For tonight:
Robert Morris wins a closer game than you'd expect, needing an early second-half run to ice it.
Here's all you need to know about the league this year: I like LIU to win the tournament, but I'm trying to talk myself out of liking Quinnipiac to win tonight.
Bryant makes the most of this showcase opportunity and wins at home.
And last but not least, Wagner outscores CCSU in a game which isn't as wild as last year's between the two, but is still crazy. Central won't be as down as many as it was when it rallied in last year's quarterfinal on Staten Island, but it's been seven years since a top three seed lost a quarterfinal at home.
I think the Vegas line is way too high and I wouldn't be shocked by any means if CCSU finds a way, however. Especially since Vinales has been so good vs. Wagner this year. Either he does it again or the Seahawks put so much attention on him it allows either Malcolm McMillan or Matt Hunter to score more.
My head tells me Wagner wins by less than 10, but I'm also rather certain tonight doesn't end with the four higher seeds all winning.
CCSU men's basketball regular season review
By the time you read this, we'll be just a few hurs away form the start of the NEC Tournament for 2013. Before the postseason begins, however, I thought I'd take a quick look back at how the Blue Devils got to this point by playing another game of man-to-man.ADONIS BURBAGE: He became a bit more than just a one-dimensional shooter this year, earning his place as a starter for most of the season. He's still a shooter who is prone to streaks and needs to have his feet set to have a good chance to nail the shot, but he also brings good energy to the team. I actually prefer him as a spark off the bench, at least with this year's team, but that's not a knock.
KYLE VINALES: I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with him. What number is he again?
Obviously I'm kidding. Vinales, barring injury, will leave Central with most of the school's scoring records. That will come two years from now, which gives him time to further grow as a player. For now, he's an elite scorer who's willing and able to play every minute every night and who wants the ball with the game on the line. He can be prone to cold spells and gets a bit eager to shoot at times, but he's far from a selfish player. The biggest misconception about Vinales is that he's a ball hog. He's actually pretty good about knowing when he has cooled off and can get the ball into other people's hands.
In short, Vinales was asked to become the go-to player this year and did nicely with the role. Central will need him to be the star tonight.
ANDREW HURD: Believe it or not, I think he can be a useful player. He's not Vinales, but he can be a 5-10 minute guy who gives him a break more consistently going forward.
DE'ANGELO SPEECH: His loss is a huge one for this team, which needed the depth and versatility he provided.
MALCOLM McMILLAN: Before the season, the thought about CCSU's point guard was he was a jump shot away from being a real player. Well, he can shoot now. If his legs hold up, he'll become one of the best points ever to play in New Britain.
KHALEN CUMBERLANDER: We didn't get to see enough of him for me to have a thought other than this was another body the Blue Devils could have used.
ERIK RALEIGH: A great story who saw some time. Very raw, so who knows.
JOE EFESE: I need to see how this story ends before I write too much about him. I could see an explosion from him this week.
MATT HUNTER: My biggest regret this season is that I haven't written more about Hunter. He doesn't put up numbers in the spectacular fashion Vinales does, but the numbers he puts up are often spectacular.
This is going to be a track meet tonight and it's on a big stage. In other words, tonight was made for Matt Hunter.
By the way, there's no way there were 10 better players in the NEC this year. The coaches got that one wrong. Hunter was in the Top 10 in the league in scoring and rebounding and is in the Top 10 in the country in steals. I can see second team all NEC, but not third.
GREG ANDRADE: Another player whose athleticism makes him interesting going forward.
TERRELL ALLEN: He developed a 3-point shot this year but wasn't always consistent with it or his game as a whole. When he's on, he can do a bit of everything, and I've always liked his intangibles. Central will need him tonight. We'll talk about his future role later.
BRANDON PEEL: His emergence changed Central's season for the better. He steps into a permanent starting role next year, but he needs to gain valuable postseason experience this week.
Catching up with the Blue Devils after CCSU and Kyle Vinales win the game of the year
Just wanted to get something up here quick after a wild one I'm going to be writing about for awhile. Please remember that while I take way too long breaks from this blog, I write quite a bit over at newbritainherald.com (and in the paper itself, but I can't link to that here.)
Doing a full man-to-man feels wrong tonight since, despite numerous contributions, this game was about one man and one shot.
Howie Dickenman told Kyle Vinales to make something happen. The sophomore sure did, making a who knows how many-footer in the final seconds to give Central its first win over the Bobcats in nine tries.
When it happened, I turned tot he person next to me on press row and said "that might be the worst shot I've ever seen."
His reply: "It went in, didn't it?"
Vinales had been struggling all night, but what makes him so exciting (and so tough) is that he doesn't worry about it. The last 10 shots, makes or misses, have no baring on his confidence about the next one he puts up. He thinks it's going in.
He's right a lot, and this one proved the rest of us wrong.
So I thought I'd give you a couple of punchlines from Vinales, who was in as rare a form after the game as he was at the end of it.
"I thought it was going in," he said with a smile.
When asked what the rim looked like from 28 feet away, he said "the ocean."
"He told me to make something happen," Vinales said, referring to Dickenman. "He told me to score, so I did."
And my favorite, after I asked him if he realized how far away he was when he took the shot, he said:
"No. After I shot it I said, 'damn, that was kind of far'. But it was a good choice I guess."
That might be debatable, but the result was not.
Doing a full man-to-man feels wrong tonight since, despite numerous contributions, this game was about one man and one shot.
Howie Dickenman told Kyle Vinales to make something happen. The sophomore sure did, making a who knows how many-footer in the final seconds to give Central its first win over the Bobcats in nine tries.
When it happened, I turned tot he person next to me on press row and said "that might be the worst shot I've ever seen."
His reply: "It went in, didn't it?"
Vinales had been struggling all night, but what makes him so exciting (and so tough) is that he doesn't worry about it. The last 10 shots, makes or misses, have no baring on his confidence about the next one he puts up. He thinks it's going in.
He's right a lot, and this one proved the rest of us wrong.
So I thought I'd give you a couple of punchlines from Vinales, who was in as rare a form after the game as he was at the end of it.
"I thought it was going in," he said with a smile.
