OT: Elsewhere in the CT NCAA Landscape

[Hey Adrien!]

Not only is UConn surging, but it's been a solid year for CT NCAA D1 basketball.

For all you college basketball nuts out there, he's a summary of how some of the top CT teams in their respective conferences are looking as we approach conference championship play.

Yale - 1st in the Ivy, will play either Brown or Penn in the Ivy Semis this Saturday at 11 AM.

A lot of talk on here has been about senior Jordan Bruner, but he's the third wheel to the inside outside junior duo of center Paul Atkinson and point guard Azir Swain. Another great season from James Jones and most teams need three reliable scorers to win in March Madness, and Yale has strong trio to upset a higher seed.

Hartford - 3rd in the America East, will host Albany/UMBC/UMass-Lowell this Saturday at 7 PM

What an admirable resurrection coach John Gallagher has put together in Hartford. After two awful seasons where he had a combined 19-46 record, Gallagher has now coached three straight seasons of .500+ basketball and this season has been a success mostly thanks to the leadership of former St. John's and Pitt guard Malik Ellison.

Arguably the best player in the AE outside of Anthony Lamb, Ellison has averaged 18.7 p, 10.5r, 1.0s, 1.2b in nearly 36 minutes per game. Follow grad transfer Traci Carter (Marquette/La Salle) has been a calming presence at the point and a menace on-ball defender. The Hawks are certainly led by their two grad transfers, but five of their top eight players are underclassman, with sophomore stretch forward Hunter Marks, freshman off-ball guard Malik Flowers and freshman big man Miroslav Stafl all starters and combine to average 30 points per game.

Sacred Heart - 3rd in the NEC, hosting the Quarterfinals this Wednesday at 7 PM.

This team entered the year quite deep and with a lot of experience, but once starting PG Cameron Parker injured his foot and ending his season, sophomore guard Aaron Clarke did a really nice job stepping in. This team boasts four double-digit scorers led by skilled bruiser, junior EJ Anosike and sophomore microwave scorer Kareem Ozier. While the team will graduate rim protector Jare'l Spellman and the their best shooter Kinnon LaRose, arguably their three best players return next season to continue their strong play in the NEC. Easily Anthony Latina's best season as the head coach for the Pioneers.

Not major players, but wish them good luck:

Fairfield - Not a bad team, just lacking shooters. Next year should be a good one with lots of young players returning and two major transfers coming in with scorer Caleb Green from Holy Cross and big man Tshiefu Ngalakulondi from St. Bonaventure's.
Quinnipiac - Should be better next year with only one graduate and Shelton's Rich Kelly leading the team.
Central Connecticut State- oof...awful year, but all but one of their players this year are underclassman. With a .285 career winning percentage and his son graduating in May, wouldn't be surprised at all if this is Donyell Marshall's last season with the Blue Devils.

How to follow on TV and the Box Scores:

W 3/4 NEC Quarterfinals
Sa 3/7 NEC Semis
Sa 3/7 American East 1/4 finals
Tu 3/10 NEC Championship
Tu 3/10 MAAC 1st round
Tu 3/10 American East semis
W 3/11 MAAC 1/4 finals
Th 3/12 AAC Tourney
Th 3/12 MAAC 1/4 finals
F 3/13 MAAC semis
S 3/14 American East final 11 AM
S 3/14 Ivy Semis 11 AM & 2 PM
S 3/14 MAAC final
S 3/15 Ivy final 12 PM

 

[Waquoit]

I hope UHar loses.

 

[mauconnfan]

Hey thanks nice job, appreciate checking out the state. Hope Yale makes it to the dance for sure!

 

[pepband99]

I hope UHar loses.

Forever. In everything. Screw them.

 

[Griggs]

Not only is UConn surging, but it's been a solid year for CT NCAA D1 basketball.

For all you college basketball nuts out there, he's a summary of how some of the top CT teams in their respective conferences are looking as we approach conference championship play.

Yale - 1st in the Ivy, will play either Brown or Penn in the Ivy Semis this Saturday at 11 AM.

A lot of talk on here has been about senior Jordan Bruner, but he's the third wheel to the inside outside junior duo of center Paul Atkinson and point guard Azir Swain. Another great season from James Jones and most teams need three reliable scorers to win in March Madness, and Yale has strong trio to upset a higher seed.

