Patriot League 2004-05 Season Recap
Another incredible Patriot League season is in the books, and it certainly gave fans all they could possibly hope for. There were surprises (Holy Cross, Colgate), disappointments (Army), and a lot of shuffling in the standings as the league season progressed. But in the end, it was the Bucknell Bison who emerged atop the Patriot League pile.
The Bison, the team picked at the beginning of the season to win the league title, took home the tournament championship and went on to make Patriot League history in the NCAA Tournament. With the weight of expectations bearing down on them, as well as further health issues for head coach Pat Flannery, the Bison managed to improve on last season and finally take home the school’s first-ever Patriot League championship. In the regular season, the school also defeated Pittsburgh, then ranked in the top 10, and Saint Joseph’s, putting the team on the map well before its monumental upset of Kansas in the Big Dance. It was truly a magical season for the players and fans in Lewisburg.
The biggest surprise of the season, however, must be the amazing run of the Holy Cross Crusaders, who were picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League by coaches and SIDs before cruising through the league slate with a 13-1 mark. The combination of Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons, combined with excellent inside play from John Hurley and Nate Lufkin and the stewardship of Torey Thomas, gave the Crusaders an almost unstoppable offense and a stingy defense that consistently baffled opponents. And with Ralph Willard at the helm, the Crusaders returned to their rightful place atop the Patriot League regular season standings.
The other big surprise of the season was the Colgate Raiders, a young team that I picked to finish seventh in the league. The team did well to prove me wrong, however, showing strong play from its many underclassmen and overcoming injury and disciplinary problems to finish in a tie for fourth place at season’s end. With a young and energetic team, the Raiders lost to eventual league champion Bucknell by a combined three points in two games, showing that the young guns could stay with the Bison. For head coach Emmett Davis, this team is ahead of schedule.
Another young team that made noise (for the wrong reasons) was the Army Black Knights. The Knights had only two upperclassmen on the roster this season, and yet that cannot excuse the fact that Army won only one Division-I basketball game this season (along with two D-III wins). The team is in the midst of a prolonged rebuilding stretch, but Matt Bell provided some hope that, with a little help, the Knights might finally find a way out of the league cellar in the future.
Patriot League Tournament Recap
The Patriot League Tournament went exactly to form, with a minor surprise in the title game.
In the first round of play, all top-four seeds advanced, with only one of the four teams (American) having to sweat out the final minutes. In that game, the Eagles needed overtime to defeat the Navy Midshipmen, 85-83. The biggest story of the first round came out of Worcester, however, as Lehigh’s Joe Knight poured in 45 points to single-handedly lead his team over Colgate, 77-60. His total was a Patriot League Tournament and Hart Center record, and his 10 three-pointers were also a Lehigh school record.
In the semifinals, it was the Crusaders who were scared, this time by the Mountain Hawks. Due to terrible shooting by both teams (under 28 percent for the game), the game became a battle of attrition, and the two squads needed overtime to decide the winner. Amazingly, the Crusaders, the worst free throw shooting team in the league, hit eight of nine free throws in the extra session to escape with a 57-53 win. In the other semifinal, the Bison continued to roll on, holding their second consecutive opponent under 36 points in a 53-35 clinic against American. The team followed up its quarterfinal game, in which it held Navy to a Patriot League Tournament-low 34 points, with a semifinal performance that saw the Eagles manage a Patriot League semifinal-low 35 points.
That set up a tremendous battle for the league title at the Hart Center, and Bucknell showed right away what a great team it was. The Bison jumped out to a 20-point lead on two occasions in the first half, putting the Crusaders in too big of a hole to dig out of. Holy Cross got to within two points with under a minute remaining, but the Bison held on for the school’s first-ever Patriot League Tournament championship.
Postseason Recap
It was certainly a historic postseason for the Patriot League.
