Lions Sustain Longest Winning Streak Since 2016 Following Victory Over Maine

By Joe Budzelek (@stf_ncaa)

After their dominant 75-to-56 victory to Maine on Saturday, the Columbia Lions are now amidst a five-game winning streak, the program's longest since Kyle Smith led the program to a CIT Championship at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season.

This season's Lions squad is quickly becoming a well-jelled blend of sophomores, juniors and seniors who have dredged through the nadir of the program's recent slump, up towards their current stretch of impressive play.

The biggest difference between this season and the previous two is the Lions' sharp improvement in offensive efficiency. According to KenPom, the Lions finished last season with the 16th least efficient offense in the nation. This season, 263rd, 78 spots higher than last year. 

Never afraid to lean on his depth, coach Jim Engles' nine-deep rotation is rich with four three-star recruits (Noah Robledo and Geronimo Rubio de la Rosa of the '21 class; Avery Brown and Blair Thompson of the '22 class) that help provide Engles with a wide variety of rotations and looks that do not feature a big dropoff between the starters and bench pieces.

Although the roster is much of the same as last year, injuries to the frontcourt spearheaded a lineup shift for Engles, playing a majority of this year's minutes with 6'7 190 Thompson or 6'6 205 senior Josh Odunowo at the small-ball 5, while 6'10 225 sophomore Zine Eddine Bidri brings skill and rebounding to the position at a more traditional size.  

On Saturday, Odunowo showed why he is a perfect small-ball five: his energy, switchability on defense, physicality and fearlessness under the boards has helped fuel Odunowo's team lead in offensive rebounding and block rates. Odunowo finished with ten points and six rebounds in just eighteen minutes of game time. 

Known mostly last season as a floor spacer, Thompson looks noticeably stronger this and has been more of an asset on the defensive end. Even though his offensive game was mostly in check by Maine's defenders, Thompson grabbed two offensive boards and secured a steal and a block.

The development of Noah Robledo has been key. Gaining nearly forty pounds since his freshman season, the 6'5 205 formerly sparingly used junior has fit in as the Lions' 4-guard, whose versatile offensive game is now paired with gritty, physical play on the defensive end, as Robledo has looked to embrace a glue-guy role on the bench. Robledo finished with six points and two highlight assists in nineteen minutes.

In addition to the influx of skill in the frontcourt, improved three-point shooting and a decrease in turnovers are the biggest reasons for the increase in offensive efficiency. The maturity of the young Lions' backcourt has been a major catalyst for the overall comfort the team possesses in handling and moving the ball with pace and synergy. 

Starters Avery Brown and Geronimo Rubio de la Rosa finished with a combined twenty points, fourteen rebounds and four assists. Their eight turnovers looks dreadful from the box score perspective, but the Maine Black Bears are licensed pickpockets -- their starting backcourt nabbed eight steals to supplement their 33rd national rank in steal rate. That being said, in spite of the steals that led to breakaway Black Bear buckets, the Lions' offensive flowed freely and much of Maine's half-court efforts on offense were for naught. 

Selected dead last in the Ivy League Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll, Columbia is quickly showing not only their ability on the court, but the overall strength of the Ivy League. Maine is not quite at the level of Vermont or UMass-Lowell, but they are considered one of the America East's better teams. 

On that note, Columbia looked fantastic Saturday afternoon -- expect the Lions to compete throughout the season, with an outside hope to earn a bid in next year's Ivy Madness as the tournament is to be hosted at Levien Gymnasium. 

Manhattan's Surprising Start Fueled by Jaspers' Underclassmen

By Joe Budzelek (@stf_ncaa)

Prior to the start of the season, raise your hand if you expected Manhattan to enter Friday's tilt against UConn with a 3-1 record.

[pause to scan the room]

[waits a few more seconds...still no hands up]

In the preseason coaches' poll, Manhattan was projected to finish last in the MAAC. None of the Jaspers were picked amongst the sixteen All-MAAC team selections.

Senior guard Briggs McClain, Hartford's leading scorer last season, has played sparingly as he is working his way back from injury. DeJuan Clayton, a grad transfer guard from Cal who player for Coach Gallagher during their time together at Hartford, has yet to receive a waiver to play this year. 

Coach Gal's offenses are typically known for their perimeter prowess -- however, the team is shooting just 29.8% from three and roughly just a third of their attempts have been from three.

Even with the cards stacked against their favor, Gallagher has adjusted on the fly with his new roster and are vastly exceeding expectations, mostly thanks to the play of Manhattan's underclassmen: "We're 3-1 because our freshmen are playing like juniors," says Gallagher during a phone call with Stretching the Floor on Tuesday, "Everyone is excited to be here. Everyone is eager to keep learning."