When asked what the rim looked like from 28 feet away, he said "the ocean."
"He told me to make something happen," Vinales said, referring to Dickenman. "He told me to score, so I did."
And my favorite, after I asked him if he realized how far away he was when he took the shot, he said:
"No. After I shot it I said, 'damn, that was kind of far'. But it was a good choice I guess."
That might be debatable, but the result was not.
A we're finally all dug out from the storm edition of the blog
So after losing about a week dealing with various storm issues, finally sitting down at the blog. Just wanted to check in before the game starts.
First, a few notes, which I've mentioned in the paper and twitter, but just to make sure we're all on the same page.
The men's game vs. QU in New Britain is now 2/25 at 7 p.m. The women will host LIU on 2/20.
Central should be in good shape tonight physically. Brandon Peel should be up for full minutes tonight.
The Blue Devils have actually been good at times on the road, but this stretch is going to be tough. Getting this one would guarantee Central the tiebreak ahead of Wagner and get the Blue Devils back in the discussion for home court in the tournament.
We're to the time of year where you have to scoreboard watch, so we'll look at where the league stands after the night.
First, a few notes, which I've mentioned in the paper and twitter, but just to make sure we're all on the same page.
The men's game vs. QU in New Britain is now 2/25 at 7 p.m. The women will host LIU on 2/20.
Central should be in good shape tonight physically. Brandon Peel should be up for full minutes tonight.
The Blue Devils have actually been good at times on the road, but this stretch is going to be tough. Getting this one would guarantee Central the tiebreak ahead of Wagner and get the Blue Devils back in the discussion for home court in the tournament.
We're to the time of year where you have to scoreboard watch, so we'll look at where the league stands after the night.
CCSU Men's basketball update after win over FDU
Just got home from work, quick update of couple things I was told tonight.
1) Kyle Vinales had a bit of a toe issue as well as foul trouble, but it isn't serious. I have to double check, but unofficially I have him 28 from 1,000 now.
2) If you were following on ESPN.com's gamecast instead of NEC Front Row or 1410, you might have seen De'Angelo Speech's name in the box score. It has since been fixed, he did not play.
1) Kyle Vinales had a bit of a toe issue as well as foul trouble, but it isn't serious. I have to double check, but unofficially I have him 28 from 1,000 now.
2) If you were following on ESPN.com's gamecast instead of NEC Front Row or 1410, you might have seen De'Angelo Speech's name in the box score. It has since been fixed, he did not play.
CCSU men's basketball midseason man-to-man
With the NEC season passing the midseason point, I thought it would be a good idea to break down the season in the way we usually do the individual games.So before we start the second half by looking at the big win at Monmouth, let's break down the first half by going man-to-man.
Adonis Burbage: He's worked to become less one-dimensional as the season has gone on, but he's still best known for his corner threes, something he has come to excel at at times. He's still too streaky, but when he's hot, he gives Central a huge weapon. His best game of the year was last week against SF-Brooklyn, when he became a rebounder in the absence of Brandon Peel. If he can mix the three, a little driving, the rebounding and the threes, he will be a huge piece. For now, he's a heck of a compliment.
Kyle Vinales: I don't know if you've heard, but the kid is a pretty good scorer. He has 967 points in 49 games. Mark down Thursday night in New Britain vs. LIU, as that should be the night he becomes the fastest to 1,000 points in school history. Most importantly, he has developed into more than just a shooter. He has learned to defer to others when either they are hot or he isn't, and is turning into a solid assist man. He's been everything you'd want from your star. And he has two years to further develop.
Andrew Hurd: He will get his shot up, we know that. But he has shown the capability to give Central a good 5-10 minutes of relief for their guards. I'd love to see him get those minutes a little more consistently.
De'Angelo Speech: His loss, probably for the season, thanks to a couple of different injuries, really hurt. Central could have used another ball-handler and perimeter defender, two things Speech could have provided.
Malcolm McMillan: He's been good all year, though his assist-to-turnover ratio was a little low early in the year, mostly because of the high expectations (and need) Central had for him as opposed to his actual play. In the last couple of weeks, however, he has added offense to his game, making him much more of a threat. It's one of the two transformations which has Central thinking about contending in the league again.
Khalen Cumberlander: Another guard Central could have really used who was lost to an injury. The backcourt will be deep next year.
Erik Raliegh: A wonderful story who hopefully can contribute before he graduates.
Joe Efese: He had his breakout game Thursday night at Monmouth. He saw his time greatly reduced with the emergence of Brandon Peel, but has seemed to use it as motivation, showing off a nice little jumper and a renewed intensity on defense since. I'd still like to see more of the "big" lineup Central used against Wagner more, if for no other reason than Peel and Efese both deserve to play. Efese will be heard from before this year is over, as he was last night.
Matt Hunter: The quiet superstar. He can score and gives Central needed energy. He makes its transition game go, and has greatly limited his turnovers as the season has gone along. If he can keep his shooting percentage up, he might be the unsung hero of the season.
Greg Andrade: He's another good athlete who could give Central a few minutes, especially at the end of games which have been decided. Hey, it doesn't matter where the five minutes come from.
Terrell Allen: Central's other backup big, he is another guy who developed his game as the year went along. He can shoot a little bit from the outside but just has to remember his bread andbutter is hustle and interior play.
Brandon Peel: The breakout star of the season. His rebounding and interior play has become critical to Central, which started turning the year around when he was inserted into the lineup. He only got a minute Thursday because of his bum ankle, and the Blue Devils have to hope he's close to returning to his normal time. If he is, this season might be getting interesting.
CCSU men's basketball fades in loss to Quinnipiac
Malcolm McMillan said what we all knew to be true: CCSU had run of out gas.
The Blue Devils, having lost yet another player and running out of viable options, actually held up well for more than 30 minutes.
The Blue Devils, having lost yet another player and running out of viable options, actually held up well for more than 30 minutes.
In the end, however, there were just too many Bobcats.
Central tried to hang tough, but a big loose ball went to Shaq Shannon, who stuck a big shot and ended Central's comeback bid. The Blue Devils would have been outrebounded no matter what, but losing Brandon Peel's services to a rolled ankle proved costly for Central, which needs all the interior help it can get.
