MU Men's hoops story for Saturday Press
By TONY GRAHAM
STAFF WRITER
HAMDEN, Conn. - A total of 10 Monmouth University men's basketball
players ran up and down the floor Friday and 12 including red-shirts and walk-
ons were dressed for the practice at Quinnipiac's Burt Kahn court.
But that number was deceiving. Monmouth could possibly have no more
than seven scholarship players available and eight overall ready to take the
floor when the Hawks (7-9, 2-2) take on the Bobcats (4-10, 2-3) Saturday in
Northeast Conference game.
Senior Marques Alston, who suffered a sprained ankle late in Thursday's
defeat at Sacred Heart, watched practice with his left ankle wrapped in ice
and is considered "questionable" for
the Quinnipiac game according to athletic trainer Adam Smith.
""I'm going to try to go,''said Alston Friday. ""I might not be able to
play very much.''
Also, according to coach Dave Calloway freshman Rickie Crews missed
the bus to practice and, though he will be in uniform Saturday, will not
play.
""We waited five minutes (for him),'' said Calloway.
If Alston cannot play, with the undependable Crews and injured
guard Yaniv Simpson out of action, and academically suspended Mike
Shipman also not suiting up, the remaining available group includes
seldom used red-shirt
freshman center Shawn Barlow and walk-on Steve Bazaz.
Quinnipiac generally goes about 10-11 deep.
"We have to pull together,'' said Monmouth sophomore guard Whitney Coleman. ""I
think we're a tight group anyway and you've got to get tougher and be
stronger during adversity. That's what we're trying to do.''
Coleman said everyone on the team likes Crews who has played in one game and
been suspended several times for various "violations.''
""I like Rickie a lot,''
said Coleman. ""He just needs to mature a little more.
""I know he likes it here. I hope the best for
him.''
Calloway said 7-2 center John Bunch would start, along with 6-10 Corey
Hallett, if Alston is unable to play and that there may also be rare Barlow
sighting.
""There could be, could,'' said Calloway who also did rule out an even rarer
Bazaz appearance. ""We're thin, if we need somebody (Bazaz might play),''
said the coach.
Calloway also said rookie Jhamar Youngblood has been feeling sick though
Youngblood practiced Friday.
" 'He looked better today in practice than he did earlier this morning
watching film,'' said Calloway.
That was Friday morning at the movies where the coaching
staff and the players
reviewed the film of the Thursday night defeat at Sacred Heart.
""It (the film session) was well deserved,'' said Coleman. ""We didn't play good at all. On
tape you can tell we looked tired, we weren't cutting hard. It was definitely
us. We have to snap back.''
""We discussed mostly what we were doing wrong,'' said Calloway. ""The
film doesn't lie. For every one good thing we did, on an average, we did 10
not so good things.''
After facing the No. 1 scoring team in the NEC Thursday at Sacred
Heart Monmouth faces a Quinnipiac team which ranks No. 4 (71.7 ppg.).
Monmouth's defense, even after Thursday, remained No. 2 (66.7 ppg.) where
it is tied with Central Connecticut.
A pair
of Bobcats had career nights in an 80-72 win Thursday at Wagner as 6-7 senior
Victor Akinyanju scored a season-high 16
points, hitting on 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free throw
line, grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds, and blocked two shots.
Central Connecticut State transfer DeMario Anderson, a 6-4 junior,
had his highest point total of his Bobcat career, dropping in
25 points while also pulling down seven rebounds and finishing with two
assists and three steals.
Adam Gonzalez, a 6-3 senior, totaled 19 points and six assists while
Quinnipiac as a team shot 49.2% (29-59) from the floor and 70% (14-20) from
the free throw line, including 10-of-15 in the second half.