According to KenPom.com, as of Wednesday, the Jaspers rank amongst the bottom dozen teams nationally in minutes continuity (3.7%) and D-1 Experience (0.63 years on average). Almost all of the roster was built from an offseason blitzkrieg where Gallagher and his staff worked sixteen hours days for five straight months. 

That hard work has paid off for Gallagher, who now leads a group that is mostly raw, but blessed with sponge-like basketball brains. When sharing the progress the team has made this week learning new wrinkles of the offense, Gallagher says "I went through all the different looks [...] we're far along because they've been willing learners and they can handle it. That's a credit to the players, not me, so that's exciting."

As McClain, a future impact starting guard, works his way back to a starting role, the offense will continue to grow in sophistication. But for now, the backcourt has been led by freshman point guard Jaden Winston and redshirt sophomore Brett Rumpel, a transfer from St. Bonaventure.

Speaking on the backcourt pair, Gallagher says: "They're just so much fun. We're a north/south, get the ball to the paint type team now."

An undersized, but fearless guard, Winston is able to penetrate and attack the basket thanks to his combination of vision, quickness, toughness and creativity. A strong on-ball defender, Winston has yet to see any of his three-point attempts convert, but Gallagher is "not even blinking. [His three point shot] is coming. He's got a great way about him. He's getting better every day."

Back from his high school days, Rumpel has been long lauded for his length, assertiveness and creativity at the combo guard position, but it is his impact on defense that has most impressed Gallagher: "In four games -- Reynolds from St. Joe's goes 4-for-15, Gross-Bullock from Bryant goes 4-for-18 and Amos from Central Connecticut was 4-for-15. He basically single-handedly has been a defensive force behind our success and that's where I think he doesn't get enough credit."

Even as McClain gets healthy and takes over a starting role, it is hard to fathom Winston or Rumpel ceding from their impact roles.

In the frontcourt, double-double machine Seydou Traore has been a revelation. Clearly, the most impressive freshman of the bunch, the NYC-bred power forward, who played high school ball at Our Savior Lutheran, plays much bigger than his 6'7 215 frame. 

Traore's got a fearless motor and has overpowered all of Manhattan's opponents. Unfazed against Kansas, Traore scored 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting while grabbing 8 rebounds. 

Another incredible aspect of his play has been his discipline on defense. Despite his aggressiveness and physicality, Traore averages just one foul per game. Praised for his coachability and passion to grow his game, when all is said and done, expect Traore to get All-MAAC honors as soon as this year.

Sharing the center position is Weber State transfer Daniel Rouzan and freshman Xinyi Li. Rouzan, a 6’8 235 sophomore, plays a classic, back-to-the-basket game, highlighted by his physicality generating offensive boards. Li, is a raw, but talented big who is still learning the intricacies of the game. Unlike Rouzan, Li is much more comfortable working on the perimeter, which allows Gallagher to eventually toy more with five-out sets.

Off the bench, Lithuanian freshman Rokas Jocys has mostly been a floor spacer, but he has shown glimpses of what is to come of his offensive versatility. "He's got to play," says Gallagher, "Rokas hit a big three in the Central [Connecticut State] game. We have to play him. He's a great passer and we haven't seen it yet [during game play]. Has unbelievable feel for the game."

With this young group, Gallagher carefully curated a non-conference schedule that features mostly local mid-majors, but is also highlighted with opponents with championship pedigree: Kansas and now UConn.

"We get to play Kansas and UConn. You came here to play in games in March against teams like this," says Gallagher, "Two out of first five games are against the last two national champions. I wanted [the players] to feel what it is like to face the last two National Champions [...] we chose the last two national champions on purpose."

Manhattan made the Sweet Sixteen in 1958. The Bobby Gonzalez-led Jaspers beat Florida back in 2004. With this group, Gallagher wants to lead the Jaspers back to their winning tradition in short order. Even with their lowly preseason prognostication, the MAAC is shaping up to be one of the least predictable conferences in the nation and honestly, it feels like eight or nine teams have a shot to win the conference tournament.

Even if this doesn't become the Jaspers' year, their half-dozen underclassmen now featured in the rotation have quickly brightened Manhattan's not-too-distant prospects. 

Five Double-Digit Scorers Showcase Sacred Heart's Depth in Their Home Victory Over Binghamton

By Joe Budzelek (@stf_ncaa)

Prior to the season's start, many prognosticators pegged Sacred Heart atop the Northeast Conference preseason rankings mainly for one reason: Anthony Latina's deepest and most talented squad ever. 

Case in point, in just the four previous games against Division 1 opponents, seven different Pioneers have scored double-digits in at least one of the games, led by junior Tanner Thomas, who has scored double-digits in all but one of these games.

Facing Binghamton, arguably Sacred Heart's toughest opponent since their Division 1 opener against Iona, the Pioneers handedly defeated the Bearcats 89-75. 