So, on a night when Central went zone to try and save some energy and force the Bobcats to make shots (which they did), let's play man-to-man.
Adonis Burbage: I liked his aggressiveness. He tried to be more than just a corner shooter tonight, and it paid off with free throw opportunities. He's going to have to start helping inside, however, with some rebounds.
Brandon Peel: The ankle injury doesn't sound too serious long term, but Central desperately needs bodies at this point, especially now that it seems as though De'Angelo Speech won't be returning.
Kyle Vinales: He jsut had nothing left. Here's a kid who plays darn near the entire game every night while being double-teamed, not to mention grabbed and harassed when he's being covered by one man. He was brilliant for a half, but couldn't hold up, even needing an extended break down the stretch. Howie Dickenman admitted Vinales was tired after the game, and hinted that he wouldn't have put Vinales back in with a minute to go if Burbage hadn't fouled out.
It's totally understandable, but Vinales has had some games recently where he's only been able to put one big half together. If Central is going to do anything with this season, it must figure out a way to not only get Vinales some rest, but get him going more consistently while he's on the floor.
Malcolm McMillan: I mean, what else do you want him to do? He's becoming a scorer, even making outside shots. He played 36 minutes and had one turnover. He was second in rebounding. I suppose you could try and ask him to try and do a little more to help Central's currently struggling defense, but even that doesn't seem much of his fault. I have a feeling he could be a breakout star by next year.
Matt Hunter: If you look at his line, there's nothing wrong with it, save for a shooting percentage that's a touch low. This was a night, however, when the Blue Devils could have used one of Hunter's huge games. He has been a wonderful Robin this season, but every once in a while Central needs him to be Batman, even if it's just for 10 minutes at a time like tonight.
Andrew Hurd: He's going to have to play eight minutes a night. He just has to.
Joe Efese: He got the extended minutes I think Central needs from him, though the Blue Devils would have preferred they came while he was standing next to Peel. He had three blocks, but needs to get more rebounds. That one with abut 90 seconds left would have been huge. You do have to like his newly found offensive confidence, however. Those little jumpers are going in with regularity.
Greg Andrade: I'd love to see if he could steal a couple of minutes here and there as well.
Terrell Allen: He struggled with his shot, but gave Central some badly needed rebounding. I have a feeling that missed dunk will be seen again on TV, but he played more than well enough to deserve a break on it.
CCSU men's basketball drops tough one at home
As happens every January, we got away from the blog a bit, but I'm looking to remedy that now as the stretch drive of the season approaches.
So let's start with some thoughts on today's game, then I have a special man-to-man segment planned for the 1/3 poll of the NEC season,
For the Blue Devils, Saturday's loss to the Mount was depressing. The Blue Devils answered the bell after the Mount caught up to them at the end of the first half, going back up by eight midway through the second half.
Then the roof caved in.
Malcolm McMillan played brilliantly, getting open shots, having the nerve to take them, and drilling three after three. This was especially important because the Mount did a great job shutting Kyle Vinales down in the second half.
He didn't have much help, however. Matt Hunter was in foul trouble all day. Central's interior offense, so good Thursday night, faltered. And the defense was non existent.
Central just got outworked defensively in this one. I liked that Malcolm thought the offense could be even better, especially against zone (something Central has struggled with of late and that I'll talk more about in the paper soon), but the game could have been won with some D.
Too often there were open outside shooters, and the Mount had too many easy putbacks. Central just looked completely out of sorts defensively.
I liked that the Blue Devils never seemed to quit, but they have to be very upset to have only gone 2-2 on this homestand. If they don't get home court in the first round, we'll look back at this stretch (and of course the SFPA game) as a big reason why.
So let's start with some thoughts on today's game, then I have a special man-to-man segment planned for the 1/3 poll of the NEC season,
For the Blue Devils, Saturday's loss to the Mount was depressing. The Blue Devils answered the bell after the Mount caught up to them at the end of the first half, going back up by eight midway through the second half.
Then the roof caved in.
Malcolm McMillan played brilliantly, getting open shots, having the nerve to take them, and drilling three after three. This was especially important because the Mount did a great job shutting Kyle Vinales down in the second half.
He didn't have much help, however. Matt Hunter was in foul trouble all day. Central's interior offense, so good Thursday night, faltered. And the defense was non existent.
Central just got outworked defensively in this one. I liked that Malcolm thought the offense could be even better, especially against zone (something Central has struggled with of late and that I'll talk more about in the paper soon), but the game could have been won with some D.
Too often there were open outside shooters, and the Mount had too many easy putbacks. Central just looked completely out of sorts defensively.
I liked that the Blue Devils never seemed to quit, but they have to be very upset to have only gone 2-2 on this homestand. If they don't get home court in the first round, we'll look back at this stretch (and of course the SFPA game) as a big reason why.
CCSU Men's basketball injury update
We're going to start doing more in-depth stuff on here ASAP, I swear now that I'm feeling much better and should have some more time.
For now, however, wanted to pass this along. It seems like DeAngelo Speech won't play today, as the never-ending saga of his impending return has been delayed again by the knee injury he suffered Thursday. I hear it's not incredibly serious, but it does appear as though the return will have to wait.
For now, however, wanted to pass this along. It seems like DeAngelo Speech won't play today, as the never-ending saga of his impending return has been delayed again by the knee injury he suffered Thursday. I hear it's not incredibly serious, but it does appear as though the return will have to wait.
Update on Speech, aka no I'm not crazy
Howie Dickenman said after the game last night that the call was made right before tip to allow De'Angelo Speech a little more time to get acclimated with the team's schemes and the game itself again before getting back into action. He'll practice this week and is expected....there's that word again... to play Thursday night.
CCSU men's basketball to get De'Angelo Speech back today
Howie Dickenman just said he expects De'Angelo Speech to play some minutes off the bench today after missing the first 14 games of the year with a shin injury.
Obviously he'll have to see how he feels during the game, and best case it will only be a few minutes off the bench, but if he can give 10 minutes and provide 5 or so minutes of rest for Kyle Vinales and Malcolm McMillan each, that would be a big boost for the Blue Devils.
