He did in fact break his nose, but will play Thursday night.
I'll do the Boyd-Horton Breakdown as soon as I can, trying to lick this cold before Thursday.
Quick update
Horton on first team, Vinales Rookie of the year, Boyd (LIU) unanimous player of the year.
Could have easily argued for Horton, but tough to argue against Boyd, if that makes sense.
7 of the 10 guys on the NEC two team are back next year. Great sign for a rapidly improving league.
Could have easily argued for Horton, but tough to argue against Boyd, if that makes sense.
7 of the 10 guys on the NEC two team are back next year. Great sign for a rapidly improving league.
WAGNER WRAP
Just wanted to check in boys and girls. Been dreadfully sick this weekend, haven't had time or strength to do the extra blogging.
Besides, I'm not sure what of the Wagner game. Were they trying? Did Central just blow the doors off them because of senior day? Can Ken Horton be any hotter?
Will Central ever be able to deal with the press Wagner can unleash? Will Dan Hurley every break it out before the end of a game when he's down 20?
As you can see, I don't even have enough answers to give you any good opinions on what I just saw.
I will, however, give you my thoughts on the NEC teams/awards tomorrow.
Besides, I'm not sure what of the Wagner game. Were they trying? Did Central just blow the doors off them because of senior day? Can Ken Horton be any hotter?
Will Central ever be able to deal with the press Wagner can unleash? Will Dan Hurley every break it out before the end of a game when he's down 20?
As you can see, I don't even have enough answers to give you any good opinions on what I just saw.
I will, however, give you my thoughts on the NEC teams/awards tomorrow.
CCSU MEN vs. MOUNT ST. MARY'S RECAP
This one's easy. I predict CCSU will win every game the rest of the year in which Ken Horton scores 39 points.
With that said, a quick man-to-man.
Ken Horton: Oh, I forgot the six steals.
Terrell Allen: Howie Dickenman said he wasn't happy with any of his centers, but TO was active at least.
Kyle Vinales: 11 assists, has proven willing to let others do the shooting. He's going to be a good one.
Malcolm McMillan: Just doesn't do anything wrong.
Robby Ptacek: 17 and 5 usually works.
Adonis Burbage: Nothing personal, but fans in the building were upset to see him come in, since he denied them the chance to see Horton get 40.
Shelton Mickell: Will make a big play before the season is over I predict.
De'Angelo speech: The game was too tightly called for his defense to be a factor. That's not a knock at the refs, just the way it was.
Mark LaPorte: Had he scored, they'd be looking for the roof of Detrick Gym.
Joe Efese: I thought he played pretty well myself. Too many fouls, yes, but lots of good things.
David Simmons: The "other" senior, Simmons will get his due Saturday.
With that said, a quick man-to-man.
Ken Horton: Oh, I forgot the six steals.
Terrell Allen: Howie Dickenman said he wasn't happy with any of his centers, but TO was active at least.
Kyle Vinales: 11 assists, has proven willing to let others do the shooting. He's going to be a good one.
Malcolm McMillan: Just doesn't do anything wrong.
Robby Ptacek: 17 and 5 usually works.
Adonis Burbage: Nothing personal, but fans in the building were upset to see him come in, since he denied them the chance to see Horton get 40.
Shelton Mickell: Will make a big play before the season is over I predict.
De'Angelo speech: The game was too tightly called for his defense to be a factor. That's not a knock at the refs, just the way it was.
Mark LaPorte: Had he scored, they'd be looking for the roof of Detrick Gym.
Joe Efese: I thought he played pretty well myself. Too many fouls, yes, but lots of good things.
David Simmons: The "other" senior, Simmons will get his due Saturday.
SFPA Wrapup
Sorry for the delay, had some medical stuff to take care the last couple of days.
Big one tonight, preview is up. Long story short Central has played well in PA over the last couple of years, and if it can play defense it can win again tonight.
But first, let's review an ugly win in which Central got going late, then almost let it get away by playing man to man.
David Simmons: If he takes his shots, he can score well.
Terrell Allen: Part of a trio that can be a good big man for Central.
Kyle Vinales: Struggled with his shooting, but had a couple of steals to make up for the TOs and balance everything else out.
Malcolm McMillan: Played well when he could be out there.
Robby Ptacek: Might have saved the season with his effort. Ya, he had a ton of turnovers, but so does Jeremy Lin and no one seems to mind.
Adonis Burbage: Not much to see here.
Shelton Mickell: Ate up some minutes at least.
De'Angelo Speech: A brilliant defensive game. Great energy.
Joe Efese: If he'd have made some free throws, he'd have had a great night.
Ken Horton: What a gutty effort. He was more banged up than I had thought,but he found a way to contribute. I wouldn't be shocked if he got tonight off, but we'll see.
