Jan. 10, 2008

Half of the overall schedule is complete, but the "real" season begins now for Patriot League teams. League plays tips off on Friday when Navy visits Bucknell in an ESPNU broadcast, and if the early portion of the schedule is any indicator the race will be wide open. The season is in full gear on Saturday, as Holy Cross travels to Lafayette at 1 p.m., Army is at Colgate at 2 p.m., and American goes to Lehigh for a 7 p.m. tip.

Patriot League Men's Basketball Release - 1.10.08

Patriot League Notebook

"Second Season" Begins

Half of the overall schedule is complete, but the "real" season begins now for Patriot League teams. League plays tips off on Friday when Navy visits Bucknell, and if the early portion of the schedule is any indicator the race will be wide open. There is less than a five-game difference between the best (Holy Cross) and worst (Bucknell) overall mark in non-League play, and seven Patriot League teams have seven wins or more. Four teams are at or within one game of .500. The muddled picture will start to be cleared out this weekend, as all eight Patriot League teams play their first League game. Navy's contest at Bucknell will be shown on ESPNU at 7 p.m. to open things up. The season is in full gear on Saturday, as Holy Cross travels to Lafayette at 1 p.m., Army is at Colgate at 2 p.m., and American goes to Lehigh for a 7 p.m. tip. All four games will be televised, and will provide drama if last year's results are duplicated. In 2006-07, Colgate opened the season with a two-point win in overtime against Army, and Lehigh won by two points against American.

Working Overtime Again

Four Patriot League teams played during the early part of the week, but only Lafayette was on the court for a 45-minute contest. Not that it was anything new for the Leopards. Lafayette came back from a 17-point halftime deficit to win at Princeton, 76-71, in overtime. The Leopards improved to a perfect 4-0 in the extra session this season, with three of those contests coming on the road. The remaining Patriot League teams have played a combined three overtime games. Lafayette's win gave the Patriot League 60 victories in non-League action, which is tied with the 2006-07 total for the best mark in an 18-year history. The Patriot League still has three regular-season games left to try and break the record, which didn't go down this week because of struggles on Tuesday night. All three teams in action on Tuesday lost their games, with Colgate falling to Harvard, Holy Cross losing at Maryland and Army going down at Presbyterian.

Get your TIVO Ready!

The quest for the 2008 Patriot League men's basketball title begins Friday, when Bucknell hosts Navy at 7 p.m. in a game shown via the League's package on ESPNU (Dish Network Channel 148 and Direct TV Channel 609). But that is just the start of the televised action for teams in the first weekend of League play. All three of Saturday's games will be televised as well, beginning with Lafayette hosting preseason favorite Holy Cross at 1 p.m. on RCN-4, WBPH-60 and FSN-Pittsburgh. Colgate's contest with Army is on Time Warner Central New York at 2 p.m., while Lehigh's home date with American is on Service Electric2 Sports at 7 p.m. The League schedule will feature eight regular-season men's games on ESPNU and one on ESPN2, as well as the Championship game March 14 at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Veteran broadcasters Bob Socci and John Feinstein will call the action on ESPNU. Seventeen additional League games will be broadcast on other outlets.

Non-League Success

With a 60-54 record and three games remaining, the Patriot League is assured of its best-ever non-League mark in the regular season. Patriot League teams have tied the record for total non-League victories, which was set at 60 just last season. The only previous winning non-League mark came in 2000-01, when the Patriot League closed the year with a 54-53 record against non-League competition (54-52 in regular season). The Patriot League finished at 60-60 against non-League competition in 2006-07, with a 60-59 record in the regular season. With three non-League games remaining, the eight teams will finish at least three games over .500 in the 2007-08 regular season. This year's success is even more impressive since it is the first season with an all Division I schedule for every team in the League.

More Early-Season Highlights

With the victories coming, the accomplishments have accumulated as well. For the first time in Patriot League history, seven teams have recorded seven non-League wins or more. Only Bucknell (5-9) has yet reach the mark, but the Bison's record gives the Patriot League its third season in an 18-year history where every team won at least five non-League games (2000-01, 2006-07 are the others). It also makes the Patriot League one of only seven conferences to have all of its members post at least five non-League victories thus far, and one of only two Mid-Major conferences (Missouri Valley) to pull it off. The Bison still have their BracketBuster game remaining in February, with a chance at giving every team six non-League wins for just the second time. The Patriot League posted an 11-8 mark against the Ivy League, concluding with Lafayette's overtime win at Princeton on Wednesday. Earlier in the year, the Patriot League became the first Division I conference to have every one of its teams record a road victory (Nov. 17) and the second to have all of its members beat a Division I opponent (Nov. 14).

