MU men's hoops Press story for Thursday/predictions anyone?
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
If practice makes perfect than the Monmouth University men's basketball team should
be in good shape Thursday night when the Hawks (7-8, 2-1) put their four-game winning
streak on the line in a Northeast Conference game at Sacred Heart (7-8, 3-1).
But apparently because practice has been far from perfect Monmouth coach Dave
Calloway held three in the last two days including an extra round Tuesday night.
""The (Tuesday) afternoon one was washed from my memory,''said Calloway. ""Because it
wasn't very good. So we started all over again at night.
"Tuesday night's was good. Today's (Wednesday) was OK,'' said the coach.
Monmouth senior Dejan Delic declined to offer an opinion specifically about the extra
practice.
"'Practice always benefits you in my opinion,'' said Delic. ""I'm used to at home (in
Serbia-Montenegro) practicing twice a day. My knees definitely didn't benefit from the
extra practice.''
Calloway said he believed it was no coincidence what he termed Monmouths' two best
practices of the season preceded its launching its winning streak with a rout of Lehigh.
""While I thought practices were OK the last week, there was some slippage and it's
continuing,'' said Calloway. "" When that happens, you lose. It's that simple.''
Red shirt 6-4 junior Joey Henley (12.7 ppg.), also a football tight end, 6-3 senior
Jarrid Frye (12.6 ppg.), and 6-6 red shirt junior Luke Granato (10.9 ppg.) lead the
highest scoring team (75.6 ppg.) in the NEC. Monmouth will counter with the No. 2
defense. (66.2 ppg.).
Freshman Chauncey Hardie and Granato shoot better than 40 percent from downtown
while the Pioneers will attempt to combat Monmouth's 7-2 John Bunch with seven-foot
sophomore Liam Potter.
Monmouth did not visit Sacred Heart last season. But it has dropped the prior two
contests in Fairfield, Conn. including a 44-41 setback in 2005.
""My freshman and sophomore year we went up there in like first place and they were
like a bottom team in the league,''said Delic.
"'There were about 100 people in the gym and we weren't ready to play, first because
of the atmosphere and not to insult them, but they were not the best team in the league.
I think this time we'll be more ready.''
"This is by far the most talented (Sacred Heart) team I've seen,'' said Calloway.
""We've got to do a good job defensively.""
In its winning streak Monmouth has limited the opposition to 52.2 points per game.
""If we holds this team under 60 we have a chance,'' Calloway said.
Contact tonygsports@aol.com.
STAFF WRITER
If practice makes perfect than the Monmouth University men's basketball team should
be in good shape Thursday night when the Hawks (7-8, 2-1) put their four-game winning
streak on the line in a Northeast Conference game at Sacred Heart (7-8, 3-1).
But apparently because practice has been far from perfect Monmouth coach Dave
Calloway held three in the last two days including an extra round Tuesday night.
""The (Tuesday) afternoon one was washed from my memory,''said Calloway. ""Because it
wasn't very good. So we started all over again at night.
"Tuesday night's was good. Today's (Wednesday) was OK,'' said the coach.
Monmouth senior Dejan Delic declined to offer an opinion specifically about the extra
practice.
"'Practice always benefits you in my opinion,'' said Delic. ""I'm used to at home (in
Serbia-Montenegro) practicing twice a day. My knees definitely didn't benefit from the
extra practice.''
Calloway said he believed it was no coincidence what he termed Monmouths' two best
practices of the season preceded its launching its winning streak with a rout of Lehigh.
""While I thought practices were OK the last week, there was some slippage and it's
continuing,'' said Calloway. "" When that happens, you lose. It's that simple.''
Red shirt 6-4 junior Joey Henley (12.7 ppg.), also a football tight end, 6-3 senior
Jarrid Frye (12.6 ppg.), and 6-6 red shirt junior Luke Granato (10.9 ppg.) lead the
highest scoring team (75.6 ppg.) in the NEC. Monmouth will counter with the No. 2
defense. (66.2 ppg.).
Freshman Chauncey Hardie and Granato shoot better than 40 percent from downtown
while the Pioneers will attempt to combat Monmouth's 7-2 John Bunch with seven-foot
sophomore Liam Potter.
Monmouth did not visit Sacred Heart last season. But it has dropped the prior two
contests in Fairfield, Conn. including a 44-41 setback in 2005.
""My freshman and sophomore year we went up there in like first place and they were
like a bottom team in the league,''said Delic.
"'There were about 100 people in the gym and we weren't ready to play, first because
of the atmosphere and not to insult them, but they were not the best team in the league.
I think this time we'll be more ready.''
"This is by far the most talented (Sacred Heart) team I've seen,'' said Calloway.
""We've got to do a good job defensively.""
In its winning streak Monmouth has limited the opposition to 52.2 points per game.
""If we holds this team under 60 we have a chance,'' Calloway said.
Contact tonygsports@aol.com.
posted by Tony Graham at 7:55 PM
4 Comments:
As previously stated:
Sacred Heart: Everyone is in love with this team right now. However, they did come up short the other night against an upstart Mount St. Mary's team trying to straighten out it's season. They have a very good inside-outside combo in Joey Henley and Jarrid Frye. They also have some strong three point shooters. I am unimpressed with their PG Hobson, and their biggest player C- Liam Potter is a big English Cupcake. If MU can dictate the pace of this game, and especially if THE TOP DOG OF THE WEEK Big John Stud Bunch can take advantage of his size advantage; MU should win the game. PREDICTION: MU-78 SHU-73
You usually know what you're talking about. I'm sure MU fans hope you've got this one, too.
As you state, and as it will be probably all season for MU, it's about tempo, tempo, tempo.
MU fans keep your eyes on that haftime score. If SHU has scored less than 30..well, MU is now 7-1 this year holding opponents under 30 in the first half.
Or RMU is on the other bracket and maybe gets knocked off as was the case last year.
Right..no teams scare me but MU fans should be concerned, I think, about mainly RMU and FDU, their athletecism, ability to hit the boards, and shoot the 3.
Your queston - Will Youngblood be able to handle their pressure?
Me - It's not just him. My question is whether the MU back court as a whole will be able to handle all-out blitzes that will certainly be coming at some point , presumably when MU is ahead.
I don't know of any NEC teams that press for 40 minutes as SFNY did years ago when Ron Ganulin was the coach.
Your question - Will we get killed on the offensive glass?
From me - Remains to be seen I guess. Bunch has to make a difference...one would think.
You: The Shipman dismissal is going to come back to haunt us!
Me - It certainly could.
You - Any chance he will be back?
Me - I wouldn't bet the ranch, or even the garage, that's for sure.
As I stated yesterday..doesn't look that way to me..I get no vibes (other than from him last week) that he'll be back.
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