Big one tonight, preview is up. Long story short Central has played well in PA over the last couple of years, and if it can play defense it can win again tonight.
But first, let's review an ugly win in which Central got going late, then almost let it get away by playing man to man.
David Simmons: If he takes his shots, he can score well.
Terrell Allen: Part of a trio that can be a good big man for Central.
Kyle Vinales: Struggled with his shooting, but had a couple of steals to make up for the TOs and balance everything else out.
Malcolm McMillan: Played well when he could be out there.
Robby Ptacek: Might have saved the season with his effort. Ya, he had a ton of turnovers, but so does Jeremy Lin and no one seems to mind.
Adonis Burbage: Not much to see here.
Shelton Mickell: Ate up some minutes at least.
De'Angelo Speech: A brilliant defensive game. Great energy.
Joe Efese: If he'd have made some free throws, he'd have had a great night.
Ken Horton: What a gutty effort. He was more banged up than I had thought,but he found a way to contribute. I wouldn't be shocked if he got tonight off, but we'll see.
QUINNIPIAC II Wrapup
First, the update you're all going to be asking for. I saw Ken Horton on my way out of the building. He was with his family, and it was way too early medically speaking for any substantive answer, but I can report that he was standing fine and in as good of a spirit as you can be in after that loss and that fall.
It wouldn't shock me if he misses a game, but I would doubt that he misses significant time if any at all.
Then again, I'm not a doctor, so I'll let you know if I hear anything different on that. He could wake up in the morning feeling much differently.
Now, about the game. As I said in the story, this was actually an encouraging day. Central played hard and reasonably well. No, the shots weren't falling, but the rebounding was there and the team showed the kind of grit and determination that was sorely lacking for much of the last few weeks. Maybe Wednesday was a wakeup call. If you're rooting for the Blue Devils, you hope it's not too late.
That said, like I mentioned in the story, it was also a crushing loss because you just can't have your offense go that badly. It just can't happen. Your best player can't be 3-for-18 without more than one person picking up the slack and expect to win. Part of it is luck...I think Malcolm McMillan's shot is still on the rim... but 1-for-20 is never good. That's what Central was over the last 10 minutes.
Now, with all that said, I could see this game going one of two ways. First, the Blue Devils could use this as the beginning of a turnaround, go no worse than 2-2 the rest of the way and get a decent seed in the tournament. Or, this could be the gut-wrencher that breaks their spirit, they lose out and don't make it. I think it's option A, but I've been wrong before.
Let's go man-to-man:
David Simmons: Only 4 minutes, so tough to gauge. Others stepped up in his spot.
Ken Horton: I got the sense that before the game he decided he was going to put the team on his back and get them out of this funk. So, since I've been asking him to do that all year, that's an encouraging sign. The execution of that plan was not good, however. I have a feeling he's putting too much pressure on himself these days and pressing. All that said, however, 3-for-18 just isn't good enough from the player of the year.
Kyle Vinales: He showed up and tried to carry the offense. It was an odd role reversal where I thought he should have shot more.
Malcolm McMillan: Not a bad game at all. A good drive, seven rebounds, four assists and no turnovers. He's going to be a good one.
Robby Ptacek: 3-for-11 from the other veteran leader is no good, either. He didn't get to the line, and he didn't much else to make up for his lack of scoring like he often does.
Adonis Burbage: Changed the course of the game late in the first half and stopped Quinnipiac from blowing it open (the six missed FTs from the Bobcats helped, too). I'm not sure he's ever a stat guy, but he'll grow into at least a sixth man.
Shelton Mickell: His time will come.
Joe Efese: I don't think I've been as perplexed by a player in my seven or so years on this beat as I am by Joe Efese. Some nights he seems like he's not even there, and some nights he's fantastic, like he was today. He always fouls too much, but everything else was terrific today. If they could ever bottle "Good Joe", Central would have something.
Terrell Allen: Made CCSU's only shot in the last 10 minutes. Holy cow. Played well the rest of the way as well, especially with Horton on the bench with foul trouble
It wouldn't shock me if he misses a game, but I would doubt that he misses significant time if any at all.
Then again, I'm not a doctor, so I'll let you know if I hear anything different on that. He could wake up in the morning feeling much differently.
Now, about the game. As I said in the story, this was actually an encouraging day. Central played hard and reasonably well. No, the shots weren't falling, but the rebounding was there and the team showed the kind of grit and determination that was sorely lacking for much of the last few weeks. Maybe Wednesday was a wakeup call. If you're rooting for the Blue Devils, you hope it's not too late.