Milennium Men III

Add Lafayette's Bilal Abdullah to the list of active Patriot Leaguers in the 1,000-point club. With 14 points on Wednesday at Princeton, Abdullah became the 58th Patriot Leaguer to join the club and now has 1,008 points. Navy's Greg Sprink (1,419) and Army's Jarell Brown (1,180) are also adding to 1,000-point careers.

Patriot League All-Access

Watch the majority of Patriot League Men's and Women's Basketball regular-season and tournament games on high-speed Broadband. For $7.95 a month, this cutting-edge technology takes you from your seat to the sideline with multi-camera coverage. Visit your school's website or www.PatriotLeague.com for more information.

Time to GET SIRIUS

The Patriot League has once again partnered with SIRIUS Satellite Radio to broadcast select men's basketball games for the 2007-08 season. The League has three games set for January's schedule, beginning with Holy Cross traveling to Lafayette in the season opener on Saturday. In addition to regular-season coverage, all seven games of the 2008 Patriot League Men's Basketball Tournament will be aired. Bucknell's visit to Holy Cross will be broadcast on Jan. 18, and the Bison's matchup at home against Colgate on Jan. 26 will wrap up the January schedule. Lehigh's matchup with Princeton on Jan. 6 was also broadcast on SIRIUS. The schedule of Patriot League games for February will be announced at a later date.

Patriot League Games

Navy at Bucknell, Friday, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Sojka Pavilion, Lewisburg, Pa.

Series: Navy, 29-23 Streak: Bucknell, Six Wins Last Meeting: Bucknell, 62-43 (2.28.07)

Navy The Midshipmen were off in the early part of this week after wrapping up their non-League schedule with a 7-8 record...They have won four games in a row after beating Longwood, 73-55, on Saturday...It is Navy's first four-game winning streak since Feb. 21 - March 4, 2001...Greg Sprink needs just nine rebounds and two steals to become the second player in school history (Vernon Butler is the other) with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists and 100 steals...Sprink is second in the Patriot League with 19.1 ppg, while Kaleo Kina is eighth with 13.6...Navy leads the Patriot League and is 44th nationally with 8.9 steals per game...They are 31st in the nation with 8.8 three-pointers made per contest...Navy is 3-17 all-time at Bucknell.

Bucknell The Bison have a 5-9 record going into the Patriot League opener against Navy on Friday...They have lost their last two contests, most recently falling at St. Bonaventure, 65-62...Justin Castleberry notched a career-high 22 against St. Bonaventure...Bucknell led through most of the second half against the Bonnies, but twice failed to rebound a missed free throw and missed two free throws of their own in the final minute...Bucknell leads the Patriot League in field goal percentage defense and blocked shots...The Bison put a pair of streaks on the line against Navy...They have an 11-game regular-season winning streak in Patriot League games, and hold a 35-game home winning streak against League foes...They have not lost at home to a Patriot League team since falling to Colgate in the final game of the 2002-03 regular season...Bucknell also holds a 6-0 record against Navy in games played at Sojka Pavilion.

Holy Cross at Lafayette, Saturday, 1 p.m.

Kirby Sports Center, Easton, Pa.

Series: Holy Cross, 27-13 Streak: HC, Seven Wins Last Meeting: HC, 83-53 (2.28.07)

Holy Cross The Crusaders saw their two-game winning streak come to an end with a 73-48 loss at Maryland on Tuesday...Tim Clifford led the way with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Adam May had 14 points and six rebounds...Maryland used a 20-0 run in the first half to pull away early...The Crusaders dressed just 10 players for the game, as junior guard Pat Doherty, sophomore forward Eric Meister and junior forward Alex Vander Baan all sat out due to injury...Holy Cross enters the weekend as the Patriot League leader in scoring defense, scoring margin and rebounding margin...Clifford leads the League in blocked shots and offensive rebounds, and is in the top 10 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage... Holy Cross is at Lafayette in the Patriot League opener at 1 p.m. on Saturday....The Crusaders have not lost to Lafayette since the Leopards swept the series in 2003-04...All of the victories during the current seven-game series win streak have come by double digits, including an 84-74 triumph in Easton to kick off the 2006-07 Patriot League schedule.