The 14th-seeded Bucknell Bison made league history by defeating third-seeded Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 64-63, giving the Patriot League its first-ever NCAA Tournament win. Sophomore Chris McNaughton made the game-winning jump hook from the lane late in the game, and Kansas’ Wayne Simien could not answer at the other end, giving Bucknell the historic win. The team fell in the second round to sixth-seeded Wisconsin, but that could not put a damper on the greatest season in Bucknell school history.
Not to be outdone, the Crusaders took part in the NIT and pulled off an upset of their own, taking down Notre Dame in the first round for the school’s first postseason victory since 1981. The team jumped out to a big lead thanks to superb shooting and excellent defense before holding on to outlast the Fightin’ Irish, 78-73. Like Bucknell, Holy Cross fell in the second round to Saint Joseph’s, but the team’s season can still be considered a resounding success.
Hoopville 2004-2005 Patriot League Awards
Patriot League Player of the Year: Kevin Hamilton, Holy Cross
The junior from Queens Village, NY ranked second in the Patriot League in scoring (15.2 ppg) and upped that averaged to an even 16 ppg once league play began, as he led Holy Cross in scoring in 17 of 27 games. Hamilton also ranked first in the league in steals (3.0 spg), sixth in assists (3.0 apg) and seventh in rebounding (5.9 rpg).
Hoopville All-League Team:
Kevin Hamilton, Holy Cross
Joe Knight, Lehigh
Charles Lee, Bucknell
Chris McNaughton, Bucknell
Keith Simmons, Holy Cross
Freshmen of the Year: Kyle Roemer, Colgate; Corey Johnson, Navy (tie)
Newcomer of the Year: Joe Knight, Lehigh
Defensive Player of the Year: Abe Badmus, Bucknell
Coach of the Year: Ralph Willard, Holy Cross
Team-by-team Recaps
Bucknell Bison (10-4 PL, 23-10 overall)
The Bison began the season as the team to beat in the Patriot League and ended the season at the very top. The team finished second in the regular season standings, and then went into Worcester and took home the Patriot League Tournament Championship for the first time with a masterful first-half performance against top-seeded Holy Cross. And to top off the magical season, the 14th-seeded Bison upset perennial contender Kansas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, marking the Patriot League’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
Team MVP: Chris McNaughton (12.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 59.6 percent field goal percentage)
Top Scorers: McNaughton, Kevin Bettencourt (12.6 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Charles Lee (6.4 rpg)
Top Assists: Abe Badmus (3.5 apg)
Starters Leaving:
None
Key players returning:
McNaughton (sophomore center, 12.6 ppg)
Bettencourt (junior guard, 12.6 ppg)
Lee (junior forward, 12.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg)
Badmus (5.8 ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.9 spg)
Coming off the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, the Bison will return all but one player (reserve Chris Niesz) next season. As good as the team was this season, next year may bring even better things for this Bucknell squad. Patriot League, you have been warned.
Holy Cross Crusaders (13-1 PL, 23-10 overall)
Nobody expected the Crusaders to make much noise in the Patriot League this season, which is why the team’s 13-1 regular season turned so many heads. But with the combination of the league’s best defense (56.8 ppg allowed) and the potent duo of Kevin Hamilton and Keith Simmons, the Crusaders made a memorable run to the Patriot League championship game. The HC proved that, once again, you should never overlook the Crusaders when looking at the Patriot League title picture.
Team MVP: Kevin Hamilton (15.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 spg, 2.8 apg)
Top Scorer: Hamilton (15.7 ppg)
Top Rebounder: John Hurley (6.0 rpg)
Top Assists: Torey Thomas (3.7 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Hurley (graduating)
Greg Kinsey (graduating)
Nate Lufkin (graduating)
Key players returning:
Hamilton (junior guard, 15.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 spg, 2.8 apg)
Keith Simmons (sophomore guard, 12.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
The Crusaders return Hamilton and Simmons, but lose some big defensive pieces in John Hurley and Nate Lufkin. Next season, the team may have to rely more on its offense than its defense for victories, but that should not be a problem for this team. Expect the Crusaders to be right back near the top of the league from beginning to end.