That said, like I mentioned in the story, it was also a crushing loss because you just can't have your offense go that badly. It just can't happen. Your best player can't be 3-for-18 without more than one person picking up the slack and expect to win. Part of it is luck...I think Malcolm McMillan's shot is still on the rim... but 1-for-20 is never good. That's what Central was over the last 10 minutes.
Now, with all that said, I could see this game going one of two ways. First, the Blue Devils could use this as the beginning of a turnaround, go no worse than 2-2 the rest of the way and get a decent seed in the tournament. Or, this could be the gut-wrencher that breaks their spirit, they lose out and don't make it. I think it's option A, but I've been wrong before.
Let's go man-to-man:
David Simmons: Only 4 minutes, so tough to gauge. Others stepped up in his spot.
Ken Horton: I got the sense that before the game he decided he was going to put the team on his back and get them out of this funk. So, since I've been asking him to do that all year, that's an encouraging sign. The execution of that plan was not good, however. I have a feeling he's putting too much pressure on himself these days and pressing. All that said, however, 3-for-18 just isn't good enough from the player of the year.
Kyle Vinales: He showed up and tried to carry the offense. It was an odd role reversal where I thought he should have shot more.
Malcolm McMillan: Not a bad game at all. A good drive, seven rebounds, four assists and no turnovers. He's going to be a good one.
Robby Ptacek: 3-for-11 from the other veteran leader is no good, either. He didn't get to the line, and he didn't much else to make up for his lack of scoring like he often does.
Adonis Burbage: Changed the course of the game late in the first half and stopped Quinnipiac from blowing it open (the six missed FTs from the Bobcats helped, too). I'm not sure he's ever a stat guy, but he'll grow into at least a sixth man.
Shelton Mickell: His time will come.
Joe Efese: I don't think I've been as perplexed by a player in my seven or so years on this beat as I am by Joe Efese. Some nights he seems like he's not even there, and some nights he's fantastic, like he was today. He always fouls too much, but everything else was terrific today. If they could ever bottle "Good Joe", Central would have something.
Terrell Allen: Made CCSU's only shot in the last 10 minutes. Holy cow. Played well the rest of the way as well, especially with Horton on the bench with foul trouble
CCSU men vs. Quinnipiac wrap up
44 points. Central scored 44 points.
As bad as the offense was, the inability to get stops was most troubling. Every time Central cut into the lead and made it a game (it's hard to imagine that this was a 7-point game in the second half), the Bobcats went on a big run to pull away again.
I wish I could tell you I knew the problem. If I could, I'd be a hell of a basketball coach. The team just seems beat down right now. Perhaps that commenter below is right: CCSU just needs a win to get a little positive energy going. Right now, there's nothing positive.
Quick man-to-man
David Simmons: If he doesn't rebound, he doesn't bring much. Grit only goes so far.
Ken Horton: He's the best player in the league, but Central needs him to play like it.
Kyle Vinales: If he limits turnovers, I can forgive a bad shooting night. But the A/T ratio has to be higher.
Malcolm McMillan: His fatigue level is the biggest symptom of De'Angelo Speech's injury.
Robby Ptacek: Earlier in the year I said he disappears too much. He has shown up lately. He just needs some help.
Adonis Burbage: He was active. No one shot well tonight.
Shelton Mickell: Only 1 turnover.
De'Angelo Speech: Perhaps we'll never know what this team would have been had he been healthy for all of it.
Mark LaPorte: Him hitting a shot would have been some solace.
Joe Efese: Literally all zeros in nine minutes. Staggering.
Terrell Allen: Nice to see him back in the rotation a bit.
As bad as the offense was, the inability to get stops was most troubling. Every time Central cut into the lead and made it a game (it's hard to imagine that this was a 7-point game in the second half), the Bobcats went on a big run to pull away again.
I wish I could tell you I knew the problem. If I could, I'd be a hell of a basketball coach. The team just seems beat down right now. Perhaps that commenter below is right: CCSU just needs a win to get a little positive energy going. Right now, there's nothing positive.
Quick man-to-man
David Simmons: If he doesn't rebound, he doesn't bring much. Grit only goes so far.
Ken Horton: He's the best player in the league, but Central needs him to play like it.
Kyle Vinales: If he limits turnovers, I can forgive a bad shooting night. But the A/T ratio has to be higher.
Malcolm McMillan: His fatigue level is the biggest symptom of De'Angelo Speech's injury.
Robby Ptacek: Earlier in the year I said he disappears too much. He has shown up lately. He just needs some help.
Adonis Burbage: He was active. No one shot well tonight.
Shelton Mickell: Only 1 turnover.
De'Angelo Speech: Perhaps we'll never know what this team would have been had he been healthy for all of it.
Mark LaPorte: Him hitting a shot would have been some solace.
Joe Efese: Literally all zeros in nine minutes. Staggering.