Obviously he'll have to see how he feels during the game, and best case it will only be a few minutes off the bench, but if he can give 10 minutes and provide 5 or so minutes of rest for Kyle Vinales and Malcolm McMillan each, that would be a big boost for the Blue Devils.
Breaking down what Central can take out of a trip Indiana (and a tough loss)
One side note before we begin: Dear Big Ten Network, please feel free to cut away from the game that's a 10-point lead with 20 seconds left in order to get to the start of the next one. Thanks.
First, as a basketball fan, just tell me when the IU-Duke game is. I'm in. If they put it on PPV, I'm buying. Duke has the best resume as of today, but Indiana has the deepest and best offensive team n the country.
As Central found out Saturday night, the Hoosiers can play defense, too.
IU coach said his staff had the Hoosiers down for some 50 deflections during their rout of Central. It make sense, as the Hoosiers seemed to be everywhere on defense. We all knew how good Cody Zeller was, but Victor Oladipo had himself a bit of a coming out party, dominating the game at both ends.
CCSU coach Howie Dickenman said after the game his team had no answers for Indiana. As good as Zeller is, it wasn't the post game itself that had IU in control but the Hoosiers' ability to get the ball inside almost at will. Central couldn't stop the ball from being thrown inside and on the other end, threw too many balls into the hands of defenders.
In the Blue Devils' defense, there were defenders everywhere. Between the defense and the way the Hoosiers always seemed to have two guys on the other end of the floor after a steal, it seemed like there were 8 Hoosiers on the court at once.
Of course, the bulk of that defense was used on Kyle Vinales, who the Hoosiers focused on by rotating defenders to always have a fresh man on him and using more than one guy at a time at some points. Yes, part of the problem was that he was playing a different level of opposition, but he appeared to be rushing his shots. He took some too early, and even seemed quick on his open looks. Perhaps he was pressing on the grand stage, or maybe the defense made him get too quick. Whatever it was, I wouldn't expect to see it again. I'm not saying he'll score 40 at Syracuse, but I think he'll find a comfort level in big games going forward.
Speaking of people finding comfort levels and scoring 40 points, Matt Hunter became the third opponent ever to drop 40 on the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. He did it with a dominant second half, scoring 26 and hitting some ridiculous shots. He went hard to the rim early, the made jumpers as the game went on. It was an impressive, in control attack that furthered Hunter's offensive emergence.
His game also put the NEC on notice. Put too many resources on stopping Vinales and Hunter can be deadly. If the two continue to work on becoming a dynamic duo, Central will be fine going forward. Who knows, Central might get another chance at IU down the road.
Mat to Man
I know, I've been away, but let's do this for history's sake.
Adonis Burbage: Didn't make many of his threes, but managed a couple of assists and a steal.
Joe Efese: Other than hoping he'd have grabbed a couple more rebounds, it's hard to ask him to do more against Cody Zeller. He's really on the way to a breakout year I think.
Kyle Vinales: Was just trying too hard I think. I think he can handle the big stage, he just wanted this one too badly. But he didn't take too many shots, letting the hot hand have the ball, and had a bunch of assists.
Malcolm McMillan: Was a little quick to take jump shots in this one. If he can make a couple he becomes a huge asset to the offense. But if he's not hitting, he should shoot as a last resort. Shots on drives are fine, jump shots not as much.
Matt Hunter: Became the 3rd person to drop 40 on the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. Even more impressive, he shot better than 50 percent from the floor. Even more impressive, he had only 4 turnovers while having the ball that much.
Now you're going to tell me, they lost by 40, who cares? I do, for this reason: His confidence has to be sky high after this one. If he can stay hot tonight, he might really take off.
Andrew Hurd: Dickenman talked about getting more kids involved, and this is a good example. Give him 5-8 minutes a game.
Erik Raleigh: Really nice to see him get on the court. Maybe by next year he'll be a contributor. He's a wonderful story.
Terrell Allen: He won't be in foul trouble playing that way against the NEC.
Brandon Peel: I'm really, really high on this kid. He's going to be a big contributor inside for this team going forward.
First, as a basketball fan, just tell me when the IU-Duke game is. I'm in. If they put it on PPV, I'm buying. Duke has the best resume as of today, but Indiana has the deepest and best offensive team n the country.
As Central found out Saturday night, the Hoosiers can play defense, too.
IU coach said his staff had the Hoosiers down for some 50 deflections during their rout of Central. It make sense, as the Hoosiers seemed to be everywhere on defense. We all knew how good Cody Zeller was, but Victor Oladipo had himself a bit of a coming out party, dominating the game at both ends.
CCSU coach Howie Dickenman said after the game his team had no answers for Indiana. As good as Zeller is, it wasn't the post game itself that had IU in control but the Hoosiers' ability to get the ball inside almost at will. Central couldn't stop the ball from being thrown inside and on the other end, threw too many balls into the hands of defenders.
In the Blue Devils' defense, there were defenders everywhere. Between the defense and the way the Hoosiers always seemed to have two guys on the other end of the floor after a steal, it seemed like there were 8 Hoosiers on the court at once.
Of course, the bulk of that defense was used on Kyle Vinales, who the Hoosiers focused on by rotating defenders to always have a fresh man on him and using more than one guy at a time at some points. Yes, part of the problem was that he was playing a different level of opposition, but he appeared to be rushing his shots. He took some too early, and even seemed quick on his open looks. Perhaps he was pressing on the grand stage, or maybe the defense made him get too quick. Whatever it was, I wouldn't expect to see it again. I'm not saying he'll score 40 at Syracuse, but I think he'll find a comfort level in big games going forward.
Speaking of people finding comfort levels and scoring 40 points, Matt Hunter became the third opponent ever to drop 40 on the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. He did it with a dominant second half, scoring 26 and hitting some ridiculous shots. He went hard to the rim early, the made jumpers as the game went on. It was an impressive, in control attack that furthered Hunter's offensive emergence.
His game also put the NEC on notice. Put too many resources on stopping Vinales and Hunter can be deadly. If the two continue to work on becoming a dynamic duo, Central will be fine going forward. Who knows, Central might get another chance at IU down the road.
