Marist Win Watch

(courtesy Kenpom.com going into Tuesday)
Chance of winless record:    24.68% (overall)    31.92% (in conference)

Marist lost convincingly against Binghamton, shooting 29.4% from the field. The Bearcats dominated in a 70-52 rout, their 2nd win over a Division I team (their other D-I win came at home against Bucknell). With this loss Marist increased their odds of going winless 20% over one night. Marist scored 5 points in the final five and a half minutes of the game.

Add to it the fact that Casiem Drummond is not eligible yet and might never be. On Monday a crushing blow was sent to Marist as they ruled Drummond to be academically ineligible (courtesy: Poughkeepise Journal).

You have to wonder whether Drummond will ever play for Marist at this rate. Friend of the site, Greg Hyrina adds his comments at his site as well. This will not be a great year to be a Red Foxes fan, the team is very young and inexperienced and you just have to hope that these players that second-year Head Coach Chuck Martin has brought in will continue to show their potential and develop.

Consider that, according to Kenpom.com’s game probabilities: the chances of Marist when they travel to Siena are listed as 0%. You have to figure they have a chance but they are a very young team and could be exposed further against Siena and the more experienced MAAC teams.

Everyone Else Doing Well

Every other MAAC team has at least 5 wins this season but it’s time to review the teams that have impressed us still as teams finish their out of conference schedules and get ready for a grueling MAAC regular season.

Fairfield has been off to a strong start and hung tough in Rhode Island but fell just short in an 89-84 loss. Anthony Johnson led the way with 23 points, on 10 of 14 shooting, and 10 rebounds. Derek Needham has to be near the lead for Rookie of the Year, scoring double digits in all but one game. Siena and Fairfield are #1 and #2 in the MAAC in shooting from inside the 3 point arc, respectively. We will see how real Fairfield is quickly as they will travel to the Buffalo swing to start the New Year.

Rider has settled into a quiet 8-5 this year. After a great win at Mississippi State, they are looking like a team that is still searching for an identity as they enter conference play. Rider was unable to hold off Rutgers in Overtime, being outscored 10-0 in the overtime period. Ryan Thompson is finding his groove, with 26 points and 8 rebounds in a loss. Thompson ceded the stage at Monmouth to Jamar Youngblood. Youngblood, who transferred from Monmouth to Rider, torched the Hawks making 3 of Rider’s 4 three’s and scoring 19 points in a 7 point come from behind win.

Iona and Albany met for the first time and Iona came away with a 13 point win. Kyle Smyth has erupted for 48 points over the last three games on 65% shooting. Smyth is 4th best on the team with 41.3% 3 point field goal percentage and has made a huge leap in his development. Siena handled the Gaels well on the road in their first meeting but look for Iona to be much improved going into that February 5th matchup.

MAAC Notes

Rico Pickett for the Jaspers, a junior college transfer, has put up double digit points in every game where he’s taken double digit shots. However 1.4 3 point field goals per game and a 28.9% three point field goal percentage leave him with some more work on his game. Manhattan is on break until December 30th when they travel to Vanderbilt.

Niagara hosts St. Bonaventure tonight and then takes off for the holidays… Manhattan has yet to see one-armed Kevin Laue score a collegiate point yet, he is 0 for 1 from the field and 0 for 3 from the free throw line. Loyola has started out at 5-5 and travels to Indiana tonight to play the Hoosiers. If Loyola (5-5)

loses tonight, they will be the only the 3rd MAAC team under .500 this year (Canisius is 4-6, Marist is 0-8).