Lafayette The Leopards broke a three-game losing streak with a 76-71 overtime victory at Princeton on Wednesday...Lafayette improved to 4-0 in overtime this season, including three wins on the road...They trailed by 17 points at halftime but outscored the Tigers, 38-21, in the second half after opening the stanza with an 11-0 run...Lafayette hit seven free throws down the stretch in overtime to seal the win...Bilal Abdullah notched 14 points in the game and made all four of his free throws...He also became the 58th member of the Patriot League's 1,000-point club, and now stands with 1,008 for his career...He is the 35th player in Lafayette history to reach the milennium mark...Ted Detmer led the Leopards with 15 points, shooting 5-of-5 from the field...The win also gives Lafayette victories over Princeton and Penn in the same season for the first time in school history...The Leopards have now won eight straight overtime games goingback to a win over Cal State Northridge in December of 2004..The Leopards finished their eight-game road trip with a 4-4 record, with three of the losses coming against Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Mississippi State...They lead the Patriot League in scoring, assists and three-pointers made, and are also first in overall and three-point field goal percentage...The Leopards' matchup with Holy Cross will be their first home game since playing NJIT on Dec. 3...They have a four-game home win streak, and are 4-2 in Easton this season...Lafayette has only scored more than 61 points once during their seven-game losing streak against Holy Cross.

Army At Colgate, Saturday, 2 p.m.

Cotterell Court, Hamilton, N.Y.

Series: Tied, 50-50 Streak: Colgate, Six Wins Last Meeting: Colgate, 42-38 (2.3.07)

Army The Black Knights finished their non-League schedule with a 52-35 loss at Presbyterian on Tuesday...They enter the Patriot League with a 7-7 record...Jarell Brown scored 10 points in the game, and was the only Black Knight to finish in double digits...It was Brown's career-best 11th consecutive game in double figures...Army shot a season-low 30.4 percent (14-46)...The game marked Army's lowest scoring total since a 66-29 loss to Holy Cross in 2004-05...Brown continues to lead the Patriot League with 20.1 ppg for the year, and is leading in three-point field goals (59) and three-point field goal percentage (51.3)...Josh Miller shares the League lead with five assists per contest...The Black Knights will look to stop a six-game losing streak against Colgate on Saturday...They almost pulled one out last year, but fell, 73-71, in overtime in the League opener at Colgate and lost 42-38 at home...Brown had 30 points in last year's contest at Cotterell Court.

Colgate The Raiders fell to Harvard, 77-57, in their last contest before Patriot League play on Tuesday...The loss snapped a two-game winning streak...Kyle Roemer led the way with 19 points, while Kendall Chones totaled 17 points and nine rebounds...Daniel Waddy added 11 for the Raiders...Colgate (8-6) has notched its most non-League Division I victories since also recording eight in 1992-93, with one game still remaining against NC Central on Feb. 23...Roemer is fourth in the Patriot League with 16.2 ppg...Colgate will look to take the lead in the all-time series against Army on Saturday...The teams have an even 50-50 split in the 100 meetings...Colgate Head Coach Emmett Davis has a 15-4 career record against the Black Knights...The Raiders have won the last six meetings, but three of the games were decided by five points or less.

American At Lehigh, 7 p.m., Saturday

Stabler Arena, Bethlehem, Pa.

Series: American, 14-12 Streak: Lehigh, Four Wins Last Meeting: Lehigh, 56-54 (2.3.07)

American The Eagles concluded their non-League season with an 8-7 record, beating Columbia, 69-56, on Sunday to capture the winning mark...It was the third time in four years that they finished the non-League season with a winning record...Garrison Carr scored 24 points, two off his career high, while connecting on 6-of-9 three-pointers in the win over Columbia...Carr ranks sixth in the Patriot League with 15.5 ppg, followed closely by teammate Derrick Mercer in seventh place with 14.9 ppg...The Eagles lead the League and rank 20th nationally (through Sunday's games) with a .750 foul shooting percentage for the season...They are also second in the Patriot League and in the top 50 in the country in scoring defense...American will look to break a four-game losing streak against Lehigh, but the teams have a history of close meetings...Both of last year's games were decided by two points, and five of the last seven overall have been within four points or less...American's last win was a 65-61 triumph in Bethlehem on Feb. 23, 2005...The road team has won four of the last six meetings.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks enter Patriot League play on a winning note and with a .500 record after a 68-49 win over Princeton on Sunday...Lehigh enters League action with a .500 record for the first time since the 2003-04 season...The Mountain Hawks snapped a 23-game losing streak versus Princeton, defeating the Tigers for the first time since 1930...Zahir Carrington scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the win, while freshman Rob Keefer had a career-high 16...Bryan White leads the Patriot League in rebounding, while Carrington is tops in field goal percentage and Marquis Hall is tied for first in assists...The Mountain Hawks lead the League and are among the leaders nationally in fewest turnovers per game (12.8)...Lehigh will try to move closer to American in an all-time series that it trails, 14-12...The Mountain Hawks have made up ground by winning the last four meetings, including a pair of two-point wins a year ago...Lehigh opened the 2007 Patriot League campaign with a 51-49 victory over American at Stabler Arena, and won, 56-54, at American on February 3...Both games were decided with Lehigh points in the final five seconds...The Mountain Hawks also defeated the Eagles by two points at home in the 2004 Patriot League Championship.