Mat to Man
I know, I've been away, but let's do this for history's sake.
Adonis Burbage: Didn't make many of his threes, but managed a couple of assists and a steal.
Joe Efese: Other than hoping he'd have grabbed a couple more rebounds, it's hard to ask him to do more against Cody Zeller. He's really on the way to a breakout year I think.
Kyle Vinales: Was just trying too hard I think. I think he can handle the big stage, he just wanted this one too badly. But he didn't take too many shots, letting the hot hand have the ball, and had a bunch of assists.
Malcolm McMillan: Was a little quick to take jump shots in this one. If he can make a couple he becomes a huge asset to the offense. But if he's not hitting, he should shoot as a last resort. Shots on drives are fine, jump shots not as much.
Matt Hunter: Became the 3rd person to drop 40 on the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. Even more impressive, he shot better than 50 percent from the floor. Even more impressive, he had only 4 turnovers while having the ball that much.
Now you're going to tell me, they lost by 40, who cares? I do, for this reason: His confidence has to be sky high after this one. If he can stay hot tonight, he might really take off.
Andrew Hurd: Dickenman talked about getting more kids involved, and this is a good example. Give him 5-8 minutes a game.
Erik Raleigh: Really nice to see him get on the court. Maybe by next year he'll be a contributor. He's a wonderful story.
Terrell Allen: He won't be in foul trouble playing that way against the NEC.
Brandon Peel: I'm really, really high on this kid. He's going to be a big contributor inside for this team going forward.
Breaking down Central men's basketball's gutty win over UNH, and why Kyle Vinales is so good
I say that in jest of course, as Vinales, despite his flashy approach to the game, is not a show off. Sure he'll celebrate after a big shot, but he's honestly just as happy if someone else makes a big shot.
And there were some of those for sure.
My coworkers and I go out to eat once every couple of weeks to do some bonding and talk shop. Tonight we were discussing our All-Herald teams,which will be in the paper in a few weeks. During dinner, a discussion about onions developed.
Up in Durham, they were on display.
Central had no business winning this game at New Hampshire. Routed early and still down big in the second half on the road, the Blue Devils clawed their way back into it, then displayed the kind of clutch play they showed early during the winning streak and didn't bring to Hartford. It's the kind of gutty road win that can spark a team, especially because of the number of players who stepped up. We know Kyle Vinales is an amazing scorer. The kid leads the country in scoring. Not the NEC, the country. But he's even better when he has help.
The Blue Devils lost their first two games in part because Vinales felt he had to do it all. He talked to me about pressing after the St. Peter's loss and how he knew he had to trust his teammates. They gave him plenty of reasons to trust him.
No, CCSU didn't win this one solely because of Vinales, though he was huge when he had to be. It won because of Vinales, Malcolm McMillan, Joe Efese, Matt Hunter, defense, and an order of onions.
Let's break it all down by playing man-to-man
Adonis Burbage
He did a bunch of Adonis Burbage things. He played the whole game. He made some threes. He grabbed some rebounds. He had a steal. I like that he knows his role and executes it.
Joe Efese
Speaking of knowing your role and executing: 7-for-10 from the floor and three offensive rebounds works most nights. You'd like to see him get more boards and fewer fouls, but he did a lot of good things, including making big free throws late.
Kyle Vinales
Let's see, in 40 minutes, had made half the shots he took, 60 percent of the threes he took, all but one of the free throws he took, had seven assists and stole the ball three times. I haven't confirmed if he drove the bus home after the game, but I think he's going to fly the plane to Indiana.
What made this effort impressive, however, was that he scored his 27 points without having to take 25 shots. Gone are those early season days when he has to force the ball up. Sure, you want him taking every big shot he can, like the one he hit to start Central's second-half surge or the under the radar big shot he made at 60-59 to give Central the lead back after UNH had reclaimed it. Instead of letting the Wildcats get any kind of momentum back, Vinales made a shot, hit Burbage with a pass for a three, then later scored four in a row to ensure a dramatic finish.
But he didn't need to take every big shot. He has figured out how to pick his spots, and done so in a shockingly short amount of time. He can now take over without trying to take over, if that makes any sense. In other words, he just finds spots to explode rather than trying to be a one-man show.
If his legs hold up, he's going to put up video game numbers and Central is going to win a good amount of games.
Malcolm McMillan
Gee, he only played 38 minutes tonight. Slacker. In all seriousness, what else can you ask this kid to do. He has now added the ability to score in key situations to his arsenal. His turnovers and assists were flipped from what they normally are, but he made up for it by scoring more.
Matt Hunter
He has done it. Matt Hunter has taken away anything I could complain about. The kid makes his free throws, limited his turnovers Wednesday to three in 35 minutes, scored 18 points and had eight rebounds. Impressive display.
Andrew Hurd
If he could ever give Central 5 minutes or so a night and help guard against foul trouble and/or buy the guards a rest, that would be HUGE for this team.
Terrell Allen
It's hard to get minutes for "TO" when Hunter plays this well and Efese is on his game. Still, he makes the most of what he gets, and is ready to step in when asked.
Brandon Peel
See Terrell Allen.
Lots of thoughts on the NEC reportedly being set to lose Quinnipiac and Monmouth
Yes, I know, it's been a while. There's a collection of things from CCSU I have saved up I wanted to touch on, and was actually going to do it all Friday but got quite sick and couldn't.
Anyway, enough about me, let's talk NEC for a minute. This is going to shake out over time and we can't do too much speculating right now, especially with the news so fresh. Lots of people I respect in the media and outside are just finding out about this. Since I know Mr. Paxton, however, let's consider this report as fact, particularly for the point of this blog.
UPDATE AS I WAS TYPING THIS: The league sent me this statement from commissioner Noreen Morris:
"The issue of conference realignment continues to garner much speculation and rumor from both traditional media and social media sources. The Northeast Conference is not immune from such speculation. However, at this point in time I have received no information from our members schools or the MAAC to corroborate the latest rumors."
A few random thoughts in no particular order.
1) No I don't think CCSU is going to another league anytime soon.
2) Since the MAAC is losing one member (Loyola) in a couple of years and gaining two (QU and MU), the league will have 11 for basketball. That would suggest the potential for another admission down the line. This isn't over.
