Sunday, March 1, 1 p.m.
The last time these two teams met, the Black Bears were arguably playing their best basketball of the season and Vermont was rebounding nicely from an 0-2 start to the America East season.
Vermont continued its climb up Mt. America East while UMaine has gone into a freefall.
Although UMaine lost that game in Burlington, and finished that five-game stretch at 2-3, the Black Bears had reason for hope, having built double-digit leads in successive games against the top three teams in the league.
It's been downhill since then, however, as the Black Bears have gone 1-8 in their last nine games and will enter the conference tournament next week as the No. 8 seed and play No. 9 Hartford. The Catamounts will go in as the No. 2 seed.
Vermont can earn a share of the regular-season title with a win at Alfond Arena, but Binghamton holds the tie-breaker and will be the top seed. Seeds 4 through 7 will be decided Sunday as Stony Brook visits New Hampshire and Albany is at UMBC.
The Catamounts are led by player of the year candidates Mike Trimboli and Marqus Blakely (the reigning POY). Forward Colin McIntosh is solid in the frontcourt.
The Black Bears are just looking for something to feel good about before taking on Hartford in the play-in game. They've been hammered on the boards in the past two games (losses to Albany and Boston U.) and have given up huge offensive spurts in both games.
Freshman guard Gerald McLemore has been in double figures in seven straight games and forward Troy Barnies has had some solid games. Consistency up and down the lineup has continued to be a problem, however.
Thanks to the Black Bears seniors making their final appearance at home. Best wishes.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
A sad day
Right now, I'm looking at my souvenir brick from the old Chicago Stadium that was torn down to make room for the United Center. I'm looking at it and I hear the roar.
Today is a sad day for anyone who closely followed the Chicago Bulls in the late-1960s and '70s. Two icons of the franchise died yesterday, Norm Van Lier and Johnny "Red" Kerr.
Van Lier died at 61. Nicknamed "Stormin' Norman" for his legendary competiveness, he was an integral piece of those great Bulls teams that came so close we could taste it. His fire on the court alongside running mate Jerry Sloan set the gold standard for toughness.
I grew up on Bulls basketball (yes, there was great basketball in the Windy City before MJ arrived) and there's little doubt it molded me in some ways. To this day (I am sure of it), it is because of those Bulls teams, that it is hard for me to stomach players who are unwilling to lay it all on the line during a game.
Van Lier would give it everything he had every single night. He won games, the Bulls won tons of games, on heart and guts. He was the fire-breathing definition of the "will to win."
Johnny "Red" Kerr was simply a Chicago legend. Went to high school there, went to Illinois and is still the first and only coach to lead an expansion team (the Bulls) to the playoffs. He has been a staple on Bulls broadcasts for as long as I can remember. Red Kerr and Jim Durham. That was basketball on the airwaves to me as a kid.
So many great memories of Van Lier, Sloan, Bob Love, Chet Walker (and so many others) and going to those games at the Madhouse on Madison when the noise was real. It used to get so loud it was known to shatter windows.
Norm's gone. Red's gone. The Stadium's been gone for a while.
Never to be forgotten.
Today is a sad day for anyone who closely followed the Chicago Bulls in the late-1960s and '70s. Two icons of the franchise died yesterday, Norm Van Lier and Johnny "Red" Kerr.
Van Lier died at 61. Nicknamed "Stormin' Norman" for his legendary competiveness, he was an integral piece of those great Bulls teams that came so close we could taste it. His fire on the court alongside running mate Jerry Sloan set the gold standard for toughness.
I grew up on Bulls basketball (yes, there was great basketball in the Windy City before MJ arrived) and there's little doubt it molded me in some ways. To this day (I am sure of it), it is because of those Bulls teams, that it is hard for me to stomach players who are unwilling to lay it all on the line during a game.
Van Lier would give it everything he had every single night. He won games, the Bulls won tons of games, on heart and guts. He was the fire-breathing definition of the "will to win."
Johnny "Red" Kerr was simply a Chicago legend. Went to high school there, went to Illinois and is still the first and only coach to lead an expansion team (the Bulls) to the playoffs. He has been a staple on Bulls broadcasts for as long as I can remember. Red Kerr and Jim Durham. That was basketball on the airwaves to me as a kid.
