIDE NOTE: UMBC is drawing many more fans than they use to. They have a new arena and they also beat number one seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament last season if you didn’t know…… The thing I was most impressed with was the full-fledged attacking of the refs last night. The verbal abuse from fans was something that never would have happened a few years ago. “Hey ref watch the replay so you can see how much you suck”. There were many more zingers, nothing inappropriate like you may hear at some other colleges. Its amazing how much people care about teams when they start winning isn’t it? By the way the refs were pretty bad too.

Famous Prince Street Pizza in Soho, Manhattan

IMG_3247

 

My son Junior and my daughter Winter on the cruise ship

IMG_3260 (1)

Bush Crack the Bahamian beer

IMG_3294

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 4

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 4

American vs UMBC

Sam Iorio game winner against UMBC

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout – Game 4 

November 24 – American @ UMBC

IMG_3073

The next day after my trip to College park to see Marshall vs Maryland, I made the short trip to see American University vs UMBC. UMBC was coming off a successful trip to the Bahamas, where they went 2-1. They had wins over High Point and Air Force. There loss was against South Dakota. UMBC was 4-2 on the season. American was 2-1 on the season, with wins over George Mason and New Hampshire. Their only loss was to Northwestern.

This game was a back and forth affair. UMBC led most of the way but faltered to execute on defense down the stretch. Sa’eed Nelson, the quick and craft point guard for American consistently shredded the defense. He got to the rim at will and also found his teammates regularly. He found teammate Sam Iorio for the eventual game winning 3, with under 2 seconds left.

IMG_3075

Nelson is a problem at the college level. If he can hit the three consistently, he will have a shot in the NBA G-League and for sure a legit chance to be a solid pro overseas. The junior point guard had 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Iorio does a little bit of everything for the Eagles. He is the leading rebounder on the team and provides a 3 point threat, as well as playing solid defense. He had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Stacy Beckton Jr. had a solid game also. He chipped in 14 points and 4 three-pointers.

For UMBC it was a disappointing finish. They had the game in hand, but let American score 46 points in the second half. Max Curran had a nice game. The slender built junior, had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks and a highlight dunk over Marvin Bragg. Sometimes the skinny tall guys can extend and yam over the broader shoulder fellas.

IMG_3074

This dunk is a different one. This is actually the game tying one late in the second half.

Senior Joe Sherburne did his normal thing contributing a steady presence on offense and defense. He could still be more aggressive at times though. He had 11 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Arkel Lamar also was not as aggressive as he may need to be. Junior point guard K.J. Jackson filled the stat sheet with 6 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists and 6 steals. Problem is he shot only 1-10 from the field. Brandon Horvath the other slender man on the team(see what I did there?), who also yams on people from time to time, had 14 points and 8 rebounds.

Overall the issue was UMBC could not stop the penetration from Nelson. He carved them up and American passed the ball very well in the second half. They could be more of a factor in the Patriot league than people originally thought.

Food for thought – UMBC had breakfast food in the media room. I chose to pass. I ate a muffin and had some water….. Very basic I know…… But I did get carryout Indian food for dinner from Tandoori Kabob in Pasadena. Spicy ginger chicken with garlic naan. Well worth the price.

 

 

 

The Life of a Freelance Basketball Scout

Game 2 of the Season

November 12 – Manhattan @ UMBC

IMG_3057

 Once again it was raining on my trip to a game. Annapolis and now in Catonsville or Baltimore County. UMBC is only 20 minutes from my house so it’s not bad, even while driving an old ’94 Ford F-150.

 UMBC has really stepped its game up this past year and no I’m not talking about being the only #16 seed to ever defeat a #1 in NCAA tournament history. I am talking about their facility, the UMBC Event Center. It opened last year when they were crushed by Vermont late in the season. They of course got their revenge with a Jairus Lyles buzzer beater in Vermont to send the Retrievers to the NCAA tourney. More specifically though I am referring to the pregame spread. It was a taco/fajita/salad bar. It was solid, catered food. Now this doesn’t seem like much to some people in the media, but as far as I know there other gym did not have a spread….. Now I could be wrong, but my only experience out of the three years I have attended games there was meandering my way to a small crowded media room the size of the break room at a small paper company (yes, picture the break room from Scranton’s finest Dunder Mifflin). When I arrived there was an empty container of cookies. All of UMBC’s media staff had already consumed them, and yes famous UMBC Twitter guy was one of them…….