3) Since the NEC doesn't have to worry about a football championship game, it could just stay at 10. Since they'd have to add 2 and I can't think of any obvious replacements, it might just do that. It's just funny, I always thought the Pennsylvania schools would be the ones to leave, or maybe the Mount.
4) Obviously not surprised Quinnipiac made a move, it hasn't been a secret they've been trying. I am surprised about Monmouth. Not that the program couldn't, they have a great new hoops arena and are good at several other sports, but to the MAAC was a surprise because I'm not sure where the Hawks play football now. Perhaps they even stay in the NEC for football, though that probably wouldn't be anyone's first choice at this point.
5) If this is true, there's no way to spin it as a positive for the NEC. For basketball you lose two programs with nice buildings and an up-and-coming program on the court in Quinnipiac. For football it's a bigger hit with Monmouth leaving and Albany already gone, you lose some big names, though Monmouth hasn't won the league since 2006. That's part of why Duquesne was a nice get for the league. The NEC has done a lot of changing in recent years in football, so more wouldn't be a surprise.
Anyway, enough about me, let's talk NEC for a minute. This is going to shake out over time and we can't do too much speculating right now, especially with the news so fresh. Lots of people I respect in the media and outside are just finding out about this. Since I know Mr. Paxton, however, let's consider this report as fact, particularly for the point of this blog.
UPDATE AS I WAS TYPING THIS: The league sent me this statement from commissioner Noreen Morris:
"The issue of conference realignment continues to garner much speculation and rumor from both traditional media and social media sources. The Northeast Conference is not immune from such speculation. However, at this point in time I have received no information from our members schools or the MAAC to corroborate the latest rumors."
A few random thoughts in no particular order.
1) No I don't think CCSU is going to another league anytime soon.
2) Since the MAAC is losing one member (Loyola) in a couple of years and gaining two (QU and MU), the league will have 11 for basketball. That would suggest the potential for another admission down the line. This isn't over.
3) Since the NEC doesn't have to worry about a football championship game, it could just stay at 10. Since they'd have to add 2 and I can't think of any obvious replacements, it might just do that. It's just funny, I always thought the Pennsylvania schools would be the ones to leave, or maybe the Mount.
4) Obviously not surprised Quinnipiac made a move, it hasn't been a secret they've been trying. I am surprised about Monmouth. Not that the program couldn't, they have a great new hoops arena and are good at several other sports, but to the MAAC was a surprise because I'm not sure where the Hawks play football now. Perhaps they even stay in the NEC for football, though that probably wouldn't be anyone's first choice at this point.
5) If this is true, there's no way to spin it as a positive for the NEC. For basketball you lose two programs with nice buildings and an up-and-coming program on the court in Quinnipiac. For football it's a bigger hit with Monmouth leaving and Albany already gone, you lose some big names, though Monmouth hasn't won the league since 2006. That's part of why Duquesne was a nice get for the league. The NEC has done a lot of changing in recent years in football, so more wouldn't be a surprise.
6) I remain fascinated to see what happens with the CAA, which continues to not make a lot of sense geographically, which is a bigger deal at lower levels than it is for the big boys who don't care about travel budgets and things.
7) I mention that to mention this. Eventually, I still believe there's going to be a big shakeup among the smaller (and non-big football) schools in the Northeast. I don't see the Big East lasting long term as a mishmash.
Those Big East teams and perhaps the northern CAA teams are going to need leagues. Other than my ongoing efforts to remarry those teams and the AE, I'm not sure how that's all going to play out. My best guess is there will eventually be a couple of new leagues, or leagues which currently exist but will look nothing like they do now.
8) This is the least important, but since it involves something I was blogging about forever before it started and something I think is a great thing for the state, it's worth mentioning. I wonder if the CT 6 can keep going. I think playing at campus sites is a fine way to go with it, but the schedule will obviously have to be tweaked. CCSU and SHU can't play in it, and now QU and Fairfield can't play.
For scheduling sake I think you could put Hartford on the "NEC" side" and have CCSU, SHU and Hartford rotate against Yale, Fairfield and Quinnipiac.
Or, as Hartford coach John Gallagher mentioned after CCSU lost to Hartford last month, a Big 5 type of schedule could be created. There's no reason all the teams can't play in basketball. There's certainly enough dates.
9) From a basketball standpoint, the schedule would be a lot more fair with 10 teams for the NEC. You play everyone twice for 18 games. No one can say, well they played this team twice. It just works better. The problem is you a lose a good program in Quinnipiac and a historic member in Monmouth, which by the way, hosted the first NEC football game.
The southern NEC schools can still schedule Monmouth and the CT schools can get games with Quinnipiac, but it won't feel the same.
10) This whole thing, at all levels, is just sad. I get the point, to make more money. I don't begrudge anyone for doing that. Quinnipiac has made big, big investments in its programs and deserves to go up. Tom Moore, who I've grown to have a ton of respect for during long conversations over the last few years, has done a great job building his team on the court (ask UConn). Monmouth is doing what is best for it and moving up. The Hawks also built a nice new building.
In the Big East, teams got out to make sure they didn't get left out (again, ask UConn). Other big leagues went to 12 so it could have a championship football game and some teams moved from league to league for better TV deals. It all makes sense.
That doesn't mean it isn't sad. I grew up when leagues were based on historic and geographic rivalries. Now they're based on money and or survival.
Looking back at a bad day all around for the CCSU men's basketball team Saturday
First the good news. With this group, the Blue Devils are never out of a game which is reasonably close. As Kyle Vinales started shooting Central back into this one late, a colleague of mine decided he could score 6 points in a possession. I turned to him and said if he pulls this one off, they're going to start telling Kyle Vinales stories like they tell "Johnny Football" tales in Texas.
But while I was one more 3-pointer away from starting a Kyle Basketball story about the time I saw him beat a rival on the road, the key point here is he never should have had to. Not on this day. Both he and coach Howie Dickenman were honest about their team's lack of intensity in this one.
I chalked it up to a team which knew it had beaten its rival by 30-something last year but forgot that most of the team which did that was gone. This team is capable of doing something similar, but needed to do more than just get off the bus.