Hartford - 3rd in the America East, will host Albany/UMBC/UMass-Lowell this Saturday at 7 PM

What an admirable resurrection coach John Gallagher has put together in Hartford. After two awful seasons where he had a combined 19-46 record, Gallagher has now coached three straight seasons of .500+ basketball and this season has been a success mostly thanks to the leadership of former St. John's and Pitt guard Malik Ellison.

Arguably the best player in the AE outside of Anthony Lamb, Ellison has averaged 18.7 p, 10.5r, 1.0s, 1.2b in nearly 36 minutes per game. Follow grad transfer Traci Carter (Marquette/La Salle) has been a calming presence at the point and a menace on-ball defender. The Hawks are certainly led by their two grad transfers, but five of their top eight players are underclassman, with sophomore stretch forward Hunter Marks, freshman off-ball guard Malik Flowers and freshman big man Miroslav Stafl all starters and combine to average 30 points per game.

Sacred Heart - 3rd in the NEC, hosting the Quarterfinals this Wednesday at 7 PM.

This team entered the year quite deep and with a lot of experience, but once starting PG Cameron Parker injured his foot and ending his season, sophomore guard Aaron Clarke did a really nice job stepping in. This team boasts four double-digit scorers led by skilled bruiser, junior EJ Anosike and sophomore microwave scorer Kareem Ozier. While the team will graduate rim protector Jare'l Spellman and the their best shooter Kinnon LaRose, arguably their three best players return next season to continue their strong play in the NEC. Easily Anthony Latina's best season as the head coach for the Pioneers.

Not major players, but wish them good luck:

Fairfield - Not a bad team, just lacking shooters. Next year should be a good one with lots of young players returning and two major transfers coming in with scorer Caleb Green from Holy Cross and big man Tshiefu Ngalakulondi from St. Bonaventure's.
Quinnipiac - Should be better next year with only one graduate and Shelton's Rich Kelly leading the team.
Central Connecticut State- oof...awful year, but all but one of their players this year are underclassman. With a .285 career winning percentage and his son graduating in May, wouldn't be surprised at all if this is Donyell Marshall's last season with the Blue Devils.

How to follow on TV and the Box Scores:

W 3/4 NEC Quarterfinals
Sa 3/7 NEC Semis
Sa 3/7 American East 1/4 finals
Tu 3/10 NEC Championship
Tu 3/10 MAAC 1st round
Tu 3/10 American East semis
W 3/11 MAAC 1/4 finals
Th 3/12 AAC Tourney
Th 3/12 MAAC 1/4 finals
F 3/13 MAAC semis
S 3/14 American East final 11 AM
S 3/14 Ivy Semis 11 AM & 2 PM
S 3/14 MAAC final
S 3/15 Ivy final 12 PM

Don't see Yale as a at-large team if they don't win Ivy tournament. Maybe next year with Swain and Atkinson back and a good supporting cast.
Probably favored to win tournament, but will be a challenge.
Will be interesting to see where Brunner ends up. The Akok situation up in the air, and with only one year of eligibility left, he might a good fit. Tough off the boards, runs the floor well, and can step out and hit a 3.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Update:

* Sacred Heart lost to St. Francis (PA) in the semifinals.
* Fairfield was eliminated today.
* Hartford beat Stony Brook at Long Island and advance to play Vermont for the America East final. First time playing in the finals since 2008.

@pepband99 and @Waquoit, what's with the hate for Hartford?

 

[pepband99]

Update:

* Sacred Heart lost to St. Francis (PA) in the semifinals.
* Fairfield was eliminated today.
* Hartford beat Stony Brook at Long Island and advance to play Vermont for the America East final. First time playing in the finals since 2008.

@pepband99 and @Waquoit, what's with the hate for Hartford?

“I believe very strongly that this is a game-changer,” said Walter Harrison, the president of the University of Hartford and the chairman of the N.C.A.A.’s Committee on Academic Performance. “It sends a message to our teams and to our critics that we mean business.”

UConn Is Among Those Barred From Postseason Basketball (Published 2012)

Connecticut, which received a one-year postseason ban because of low Academic Progress Rate scores, was the most prominent of 10 Division I basketball teams to be disciplined.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Waquoit]

“I believe very strongly that this is a game-changer,” said Walter Harrison, the president of the University of Hartford and the chairman of the N.C.A.A.’s Committee on Academic Performance. “It sends a message to our teams and to our critics that we mean business.”

Walt badmouthed UConn to anyone who put a mic in front of him back then. When UConn got a perfect score a few years later he said that he was happy that UConn had started taking academics seriously.