Opening Knights?
The Wildcats and Knights will open their 2009-10 season(s) on Friday evening at Villanova's Pavilion. If this season holds great promise for the Wildcats, it seems decidedly less so for the Knights. The Fairleigh Dickinson squad enters the game down 2, having lost the program's first head coach, Richard Holub, who passed away in early August at the age of 88, and their head coach, Tom Green, who was dismissed early last June. Coach Green and his Knights struggled to a second consecutive losing season in 2009, a #10 place Northeast Conference finish that followed their #8 finish in 2008 (tie-breakers kept them out of the NEC Tournament). If Coach Green's termination was odd (he was after all, the winningest coach in FDU history, voted NEC coach of the year twice, and honored twice as Coach of the Year by the NJ Sports Writers), AD David Langford's timing was even stranger. Langford dismissed the 26 year head coach on June 5th, over six weeks after the beginning of the spring signing period, too late in the fire/hire cycle to conduct an extensive search for a replacement. Langford looked to Coach Green's 2009 staff, and tabbed younger (and better connected?) Assistant Coach, Greg Vetrone, to guide the program as the interim coach for 2009-10. Villanova and Fairleigh Dickinson have played twice before (1999 and 2000), both decisions going to Villanova by double digit margins...
What Others Say...
...With four returning starters, it is no surprise that Blue Ribbon rates the Knight's backcourt at B, the frontcourt at B and the bench/depth at C+. But Blue Ribbon also predicts a #9 conference finish for FDU. The reason? Blue Ribbon suggested that Coach Vetrone will address the Knight's lack of defense under Green (Pomeroy ranked the Knights' defense #323 out of 344 in D1 last season). Rush the Court (and Villanova by the Numbers contributor...) Ray Floriani projected a #6 place finish for the Knights in his NEC Preview...the low standing a possible after effect of Tom Green's dismissal? Coach Vetrone will put a veteran lineup on the floor, but will they draw on their shared experience as a team and play with each other?
Why Everyone Believes...
...The feeling around the program (and the AD's office) was that the team had talent, but chemistry and motivation issues held the team back in Green's last two seasons. Coach Vetrone will work to get everyone of the senior-led squad members on the same page and working together to realize the promise that each has individually (and inconsistently) demonstrated over the past two seasons. The squad is one of the NEC's most experienced going into this season, improvement over the previous two seasons is expected.
So Far...
The Knights did not see March last season, ending play on the last day of February with a 79-58 loss to NEC foe St. Francis (PA). Villanova lost 83-69, in the national semifinals of the NCAA, to eventual champion North Carolina. The 'Cats come into this game off a 26 point exhibition win over the D2 Kutztown Bearcats last Friday. Fairleigh tuned up with a 19 point exhibition win (80-61) versus Molloy College (of Hyslip, NY), in Coach Vetrone's first game as a D1 Head Coach.
Fairleigh Dickinson By the Numbers...
The Knight's RPI over the past 5 years has ranged from the mid 100's (#141) down to the low 300's (#314). The last two seasons of Coach Green's tenure saw the FDU slump to the high 200s/low 300s. Fairleigh Dickinson was a higher than average pace team last season (69.2 possessions, adjusted, via Ken Pomeroy's Fairleigh Dickinson Scout Page which ranked the Knights #62 out of approx. 344 - the adjusted average pace was 66.5). Fairleigh Dickinson's field goal efficiency (eFG) was a disastrous 45.7% (#292) while their defense for shots was very suspect (53.0, #320). Those shot numbers, combined with rebounds (ranked #208 offensively, #335 defensively), suggest a team that struggled with communication and consistent effort on the court.
Frontcourt vs frontcourt...
If the Knight's starting #4 looks vaguely familiar to you, relax, you know him from seasons' past. The seniors should recognize 6-8 senior Alvin Mofunanya (#55, 9.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg), a transfer from Big 5 rival St. Joseph's who started for Coach Green last season. Two returning players 6-8 junior Kamil Svrdlik (#44, 6.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg) and 6-9 (250 pound) junior John Galvin (#50, 5.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) split the starts & PT last season. 6-9 junior DeJuan Pursley (#52), back from a year of inactivity, returns to add depth and another big body to the rotation. 7-2 senior Lawrence Brown (#35, 2.7 mpg, 0.4 ppg) and 6-7 redshirt freshman Anaclet Mbayi (#33) will add depth to the Green Knight rotation.