American Eagles (8-6 PL, 16-12 overall)
As usual, the Eagles flew under the radar for most of the regular season, quietly putting together another solid season and ending up in third place. For the first time in four seasons, however, the Eagles did not make it to the league title game, falling in the semifinals to Bucknell. Thanks to great play from Jason Thomas and Andre Ingram, American was the best shooting team in the league and ranked second in scoring, but in the end all that offense came up a little bit short.
Team MVP: Andre Ingram (15.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Top Scorer: Ingram (15.3 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Jason Thomas (5.3 rpg)
Top Assists: Linas Lekavicius (3.9 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Thomas (graduating)
Matej Cresnik (graduating)
Patrick Okpwae (graduating)
Raimondas Petrauskas (graduating)
Key players returning:
Ingram (sophomore guard, 15.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Lekavicius (sophomore guard, 6.7 ppg, 3.9 apg)
The Eagles will be really hurt by graduation, losing Thomas and three other starters. The team will still have Ingram, who will be the only offensive weapon in American’s arsenal until the team can find someone else to complement him. Don’t expect the same offensive numbers from this team next season, and its league standing may fall as well.
Lehigh Mountain Hawks (7-7 PL, 14-15 overall)
The Mountain Hawks had somewhat of a disappointing season, finishing in fourth place in the Patriot League. The problem for the Hawks was that, after the dynamic duo of Joe Knight and Jose Olivero, the team simply could not score. The team finished seventh in the league in scoring, seemingly putting the team in a hole before it even stepped on the court. The team could have defeated Holy Cross in the Patriot League semifinals, but in the end the team just could not put the ball in the basket enough to take down the top seed.
Team MVP: Joe Knight (13.6 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.0 rpg)
Top Scorer: Knight (13.6 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Earl Nurse (5.6 rpg)
Top Assists: Knight (4.1 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Nurse (graduating)
Nick Monserez (graduating)
Key players returning:
Knight (junior guard, 13.6 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.0 rpg)
Jose Olivero (sophomore guard, 13.0 ppg)
Jason Mgebroff (sophomore center, 8.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Lehigh loses its top rebounder in Earl Nurse and a high-energy guy in Nick Monserez, but the team should be in good shape with Knight and Olivero back. The team will need more production out of Jason Mgebroff, who had a tough sophomore season after an excellent freshman campaign, to help spur the team’s stagnant offense.
Colgate Raiders (7-7 PL, 12-16 overall)
The Raiders surprised many around the Patriot League by finishing in fifth place. Despite losing both Kendall and Kyle Chones – two potential starters – at the beginning of the season due to academic ineligibility, the team’s core of young players stepped up the fill the void and perform well. If the Raiders could have had one or two more scorers (Chones and Chones, perhaps), the team might have made some more noise in the league. For now, they must settle for fifth place and a bright view of next season.
Team MVP: Andrew Zidar (12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
Top Scorer: Alvin Reed (12.8 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Zidar (6.5 rpg)
Top Assists: Reed (3.3 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Zidar (graduating)
Key players returning:
Reed (junior guard, 12.8 ppg, 3.3 apg)
Jon Simon (sophomore guard, 12.3 ppg)
Kyle Roemer (freshman guard, 10.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Kendall Chones (sophomore forward, 7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg in 2003-2004)
With the anticipated return of both Chones brothers, look for good things from the Colgate Raiders next season. With a plethora of offensive options, the team will look to replace Andrew Zidar in the paint and move into the top half of the Patriot League.
Navy Midshipmen (5-9 PL, 9-19 overall)
The Midshipmen were another team that had a lot of trouble with missing personnel, as the team saw both Carlton Baldwin and Laramie Mergerson miss significant time. Despite those losses, the Middies had a decent season, finishing in sixth place in the league. The team got lots of help from its underclassmen (Corey Johnson and Greg Sprink) to go along with some good upperclassmen (Matt Fannin, in particular), providing a solid base for future success at Annapolis.