Central just got outworked in this one. You can live with Hartford shooting the lights out and Central struggling a bit, but the way the Hawks were flying around getting rebounds and loose balls was the disappointing thing. Central just didn't want this one as much as the Hawks did, and it showed. Hartford wanted payback, and Central wanted to go back to sleep.
Things like allowing an offensive rebound to the one guy from the other team in the lane on a free throw with the game in the balance can't happen.
If you're a Central fan, you hope this is just a wake up call and a game which is just a footnote in the story of the season. Whatever it ends up being, let's document it for the record with a quick game of man-to-man.
Joe Efese
He struggled with his shot, but did well on the glass. He couldn't do much about Mark Nwakamma, but I feel like a lot of people in the America East won't, either. And actually, with the exception of points scored, he played him pretty evenly. And part of that is Central has someone else who does the scoring.
Adonis Burbage
Shooters go through cycles, so I wouldn't worry about Burbage long term. Still, you'd like to see him do a bit more in the other phases of the game while his shot isn't falling. He usually does, so I'll just chalk this up to a bad day.
Kyle Vinales
There's only so much you can ask the young man to do. He struggled at times, but ended up better than 50 percent from the floor and darn near stuck a couple of threes late which would have gotten Central back into it. 32 points and only 3 turnovers in 40 minutes is still a heck of a day. As Howie Dickenman pointed out after the game, which I hadn't given much thought to this year, Vinales is on a pace to smash Ken Horton's all-time scoring record at CCSU. Smash it.
Malcolm McMillan
Just as impressive is what the point guard is doing. I can't stress enough how hard it its to play 40 minutes and commit one turnover while being the main ball-handler, and do it while playing defense the whole time. This effort wasn't great on defense, but generally speaking he's a tough defender. Also, his offense as he promised before the year, is steadily improving. This backcourt has a chance to be special by next season, and it's darn good now. That is, if they don't collapse from exhaustion.
Matt Hunter
A fantastic all-around effort. Six big free throws down the stretch to keep Central alive, 8-of-9 overall, 22 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and a block in 35 minutes. And, to me most important, just two turnovers. Really a strong showing.
Terrell Allen
Strong work on the glass in 19 minutes and provided some energy on a night when it was needed. He's in charge of doing a lot of the dirty work inside, and he does a good job of it on most nights.
Brandon Peel
He had two nice putbacks and probably deserves more than the five minutes or so he's been getting of late, but I'm not sure which of the bigs you'd sit to get him in. If only he played guard.
CCSU men's basketball wins third straight in dramatic fashion, this time in OT
First, your stat of the night. Take out Central's big win over Brown and the Blue Devils have played four other games this year. In those four games, the total point differential is four points. CCSU lost by one and by three and won by seven and tonight's 1-point overtime win over UMBC in Baltimore.I think one thing is clear about this team. Their games are not going to be boring.
Another interesting character trait has emerged: The Blue Devils are showing some guts. Or maybe it's poise. Whatever you want to call it, Central has overcome adversity of late in a way it didn't during the first two games of the season, when the Blue Devils let leads get away and didn't execute late. During this streak, however, they have answered challenges with big shots and even bigger defensive plays.
Tonight's adversity was provided by a UMBC team better than its record, which pulled in front of Central numerous times. In each instance, however, the Blue Devils stormed back, including being down four late in regulation and five in overtime. The extra session itself came from adversity, since the Blue Devils never should have been there.Joe Efese missed a bunny at the buzzer which would have won it. Then, Central was down five in overtime. The Blue Devils were tough mentally and physically, however, and found a way to get it done.
Let's break down how it got done by playing man-to-man
Adonis Burbage
He shot the ball poorly, but made a big one late in regulation as Central made a rally to keep the game alive. Also, he had zero turnovers in 43 minutes. You'd like to see him do some more little things like grab rebounds when his shot is off, but he avoided big mistakes other than missed shots and almost went the distance in an overtime game.
Joe Efese
For his sake, you have to be happy Central won this one so the focus can be on how good Efese was before the missed layup; He had four blocks and six rebounds while continuing to shoot well. His foul issues started to creep back in, however. That's something which he must avoid going forward.
Kyle Vinales
It wasn't quite Jake Taylor, but "KV3" got up 26 shots, making just 11. Here's what makes the kid tough, however. He has no memory or conscience of any kind when it comes to shooting. After struggling all night, he had five points in 46 seconds during the rally in regulation, then scored five in a row in overtime to erase a 5-point hole with under a minute to go. Oh, and two free throws down one with five seconds left in OT to win the game aren't bad, either.
He'll shoot the Blue Devils into some holes this year, but he'll shoot his team back out of most of them.
By the way, I'm totally ok with "KV3" catching on as his nickname since that's what I write in my notes whenever he hits a three. Someday I'll post a shot of my notes from a game. It will be my highest-viewed blog since the scientific community will get involved to decipher the writing.
Malcolm McMillan
No turnovers in 41 minutes is a heck of a night for a point guard. Everything else is gravy. Seven rebounds, four assists and two steals is some tasty gravy for the men in blue.
Matt Hunter
He's this close. Most of his line is wonderful. 11-of-20 shooting. Eight rebounds made him tough inside, and four steals show him again to be a defensive presence. He's averaging more than three steals a game. The problem is he has given almost all of them back with 22 turnovers. He had six Tuesday night. If the game slows down for him just a little bit, Central will be in business. In the meantime, if he does everything else this well, CCSU will take a couple of miscues.
Terrell Allen
A solid, stat-stuffing night of minute-eating. He was like me at the McDonald counter. He got one of each.
Brandon Peel
He was good on the glass but struggled with turnovers. He'll be up and down a bit, but the ups will be higher than the downs are low.
Next up, a return to West Hartford Saturday, this time to play the Hawks themselves, who lost to La Salle.
Handing out some congratulations for teams around the NEC
First, hats off to the Central women's volleyball team for making it all the way to the NEC final and giving unbeaten LIU all it could handle.
And congratulations to the Blackbirds, who ran the NEC table and deserve the shot in the NCAAs.