If the Kutztown exhibition is a reliable guide, Villanova will start junior Antonio Pena alongside freshman Mouphtaou Yarou at the #4/#5. Wing Corey Stokes will start at the #3, though Stokes and Pena will most likely switch on defense as the situation demands. Look for Taylor King off the bench early if the staff wants to test the Green Knight's 3 point defense (FDU was ranked #311 in D1 last season). Red shirt freshman Maurice Sutton and freshman Dominic Cheek may see action early if Yarou encounters foul trouble. FDU's experienced front court contingent should provide a good test for the Wildcat's freshmen-heavy cohort. Speculation abounds about the status of freshman Isaiah Armwood -- will the staff red shirt him or put him in the rotation this season? An appearance by the freshman would be a bolster to those who believe he will not red shirt.
Backcourt vs backcourt...
The Knights will match Villanova's back court with a pair of experienced guards. JUCO point guard Mike Scott (#12, 8.5 ppg) out of the College of Eastern Utah will likely take the point while 6-3 Jean Bapitste (#30, 16.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg), possibly the NEC's best player, starting at the off guard spot. Baptiste (79.6% of the PT at his position) logged massive playing time last season -- Pomeroy ranked him in the Top 350 for playing time. That no doubt degraded Baptiste's effectiveness at times late last season. Baptiste took > 50% of FDU's possessions when they played together, though Baptiste took 28.2% of the shots when he was on the floor. Scott logged a freshman year at Texas Christian before heading out to Utah. The FDU offense will go through those two. Coach Vetrone indicated Baptiste participated in an off season conditioning program to build up his stamina, and the coach will try to enlarge the back court rotation to provide Baptiste some in game rest. Expect an early call to go out to returning players 5-11 junior Terence Grier (#1, 7.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and 6-0 sophomore Sam Fernley (#10, 2.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg). Coach Vetrone can also look to 5-11 freshman DeShawn Dockery (#21, cousin of former Dookie Sean Dockery) and 5-10 freshman Louis Larizza (#22, Port Chester, NY).
Coach Wright will counter with senior guard Scottie Reynolds and junior point guard Corey Fisher to start in the Villanova back court, along with junior Corey Stokes to start on the wing, as Coach Wright will most likely favor a 3 guard look. Freshman guard Malik Wayns will get an early call -- expect him to log double digit minutes in relief of Fisher and Reynolds. Freshman Dominic Cheek will also see the court.
Final Thoughts...
This game will pit strength against strength - back court versus back court. I expect Villanova to dominate enough to win this by a double digit margin. The front court struggle should be the most interesting matchup in this contest, however. The 'Cats may have more talent, but FDU will counter with a lot of experience in the form of bigger, heavier bodies. If Yarou struggles with fouls as he did in Nova's exhibition game with Kutztown, the fans may see the staff experiment with line ups of different sizes and shapes. Putting King next to Pena will concede a few inches to FDU, but it will force them to stretch their defense to account for the extra bombers. The front court number to watch here is rebounds. FDU has the size/experience advantage, but the Knights were among the poorest defensive rebounders in D1 (#335) last season, and were not especially strong (#208) on the offensive side either. If the game is competitive throughout, the staff may show the rotation they will favor for the season. But the staff went ten deep for the Kutztown game, and will most likely do the same here if the players get FDU under control early. Numbers to watch, rebounding aside, will be minutes. Who gets how much given the player match-ups, may provide an early forecast on the rotation come the Big East season. Getting subs some playing time has been traditionally valued by the staff and (by tradition) a priority in the early season games.
Roster Notes...
Villanova -- Eligibility issues apparently settled, bfc Mouphtaou Yarou is slated to play for the Wildcats. Yarou started the exhibition game (versus Kutztown) last Friday. Scottie Reynolds tweaked his ankle early in the week and sat out Tuesday's practice. He is expected to be ready Friday. Senior guard/forward Reggie Redding is suspended for the fall semester.
Fairleigh Dickinson -- Senior point guard Cameron Tyler who started next to Jean Baptiste and logged even more minutes in 2009 than the Knight's most prolific scorer, is benched for the fall semester with academic issues. He will not play.