 So needless to say they have come a long way! The media staff does a great job there for sure. In the old gym as well as the new. Shoutout to Mr. Steve Levy.

 As for the game it was a one sided affair. UMBC handled Manhattan for majority of the game, with a final of 75-52. UMBC was shooting lights out from three. They were 13-29. Its very difficult to beat any team that makes 13 three’s. Coach Steve Masiello and the Jaspers didn’t have a chance to match the firepower of Coach Ryan Odom and the Retrievers. These are two really solid head coaches too. I wonder how long Odom will stick around. His coaching style and teams style of play will be very intriguing for many high major universities.

 For UMBC the star player of the game was, K.J. Jackson. Jackson, a JUCO transfer from Texas, struggled to run the offense early and played tentative. The 6’2 180 lb. point guard started playing with more decisiveness and conviction and quickly turned the game around. He finished with 20 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds. Jackson is a tough player to stop when driving from the perimeter and he see’s the floor pretty well. He made 4-7 from three and was not taking shots out of the offense. Jackson is going to be one of the guards to watch in the America East Conference.

The other two veterans for UMBC that played well as expected were Arkel Lamar and Joe Sherburne. Lamar, a 6’5 235lb. junior guard/forward, may be the most important player on the squad. Lamar is a knockdown three-point shooter and has the ability to pull up or drive to the rack. Lamar has expanded his overall game. He see’s the floor better than years past and he also seems to be taking more of a leadership role on the floor. Lamar finished with 15 points. Joe Sherburne, a 6’6 220lb. senior shooting guard, provided his steady play. He played well in the high post and at the foul line. Sherburne’s calming presence is what holds this team together. The sharpshooter finished with 13 points, 4 assists and 5 rebounds.

For Manhattan it was not pretty on offense. They lacked continuity and a purpose most of the time. Freshman Elijah Buchanan lead the way with 10 points. Senior guard Thomas Capuano chipped in 9 points and senior guard/forward Samson Usilo had 7 points and 7 rebounds. This team is going to struggle to score. They seemed to be lacking a playmaking point guard and they are a very young team. Masiello will have some work to do.

 Fan of the game goes to the random UMBC fan that was yelling at all of Manhattan’s players by name and telling them they suck and they all need shape-ups. Very entertaining sir.

 UMBC had a decent crowd there. I guess the interest garnered from the NCAA tourney upset over #1 seeded Virginia is starting to generate some more profit.

 

 

Top 20 Pro Prospects In Maryland and DC

Top 20 Pro Prospects In Maryland and DC

Updated 1-16-18Embed from Getty Images

This list is in order of higher rated pro prospect. I value seniors or upperclassmen more so, but still include players that are very productive as underclassmen.

I have finally had a chance to see everyone on this list. Thus the fluctuation of the first one that was out.

  1. Bruno Fernando
  2. Kevin Huerter
  3. Justin Jackson
  4. Jessie Govan
  5. Jairus Lyles
  6. Anthony Cowan
  7. Michal Cekovsky
  8. Tiwian Kendley
  9. Zane Martin
  10. Yuta Watanabe
  11. Marcus Derrickson
  12. Mike Morsell
  13. Jair Bolden
  14. Andre Walker
  15. Shawn Anderson
  16. R.J. Cole
  17. Junior Robinson
  18. Sa’eed Nelson
  19. Otis Livingston II
  20. Patrick Steeves

On the rise: Tiwian Kendley, Otis Livingston II, Anthony Cowan, Marcus Derrickson, Andre Walker

On the decline: Darryl Morsell, Sa’eed Nelson, Shawn Anderson, Justin Jackson

Others in consideration: Charles Williams, Jonathan Mulmore, Hasan Abdullah, Deshaun Morman, Justin Gorham, Darryl Morsell, Jared Nickens, Ivan Bender, Cam Gregory, Chuck Champion, Martez Cameron, Arkel Lamar, Joe Sherburne, Joshua Tomaic, Phillip Carr, Jaire Grayer, Goanar Mar