So many great memories of Van Lier, Sloan, Bob Love, Chet Walker (and so many others) and going to those games at the Madhouse on Madison when the noise was real. It used to get so loud it was known to shatter windows.
Norm's gone. Red's gone. The Stadium's been gone for a while.
Never to be forgotten.
Welcome wagon
The list of players who have notched career best point totals against the Black Bears this year has grown to six, including each of the past three games. Not a good sign with Vermont coming to town Sunday.
Here are the recipients of UMaine's welcome wagon (starting with the most recent) goody basket:
* Jeff Pelage, Boston U. ... 10 points (kicked in a career best 12 rebounds for good measure)
* Jerel Hastings, Albany ... 19 points (also said 'what the heck' and grabbed best ever 10 boards)
* Dane Diliegro, New Hampshire ... 21 points (his 12 rebounds weren't his best, but we see a theme developing here)
* Michael Turner, Hartford ... 26 points (at least he didn't have a double-double)
* Jake O'Brien, Boston U. ... 24 points (since topped it with 25 vs. UMBC)
* Justin Rutty, Quinnipiac ... 30 points (almost a Black Bear)
For the heck of it, let's take a look at how the respective outbursts compare to their season averages:
Plus 16, Diliegro: 5 ppg
Plus 15, Rutty: 15 ppg
Plus 15, Turner: 11 ppg
Plus 14, Hastings: 5 ppg
Plus 12, O'Brien: 12 ppg
Plus 7, Pelage: 3 ppg
Here are the recipients of UMaine's welcome wagon (starting with the most recent) goody basket:
* Jeff Pelage, Boston U. ... 10 points (kicked in a career best 12 rebounds for good measure)
* Jerel Hastings, Albany ... 19 points (also said 'what the heck' and grabbed best ever 10 boards)
* Dane Diliegro, New Hampshire ... 21 points (his 12 rebounds weren't his best, but we see a theme developing here)
* Michael Turner, Hartford ... 26 points (at least he didn't have a double-double)
* Jake O'Brien, Boston U. ... 24 points (since topped it with 25 vs. UMBC)
* Justin Rutty, Quinnipiac ... 30 points (almost a Black Bear)
For the heck of it, let's take a look at how the respective outbursts compare to their season averages:
Plus 16, Diliegro: 5 ppg
Plus 15, Rutty: 15 ppg
Plus 15, Turner: 11 ppg
Plus 14, Hastings: 5 ppg
Plus 12, O'Brien: 12 ppg
Plus 7, Pelage: 3 ppg
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Boston U. 76, Black Bears 65
Boston University coasted past the Black Bears Thursday night in the Hub City. UMaine got within nine early in the second half, but BU promptly scored five quick points and the outcome was never in doubt the rest of the way.
The Terriers (16-12 overall, 10-5 America East) dominated the backboards, out-rebounding the Black Bears (9-19, 4-11) by a 43-32 margin.
Boston U. was one rebound away from having three players with double-doubles. Freshman center Jeff Pelage became the sixth player this season to score a career high against UMaine. Pelage had 10 points and 12 rebounds. The rebound total was also a career best.
The Black Bears are on the verge of back-to-back 20 loss seasons for the first time since 1997 and '98.
Gerald McLemore paced UMaine with 16 points. Troy Barnies registered a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Mark Socoby surpassed 1,000 career points with 11, all in the second half.
Senior guard Kaimondre Owes missed his second straight game.
The Terriers (16-12 overall, 10-5 America East) dominated the backboards, out-rebounding the Black Bears (9-19, 4-11) by a 43-32 margin.
Boston U. was one rebound away from having three players with double-doubles. Freshman center Jeff Pelage became the sixth player this season to score a career high against UMaine. Pelage had 10 points and 12 rebounds. The rebound total was also a career best.
The Black Bears are on the verge of back-to-back 20 loss seasons for the first time since 1997 and '98.
Gerald McLemore paced UMaine with 16 points. Troy Barnies registered a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Mark Socoby surpassed 1,000 career points with 11, all in the second half.
Senior guard Kaimondre Owes missed his second straight game.
(UMaine (9-18, 4-10) at Boston U. (15-12, 9-5)
Thursday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m.