The Wildcats and Knights will open their 2009-10 season(s) on Friday evening at Villanova's Pavilion. If this season holds great promise for the Wildcats, it seems decidedly less so for the Knights. The Fairleigh Dickinson squad enters the game down 2, having lost the program's first head coach, Richard Holub, who passed away in early August at the age of 88, and their head coach, Tom Green, who was dismissed early last June. Coach Green and his Knights struggled to a second consecutive losing season in 2009, a #10 place Northeast Conference finish that followed their #8 finish in 2008 (tie-breakers kept them out of the NEC Tournament). If Coach Green's termination was odd (he was after all, the winningest coach in FDU history, voted NEC coach of the year twice, and honored twice as Coach of the Year by the NJ Sports Writers), AD David Langford's timing was even stranger. Langford dismissed the 26 year head coach on June 5th, over six weeks after the beginning of the spring signing period, too late in the fire/hire cycle to conduct an extensive search for a replacement. Langford looked to Coach Green's 2009 staff, and tabbed younger (and better connected?) Assistant Coach, Greg Vetrone, to guide the program as the interim coach for 2009-10. Villanova and Fairleigh Dickinson have played twice before (1999 and 2000), both decisions going to Villanova by double digit margins...
What Others Say...
...With four returning starters, it is no surprise that Blue Ribbon rates the Knight's backcourt at B, the frontcourt at B and the bench/depth at C+. But Blue Ribbon also predicts a #9 conference finish for FDU. The reason? Blue Ribbon suggested that Coach Vetrone will address the Knight's lack of defense under Green (Pomeroy ranked the Knights' defense #323 out of 344 in D1 last season). Rush the Court (and Villanova by the Numbers contributor...) Ray Floriani projected a #6 place finish for the Knights in his NEC Preview...the low standing a possible after effect of Tom Green's dismissal? Coach Vetrone will put a veteran lineup on the floor, but will they draw on their shared experience as a team and play with each other?
Why Everyone Believes...
...The feeling around the program (and the AD's office) was that the team had talent, but chemistry and motivation issues held the team back in Green's last two seasons. Coach Vetrone will work to get everyone of the senior-led squad members on the same page and working together to realize the promise that each has individually (and inconsistently) demonstrated over the past two seasons. The squad is one of the NEC's most experienced going into this season, improvement over the previous two seasons is expected.
So Far...
The Knights did not see March last season, ending play on the last day of February with a 79-58 loss to NEC foe St. Francis (PA). Villanova lost 83-69, in the national semifinals of the NCAA, to eventual champion North Carolina. The 'Cats come into this game off a 26 point exhibition win over the D2 Kutztown Bearcats last Friday. Fairleigh tuned up with a 19 point exhibition win (80-61) versus Molloy College (of Hyslip, NY), in Coach Vetrone's first game as a D1 Head Coach.
Fairleigh Dickinson By the Numbers...
The Knight's RPI over the past 5 years has ranged from the mid 100's (#141) down to the low 300's (#314). The last two seasons of Coach Green's tenure saw the FDU slump to the high 200s/low 300s. Fairleigh Dickinson was a higher than average pace team last season (69.2 possessions, adjusted, via Ken Pomeroy's Fairleigh Dickinson Scout Page which ranked the Knights #62 out of approx. 344 - the adjusted average pace was 66.5). Fairleigh Dickinson's field goal efficiency (eFG) was a disastrous 45.7% (#292) while their defense for shots was very suspect (53.0, #320). Those shot numbers, combined with rebounds (ranked #208 offensively, #335 defensively), suggest a team that struggled with communication and consistent effort on the court.
Frontcourt vs frontcourt...
If the Knight's starting #4 looks vaguely familiar to you, relax, you know him from seasons' past. The seniors should recognize 6-8 senior Alvin Mofunanya (#55, 9.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg), a transfer from Big 5 rival St. Joseph's who started for Coach Green last season. Two returning players 6-8 junior Kamil Svrdlik (#44, 6.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg) and 6-9 (250 pound) junior John Galvin (#50, 5.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg) split the starts & PT last season. 6-9 junior DeJuan Pursley (#52), back from a year of inactivity, returns to add depth and another big body to the rotation. 7-2 senior Lawrence Brown (#35, 2.7 mpg, 0.4 ppg) and 6-7 redshirt freshman Anaclet Mbayi (#33) will add depth to the Green Knight rotation.