Monmouth leads the all-time series vs. the Bobcats with 11 wins in 16
games. It has won five straight games against Quinnipiac, with the Bobcats'
last win during
the 2003-04 season.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com. Read his blog at www.app.com
STAFF WRITER
HAMDEN, Conn. - A total of 10 Monmouth University men's basketball
players ran up and down the floor Friday and 12 including red-shirts and walk-
ons were dressed for the practice at Quinnipiac's Burt Kahn court.
But that number was deceiving. Monmouth could possibly have no more
than seven scholarship players available and eight overall ready to take the
floor when the Hawks (7-9, 2-2) take on the Bobcats (4-10, 2-3) Saturday in
Northeast Conference game.
Senior Marques Alston, who suffered a sprained ankle late in Thursday's
defeat at Sacred Heart, watched practice with his left ankle wrapped in ice
and is considered "questionable" for
the Quinnipiac game according to athletic trainer Adam Smith.
""I'm going to try to go,''said Alston Friday. ""I might not be able to
play very much.''
Also, according to coach Dave Calloway freshman Rickie Crews missed
the bus to practice and, though he will be in uniform Saturday, will not
play.
""We waited five minutes (for him),'' said Calloway.
If Alston cannot play, with the undependable Crews and injured
guard Yaniv Simpson out of action, and academically suspended Mike
Shipman also not suiting up, the remaining available group includes
seldom used red-shirt
freshman center Shawn Barlow and walk-on Steve Bazaz.
Quinnipiac generally goes about 10-11 deep.
"We have to pull together,'' said Monmouth sophomore guard Whitney Coleman. ""I
think we're a tight group anyway and you've got to get tougher and be
stronger during adversity. That's what we're trying to do.''
Coleman said everyone on the team likes Crews who has played in one game and
been suspended several times for various "violations.''
""I like Rickie a lot,''
said Coleman. ""He just needs to mature a little more.
""I know he likes it here. I hope the best for
him.''
Calloway said 7-2 center John Bunch would start, along with 6-10 Corey
Hallett, if Alston is unable to play and that there may also be rare Barlow
sighting.
""There could be, could,'' said Calloway who also did rule out an even rarer
Bazaz appearance. ""We're thin, if we need somebody (Bazaz might play),''
said the coach.
Calloway also said rookie Jhamar Youngblood has been feeling sick though
Youngblood practiced Friday.
" 'He looked better today in practice than he did earlier this morning
watching film,'' said Calloway.
That was Friday morning at the movies where the coaching
staff and the players
reviewed the film of the Thursday night defeat at Sacred Heart.
""It (the film session) was well deserved,'' said Coleman. ""We didn't play good at all. On
tape you can tell we looked tired, we weren't cutting hard. It was definitely
us. We have to snap back.''
""We discussed mostly what we were doing wrong,'' said Calloway. ""The
film doesn't lie. For every one good thing we did, on an average, we did 10
not so good things.''
After facing the No. 1 scoring team in the NEC Thursday at Sacred
Heart Monmouth faces a Quinnipiac team which ranks No. 4 (71.7 ppg.).
Monmouth's defense, even after Thursday, remained No. 2 (66.7 ppg.) where
it is tied with Central Connecticut.
A pair
of Bobcats had career nights in an 80-72 win Thursday at Wagner as 6-7 senior
Victor Akinyanju scored a season-high 16
points, hitting on 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free throw
line, grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds, and blocked two shots.
Central Connecticut State transfer DeMario Anderson, a 6-4 junior,
had his highest point total of his Bobcat career, dropping in
25 points while also pulling down seven rebounds and finishing with two
assists and three steals.
Adam Gonzalez, a 6-3 senior, totaled 19 points and six assists while
Quinnipiac as a team shot 49.2% (29-59) from the floor and 70% (14-20) from
the free throw line, including 10-of-15 in the second half.
Monmouth leads the all-time series vs. the Bobcats with 11 wins in 16
games. It has won five straight games against Quinnipiac, with the Bobcats'
last win during
the 2003-04 season.
e-mail tonygsports@aol.com. Read his blog at www.app.com
posted by Tony Graham at 6:28 PM
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