We're also about to find out where Wagner is going in the FCS football tournament. There's some talk about Albany as an at-large, but I don't see it. There just aren't enough spots yet.
As for basketball, Sacred Heart beats Stony Brook and Central beats La Salle. Then Quinnipiac puts forth an all-time performance against a UConn team which, while not great, is better than people realize with everything going on around the program.
Tom Moore makes his team believe and manages to make a bunch of guys play together, allowing him to used his depth well. That was evidenced by four Bobcats being in double-figures Sunday. Don't be too quick to take this as Quinnipiac's statement as the NEC's best (just think of every time a 14 beats a 3 in the NCAAs), but do take it as a sign the Bobcats are good and the NEC is underrated.
I can't help think of how much a win would have helped the NEC's RPI, but QU still deserves congratulations.
What a weekend.
And congratulations to the Blackbirds, who ran the NEC table and deserve the shot in the NCAAs.
We're also about to find out where Wagner is going in the FCS football tournament. There's some talk about Albany as an at-large, but I don't see it. There just aren't enough spots yet.
As for basketball, Sacred Heart beats Stony Brook and Central beats La Salle. Then Quinnipiac puts forth an all-time performance against a UConn team which, while not great, is better than people realize with everything going on around the program.
Tom Moore makes his team believe and manages to make a bunch of guys play together, allowing him to used his depth well. That was evidenced by four Bobcats being in double-figures Sunday. Don't be too quick to take this as Quinnipiac's statement as the NEC's best (just think of every time a 14 beats a 3 in the NCAAs), but do take it as a sign the Bobcats are good and the NEC is underrated.
I can't help think of how much a win would have helped the NEC's RPI, but QU still deserves congratulations.
What a weekend.
CCSU men's basketball picks up big victory at La Salle
The Blue Devils didn't miss their chance Sunday, heading down to Philly and coming back with a big win over La Salle. Not only was it a win over an A-10 school, but it was further evidence that the Blue Devils are no longer a one-man show. Kyle Vinales was good, but it was everyone else pitching in, especially late, which made this one so nice for Central.
If you consider Central should have at least split the first two games, having leads in the second half of each and the ball in the air at the end of both for either the win or a tie, the Blue Devils have to be thrilled with where they stand considering how many questions they had coming into the year.
You can't get too excited about Game 4 of the regular season when there's 25 to go, but you're allowed to enjoy this one if you're a CCSU fan. Let's look at who made it possible by playing man-to-man.
Adonis Burbage
Let's see, 7-of-8, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, five boards, two assists and only one turnover while playing the entire 40 minutes. Not a bad night. At some point, someone is going to start guarding him a little more closely, which will only free up others.
Joe Efese
Foul trouble was all that kept him from a big night. Five rebounds in 28 minutes isn't bad, and his shooting percentages have been fantastic. Most importantly, he has handled himself beautifully through an incredibly difficult time of late.
Kyle Vinales
The good: 23 points, 3 assists and 2 turnovers. The bad: He's still making some hurried decisions late in games, though he is clearly starting to minimize them, which is a great sign. It's going to be fun to watch him grow up as the year goes on. The other bad sign: He's consistently playing 40 minutes. Howie Dickenman has to find a way to get him a couple of minutes of rest here and there. Maybe the last minute of the half or 2 minutes on each side of a TV timeout. I'm not saying he needs to play 25 minutes, but 35 would be a nice change.
Malcolm McMillan
His best overall game as a Blue Devil. He did a little bit of everything, including nailing a late jumper which sealed the win. His three steals and two blocks were indicative of his defensive work, and he didn't have a turnover in 38 minutes. Just a wonderful performance.
Matt Hunter
Did the light go on Sunday afternoon? Hunter had just one turnover in 34 minutes on offense and was his usual strong defensive self, getting three steals and a block. If he can bottle that effort, he doesn't have to make a lot of shots to be effective.
Terrell Allen
Not a lot of stats to speak of, but he ate up some minutes so the starters didn't have to play all 200 themselves.
Brandon Peel
See Terrell Allen.
A few things to cover ahead of a big day for CCSU athletics
I'll wrap up the whole weekend tonight, but wanted to put a couple of things on your radar for now.
First, the men start in a few minutes. You can find my preview online or on twitter, which, thanks to Brad Carroll, is on the right side of the blog. I watched him do all that coding himself.
Also in that box, a good read if I do say so myself on the Central women, who have come a long way in the eyes of Jen Rizzotti, who knows a lot about this stuff.
Third, the CCSU volleyball team looks to slay some demons and win the NEC title when they take on LIU in Brooklyn. It's a tough task, but the prize is a bid in the NCAAs and the team's first NEC title.
The game is free on NEC Front Row.
First, the men start in a few minutes. You can find my preview online or on twitter, which, thanks to Brad Carroll, is on the right side of the blog. I watched him do all that coding himself.
Also in that box, a good read if I do say so myself on the Central women, who have come a long way in the eyes of Jen Rizzotti, who knows a lot about this stuff.
Third, the CCSU volleyball team looks to slay some demons and win the NEC title when they take on LIU in Brooklyn. It's a tough task, but the prize is a bid in the NCAAs and the team's first NEC title.
The game is free on NEC Front Row.
CCSU women have big game with Jen Rizzotti's Hartford Hakws tonight
This could be a really interesting for the Blue Devils. The women are playing really well and are still looking to build their program the way Rizzotti has in Hartford. (There's a LONG way to go, don't get too excited).
As I said before the year, I think the Blue Devils were way too low in the NEC preseason poll, and if they can win this one they'd be able to fly themselves down to Texas without the benefit of a plane.
This is kind of a free one for Central. If the Devils win, it's big. If they lose, no harm done.
If the last time Hartford came in is any indication, this could be a fun game with lots of people in the stands and a great atmosphere.
As I said before the year, I think the Blue Devils were way too low in the NEC preseason poll, and if they can win this one they'd be able to fly themselves down to Texas without the benefit of a plane.
This is kind of a free one for Central. If the Devils win, it's big. If they lose, no harm done.
If the last time Hartford came in is any indication, this could be a fun game with lots of people in the stands and a great atmosphere.
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