If the Kutztown exhibition is a reliable guide, Villanova will start junior Antonio Pena alongside freshman Mouphtaou Yarou at the #4/#5. Wing Corey Stokes will start at the #3, though Stokes and Pena will most likely switch on defense as the situation demands. Look for Taylor King off the bench early if the staff wants to test the Green Knight's 3 point defense (FDU was ranked #311 in D1 last season). Red shirt freshman Maurice Sutton and freshman Dominic Cheek may see action early if Yarou encounters foul trouble. FDU's experienced front court contingent should provide a good test for the Wildcat's freshmen-heavy cohort. Speculation abounds about the status of freshman Isaiah Armwood -- will the staff red shirt him or put him in the rotation this season? An appearance by the freshman would be a bolster to those who believe he will not red shirt.
Backcourt vs backcourt...
The Knights will match Villanova's back court with a pair of experienced guards. JUCO point guard Mike Scott (#12, 8.5 ppg) out of the College of Eastern Utah will likely take the point while 6-3 Jean Bapitste (#30, 16.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg), possibly the NEC's best player, starting at the off guard spot. Baptiste (79.6% of the PT at his position) logged massive playing time last season -- Pomeroy ranked him in the Top 350 for playing time. That no doubt degraded Baptiste's effectiveness at times late last season. Baptiste took > 50% of FDU's possessions when they played together, though Baptiste took 28.2% of the shots when he was on the floor. Scott logged a freshman year at Texas Christian before heading out to Utah. The FDU offense will go through those two. Coach Vetrone indicated Baptiste participated in an off season conditioning program to build up his stamina, and the coach will try to enlarge the back court rotation to provide Baptiste some in game rest. Expect an early call to go out to returning players 5-11 junior Terence Grier (#1, 7.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and 6-0 sophomore Sam Fernley (#10, 2.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg). Coach Vetrone can also look to 5-11 freshman DeShawn Dockery (#21, cousin of former Dookie Sean Dockery) and 5-10 freshman Louis Larizza (#22, Port Chester, NY).
Coach Wright will counter with senior guard Scottie Reynolds and junior point guard Corey Fisher to start in the Villanova back court, along with junior Corey Stokes to start on the wing, as Coach Wright will most likely favor a 3 guard look. Freshman guard Malik Wayns will get an early call -- expect him to log double digit minutes in relief of Fisher and Reynolds. Freshman Dominic Cheek will also see the court.
Final Thoughts...
This game will pit strength against strength - back court versus back court. I expect Villanova to dominate enough to win this by a double digit margin. The front court struggle should be the most interesting matchup in this contest, however. The 'Cats may have more talent, but FDU will counter with a lot of experience in the form of bigger, heavier bodies. If Yarou struggles with fouls as he did in Nova's exhibition game with Kutztown, the fans may see the staff experiment with line ups of different sizes and shapes. Putting King next to Pena will concede a few inches to FDU, but it will force them to stretch their defense to account for the extra bombers. The front court number to watch here is rebounds. FDU has the size/experience advantage, but the Knights were among the poorest defensive rebounders in D1 (#335) last season, and were not especially strong (#208) on the offensive side either. If the game is competitive throughout, the staff may show the rotation they will favor for the season. But the staff went ten deep for the Kutztown game, and will most likely do the same here if the players get FDU under control early. Numbers to watch, rebounding aside, will be minutes. Who gets how much given the player match-ups, may provide an early forecast on the rotation come the Big East season. Getting subs some playing time has been traditionally valued by the staff and (by tradition) a priority in the early season games.
Roster Notes...
Villanova -- Eligibility issues apparently settled, bfc Mouphtaou Yarou is slated to play for the Wildcats. Yarou started the exhibition game (versus Kutztown) last Friday. Scottie Reynolds tweaked his ankle early in the week and sat out Tuesday's practice. He is expected to be ready Friday. Senior guard/forward Reggie Redding is suspended for the fall semester.
Fairleigh Dickinson -- Senior point guard Cameron Tyler who started next to Jean Baptiste and logged even more minutes in 2009 than the Knight's most prolific scorer, is benched for the fall semester with academic issues. He will not play.
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