Terrell Allen: Nice to see him back in the rotation a bit.
CCSU LIU quickie
I'll get to a full breakdown as soon as I can, and we'll look at the week ahead soon. For now, however, let me just say this: It's hard to beat anyone when you give up 95 points.
CCSU MEN vs. SFNY Recap
A much, much better effort, but outside shooting (on both ends) continues to be a problem.
Quick man-to-man as we get set for a huge one later today (by the time you read this) at LIU
David Simmons: Not as good as last week, but the numbers don't usually show how important he is.
Ken Horton: Got after it on the glass, but still isn't shooting enough for my liking.
Kyle Vinales: That will never be a problem for Vinales. Usually he'll make more than that, too.
Malcolm McMillan: At the very least he rarely hurts his team. For a freshman, that's a bigger deal than it sounds.
Robby Ptacek: Played his tail off. Five assist, 50 percent shooting and 1 turnover will work most days. If Horton or Vinales had had a better game, it would have combined with Ptacek's to produce a win.
Adonis Burbage: Seems to have tailed off after a couple of really good games.
Shelton Mickell: No clutch free throws this time.
De'Angelo Speech: As long as those minutes stay up, the rest will come.
Joe Efese: So much better. Got boards and stayed on the floor. Everything he's supposed to be.
Terrell Allen: Two non-nondescript minutes.
Quick man-to-man as we get set for a huge one later today (by the time you read this) at LIU
David Simmons: Not as good as last week, but the numbers don't usually show how important he is.
Ken Horton: Got after it on the glass, but still isn't shooting enough for my liking.
Kyle Vinales: That will never be a problem for Vinales. Usually he'll make more than that, too.
Malcolm McMillan: At the very least he rarely hurts his team. For a freshman, that's a bigger deal than it sounds.
Robby Ptacek: Played his tail off. Five assist, 50 percent shooting and 1 turnover will work most days. If Horton or Vinales had had a better game, it would have combined with Ptacek's to produce a win.
Adonis Burbage: Seems to have tailed off after a couple of really good games.
Shelton Mickell: No clutch free throws this time.
De'Angelo Speech: As long as those minutes stay up, the rest will come.
Joe Efese: So much better. Got boards and stayed on the floor. Everything he's supposed to be.
Terrell Allen: Two non-nondescript minutes.
CATCHING UP: CCSU vs. FDU roundup
As I work on getting caught up on a million things, let's take a quick look back at the FDU game before getting ready for a huge 72 hours.
Preview is up online.
Back to the FDU game, an ugly win but a win. By the way, how did I do on the radio? Big thanks to Marc Robbins for guiding me along.
Man to man time.
David Simmons: Fantastic effort. Did a bit of everything, and hustled harder than anyone on the floor. He's like the fourth-line winger who brings the energy and physicality.
Ken Horton: Scoring has been down the last couple of games, but had three steals and two blocks.
Kyle Vinales: Really developing some point guard skills to go with the shooting touch. Was mentioned tonight by Dick Vitale as one of the underrated freshmen in the country.
Malcolm McMillan: Starting to look worn down, which is a big reason Vinales playing some point is so helpful.
Robby Ptacek: I used to be able to shoot free throws like he can. On my PS3. If he keeps getting chances, Central is fine.
Adonis Burbage: Not a great day.
Shelton Mickell: Two of the biggest minutes of the year. Coming in ice cold and catching a pass and making two at the line to ice the game is NOT easy. Glad for him to have his moment.
De'Angelo Speech: It's coming.
Joe Efese: Got called for a foul every time he stepped on the floor. Ugly night.
Preview is up online.
Back to the FDU game, an ugly win but a win. By the way, how did I do on the radio? Big thanks to Marc Robbins for guiding me along.
Man to man time.
David Simmons: Fantastic effort. Did a bit of everything, and hustled harder than anyone on the floor. He's like the fourth-line winger who brings the energy and physicality.
Ken Horton: Scoring has been down the last couple of games, but had three steals and two blocks.
Kyle Vinales: Really developing some point guard skills to go with the shooting touch. Was mentioned tonight by Dick Vitale as one of the underrated freshmen in the country.
Malcolm McMillan: Starting to look worn down, which is a big reason Vinales playing some point is so helpful.
Robby Ptacek: I used to be able to shoot free throws like he can. On my PS3. If he keeps getting chances, Central is fine.
Adonis Burbage: Not a great day.
Shelton Mickell: Two of the biggest minutes of the year. Coming in ice cold and catching a pass and making two at the line to ice the game is NOT easy. Glad for him to have his moment.
De'Angelo Speech: It's coming.
Joe Efese: Got called for a foul every time he stepped on the floor. Ugly night.
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