Howard – R.J. Cole and Charles Williams

George Mason – Otis Livingston II, Jaire Grayer, Goanar Mar

Georgetown – Jessie Govan, Marcus Derrickson, Jonathan Mulmore

Navy – Shawn Anderson, Bryce Dulin, Hasan Abdullah and Tom Lacey

American – Sa’eed Nelson, Larry Motuzis

Towson – Zane Martin, Mike Morsell, Brian Starr, Deshaun Morman, Justin Gorham, Eddie Keith

Maryland – Huerter, Fernando, Jackson, Cekovsky, Morsell, Cowan, Wiley, Nickens, Bender, Tomaic

Loyola MD – Andre Walker, Cam Gregory, James Fives, Andrew Kostecka, Chuck Champion, Isaiah Hart

Mount St. Mary’s – Junior Robinson and Jonah Antonio

George Washington – Yuta Watanabe, Jair Bolden, Arnaldo Toro, Patrick Steeves, Terry Nolan Jr.

Morgan State – Tiwian Kendley, Phillip Carr, Martez Cameron, LaPri McCray-Pace, Stanley Davis

UMBC – Jairus Lyles, Arkel Lamar, K.J. Maura, Joe Sherburne, Jourdan Grant

Maryland Eastern Shore –

Coppin State –

The Top 20 Pro Prospects in Maryland and Washington D.C.

The Top 20 Pro Prospects in Maryland and Washington D.C.

IMG_1959

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

 

The following is my first list of the top 20 D1 prospects in MD/DC. This list will change every so often the more I get to see different schools and players. Schools I still need to see more from are George Mason, Morgan State, Mount St. Mary’s, Maryland Eastern Shore and Coppin State. This list is as current as January 2, 2018.

Here we go…..

  1. Justin Jackson
  2. Bruno Fernando
  3. Kevin Huerter
  4. Jairus Lyles
  5. Jessie Govan
  6. Darryl Morsell
  7. Anthony Cowan
  8. Michal Cekovsky
  9. Zane Martin
  10. Yuta Watanabe
  11. Mike Morsell
  12. Shawn Anderson
  13. Jair Bolden
  14. Sa’eed Nelson
  15. Marcus Derrickson
  16. R.J. Cole
  17. Junior Robinson
  18. Andre Walker
  19. Tiwian Kendley
  20. Patrick Steeves

 

Others in consideration: Charles Williams, Jonathan Mulmore, Hasan Abdullah, Deshaun Morman, Justin Gorham, Jared Nickens, Ivan Bender, Cam Gregory, Chuck Champion, Martez Cameron, Arkel Lamar, Joe Sherburne, Joshua Tomaic, Phillip Carr, Otis Livingston II, Jaire Grayer, Goanar Mar

Here is a breakdown of prospects looked at per school

 

Howard – R.J. Cole and Charles Williams

 

George Mason – Otis Livingston II, Jaire Grayer, Goanar Mar

 

Georgetown – Jessie Govan, Marcus Derrickson, Jonathan Mulmore

 

Navy – Shawn Anderson, Bryce Dulin, Hasan Abdullah and Tom Lacey

 

American – Sa’eed Nelson, Larry Motuzis

 

Towson – Zane Martin, Mike Morsell, Brian Starr, Deshaun Morman, Justin Gorham, Eddie Keith

 

Maryland – Huerter, Fernando, Jackson, Cekovsky, Morsell, Cowan, Wiley, Nickens, Bender, Tomaic

 

Loyola MD – Andre Walker, Cam Gregory, James Fives, Andrew Kostecka, Chuck Champion, Isaiah Hart

 

Mount St. Mary’s – Junior Robinson and Jonah Antonio

 

George Washington – Yuta Watanabe, Jair Bolden, Arnaldo Toro, Patrick Steeves, Terry Nolan Jr.

 

Morgan State – Tiwian Kendley, Phillip Carr, Martez Cameron, LaPri McCray-Pace, Stanley Davis

 

UMBC – Jairus Lyles, Arkel Lamar, K.J. Maura, Joe Sherburne, Jourdan Grant

 

Maryland Eastern Shore –

Coppin State –

 

As I said before this list will change periodically. This is what I have right now. Stay tuned for updates on prospects in the Maryland/DC area.

 

cropped-cropped-logo-1-mock-2-e14751714723931.jpg

UMBC Opens Conference Play In Impressive Fashion

UMBC Opens Conference Play In Impressive Fashion

img_0806

 

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