Boston University is going for the 1,000th victory in program history (53-38 against UMaine) while the Black Bears must win twice and hope for New Hampshire to lose twice in order to get out of the play-in game. Boston U. is set as the No. 3 seed for the upcoming America East tournament.
The Terriers, after moving to 9-2 in America East, fell out of contention with three straight losses. BU went out of the conference to break the losing skid, 63-57, over Iona in a Bracketbuster game last weekend.
UMaine is sliding, having gone 1-7 since a 3-3 start to league play. A play-in game appointment would be the second straight for the Black Bears. The last time that happened was 1997, '98.
Probable starters
Boston U.
G - Corey Lowe, 6-2, Jr. ... 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4 assists
G - John Holland, 6-5, So. ... Player of Year candidate, 18.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg
F - Matt Wolff, 6-6, Sr. ... Does the dirty work
F - Scott Brittain, 6-9, Jr. ... Overshadowed but effective
F - Jake O'Brien, 6-8, Fr. ... Probable Rookie of the Year
UMaine
G - Mark Socoby, 6-5, Jr. ... Needs 9 to reach 1,000 mark
G - Junior Bernal, 6-5, Jr. ... Bears need all-around play
G - Gerald McLemore, 6-3, Fr. ... Double figures 6 straight games
F - Malachi Peay, 6-5, So. ... Aggressive tone a must
F - Sean McNally, 6-7, So. ... Confidence should be growing
Notes
A young team with two juniors out for the season, Terriers don't substitute much as starting five logs heavy minutes. Probably not an issue against Maine's zone, however. ... UMaine heavy underdogs in final two games, needs to show some fight leading into play-in game versus Hartford.
Boston University is going for the 1,000th victory in program history (53-38 against UMaine) while the Black Bears must win twice and hope for New Hampshire to lose twice in order to get out of the play-in game. Boston U. is set as the No. 3 seed for the upcoming America East tournament.
The Terriers, after moving to 9-2 in America East, fell out of contention with three straight losses. BU went out of the conference to break the losing skid, 63-57, over Iona in a Bracketbuster game last weekend.
UMaine is sliding, having gone 1-7 since a 3-3 start to league play. A play-in game appointment would be the second straight for the Black Bears. The last time that happened was 1997, '98.
Probable starters
Boston U.
G - Corey Lowe, 6-2, Jr. ... 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4 assists
G - John Holland, 6-5, So. ... Player of Year candidate, 18.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg
F - Matt Wolff, 6-6, Sr. ... Does the dirty work
F - Scott Brittain, 6-9, Jr. ... Overshadowed but effective
F - Jake O'Brien, 6-8, Fr. ... Probable Rookie of the Year
UMaine
G - Mark Socoby, 6-5, Jr. ... Needs 9 to reach 1,000 mark
G - Junior Bernal, 6-5, Jr. ... Bears need all-around play
G - Gerald McLemore, 6-3, Fr. ... Double figures 6 straight games
F - Malachi Peay, 6-5, So. ... Aggressive tone a must
F - Sean McNally, 6-7, So. ... Confidence should be growing
Notes
A young team with two juniors out for the season, Terriers don't substitute much as starting five logs heavy minutes. Probably not an issue against Maine's zone, however. ... UMaine heavy underdogs in final two games, needs to show some fight leading into play-in game versus Hartford.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
NEDA taking on men's team
Canada's National Elite Development Academy boys' team - with Black Bear recruits Mike Allison and Murphy Burnatowski - is scheduled to take on the semi-pro Guelph Phoenix on Sunday.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Shaw shines
Wonder if Thornton Academy sophomore Andrew Shaw is on the UMaine radar screen? Took in the Western Maine Class A championship game between Thornton and Portland Saturday night and immediately noticed Shaw.He finished with 13 points in a low-scoring game that Thornton won. Shaw is a lanky, 6-5 forward who looks to have a pretty good outside shooting touch. According to the New England Recruiting Report, he is the No. 26 sophomore in New England.
Didn't really see other facets of his game because there wasn't any flow (lots of fouls, turnovers and free throw shooting) to the contest, but he looks like he has a good feel and moves around the floor smoothly.
Maybe he'll be a mobile 6-6, 6-7 guy by the time he graduates. And if he retains and improves that shooting stroke, then you've got something.
Thornton Academy will play Edward Little (Troy Barnies' old school) for the state title.
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