Team MVP: Matt Fannin (10.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Top Scorer: Fannin (10.9 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Fannin (6.7 rpg)
Top Assists: Corey Johnson (3.1 apg)
Starters Leaving:
Taj Mathews (graduating)
George O’Garro (graduating)
Key players returning:
Fannin (junior forward, 10.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Johnson (freshman guard, 9.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.1 apg)
David Hooper (junior guard, 9.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Greg Sprink (freshman guard, 8.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
News: Assistant coach Blake Flickner, who has been a member of the Midshipmen staff for two seasons, was hired as the head men’s basketball coach at Dallas Baptist University (Division-II), which will field a men’s basketball program for the first time next season.
The Middies return three of their top four scorers from this season next year, and look to be in good shape. The team will need Mergerson and/or Baldwin to come back and contribute both big minutes and points on the offensive end but also, more importantly, help to anchor a defense that couldn’t stop many teams.
Lafayette Leopards (5-9 PL, 9-19 overall)
The Leopards put a young team on the court this season, but I think a little more was expected of the squad than a seventh place finish. The team showed flashes of brilliance, but could not field a lineup that could produce with any semblance of consistency. With its leading scorer, Sean Knitter, coming off the bench, Lafayette seemed like a team in disarray all season long. The Leopards can only hope that things will get better with more experience next season.
Team MVP: Jamaal Douglas (9.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
Top Scorer: Sean Knitter (10.9 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Douglas (7.0 rpg)
Top Assists: Bilal Abdullah (2.6 apg)
Starters Leaving:
None
Key players returning:
Douglas (sophomore forward, 9.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg)
Abdullah (freshman guard, 8.7 ppg, 2.6 apg)
Marcus Harley (sophomore guard, 9.1 ppg)
With no starters leaving, the Leopards will hopefully find some consistency with their lineup. Of course, the team will have to replace Knitter, the team’s best offensive player, and so things might take a little while before they get better for the Leopards next season.
Army Black Knights (1-13 PL, 3-24 overall)
Another year, another terrible season for the Black Knights. Once again, the team’s major culprit was its absolute inability to score points, as the team ranked last in the league in points scored (averaging 55.9 ppg). Matt Bell was the lone bright spot for the Black Knights, finishing third in the league in scoring, but the rest of the year was a nightmare for Army, a team that managed only one Division-I victory all season long (over Navy). The bright spot? Things can’t get much worse for the men from West Point.
Team MVP: Matt Bell (14.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Top Scorer: Bell (14.3 ppg)
Top Rebounder: Colin Harris (3.6 rpg)
Top Assists: Cory Sinning (2.3 apg)
Starters Leaving:
None
Key players returning:
Bell (sophomore guard, 14.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Harris (sophomore forward, 9.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
Sinning (sophomore guard/forward, 7.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.3 apg)
News: Jim Platt will join the Black Knight coaching staff next season after a five-year stint as head coach at Charleston Southern University.
With every important player returning from last season’s team, the Black Knights should get better in 2005-2006. How much better, however, is up for debate. If the team still has problems shooting the ball, no new influx of talent or experience will be able to help Army escape the league cellar.
2005-2006 Patriot League Outlook
Looking well into the future, it looks right now that it once again is Bucknell’s league title to lose. With every starter returning from last year’s Patriot League title-winning team, the Bison have a firm grasp on repeating as league champs. However, never count out the Holy Cross Crusaders, who surprised everyone last season and nearly took home the league title. There will also be some younger teams, such as Colgate and Navy, that may make a more serious run towards the top of the league standings thanks to young players gaining valuable experience on the court. The only way to find out who will win, however, is to sit back and watch ’em play. November can’t come soon enough.