Whether it was the school field trips that bussed in hundreds of hopped-up students in attendance for the early opener or the blasting pregame hype music that featured adreniline inducing bangers from Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Aqua and the Frozen soundtrack, the Pioneers were in flow from right off the opening tip, finishing the first half with a 48-to-31 lead.

One of Alex Sobel's (#31) five blocks this afternoon.

Even with fifth-year point-forward Brendan McGuire on the mend, the Pioneers overwhelmed the Bearcats with wave after wave of talent, finishing with five different scorers in double-figures: leading scorer Nico Galette, Tanner Thomas, Aidan Carpenter, Joey Reilly and Alex Sobel.

After nursing an ankle injury from the offseason, Galette has been eased in playing every game off the bench, but his 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting tipped his career total to over 1000 points. Today, he showcased his creativity, strength, versatility and fearlessness, scoring from all over the court and in a variety of ways. 

In his place in the starting lineup, junior Tanner Thomas has been Sacred Heart's most improved player. Formerly a lunchpail glue guy who often led the team in hustle plays, the forward has added another element to his game in his confident ability to handle the ball and look more often to score. 

Thomas' 16 points (4-7 from two, 2-3 from three), along with his 6 rebounds and 2 blocks, is just another example of how he is arguably Latina's important weapon based on how many ways he can make an impact.

Middlebury (D3) grad transfer Alex Sobel continues to impress. In his second straight game matched up against a 6'10 big, Sobel has been unfazed in both ends of the floor. Finishing today's game with 11 points (3-6 from two, 5-6 from free throws), 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a season high 5 blocks, Sobel scored both hands, helped on defense on the high hedge and generally displayed his deep toolbox.

His backup, sophomore Raymond Espinal-Guzman, appears noticeably stronger compared to last year and played poised in his 16 minutes off the bench.

Sacred Heart's Joey Reilly slashing to the basket.

As the Bearcats narrowed the Pioneers' lead early in the second half, fifth-year returnee Joey Reilly and redshirt junior Aidan Carpenter combined their playmaking with controlled leadership in the backcourt. 

Injured in all but five games last season, Carpenter's athleticism and slashing ability provides the Pioneers with a new dimension to their backcourt. Carpenter stepped it up in the second half, draining a three and at one point scoring on dribble-drives in consecutive plays. 

Finishing the game with a 4-2 record, the Pioneers will face on Sunday Saint Joseph's, who are fresh off their overtime scare of Kentucky on Monday. 

What I Learned After Friday's Sacred Heart at Iona Matchup

 On Friday night, former Northeast Conference mates Tobin Anderson and Anthony Latina led their respective teams in Iona’s home opener against Sacred Heart. In the harrowing, back-and-forth tilt, Iona outscored Sacred Heart by thirteen points across the final ten minutes, securing a 88-to-81 victory for Anderson’s first win at Iona. With it announced earlier this autumn that both Merrimack and Sacred Heart will be joining the MAAC prior to the start of next season, both programs will regularly face each other for the foreseeable future. 

Both Iona and Sacred Heart have high expectations in their respective conferences, so in honor of Friday’s game, here are a few new reflections for each team.

Idan Tretout is Iona’s new impact guard

Despite never finishing a season with a scoring average in the double digits, Tretout has exploded in his Iona debut, scoring 51 points across the team’s first two games. Tretout hinted towards this breakout late last season, when he scored in double digits in eleven of the last twelve games of the season with Harvard, good for a 13.6 points-per-game average. 

The 6’4 200 Brooklyn native plays a game similar to former Iona stud guard Tyson Jolly, with strength and equal ability to score in a variety of ways as well as dish the ball. Tretout is on the fast track to an All-MAAC First Team selection. 

This is Anthony Latina’s deepest Pioneers roster

Sacred Heart entered last season as one of the NEC preseason favorites, but a slew of injuries forced MAAC transfers Brendan McGuire (Quinnipiac) and Aidan Carpenter (Siena) to only play a combined nineteen games as the duo were the hardest hit with injuries as the Pioneers only had four players play in every game. By the end of the season, star wide receiver and walk-on guard Kenneth Womack played a key bench role over the last dozen games.

This season McGuire and Carpenter are healthy – McGuire, along with All-NEC forward Nico Galette, junior Tanner Thomas, Middlebury grad transfer Alex Sobel and sophomore Raymond Espinal-Guzman, provide Latina with a bevy of versatile forwards who can run the floor, help lead a rush and are all comfortable with the ball in their hands. 

A healthy Carpenter brings an athletic, slashing ability to the backcourt rotation to pair alongside returning guards Raheem Solomon, Joey Reilly and Mike Sixsmith. West Chester transfer Kyle McGee, at 6’4 185, brings length to the point guard position, which allows Solomon, Reilly and Sixsmith to play more off-ball, opening up for more efficient shot opportunities.

As the season progresses, it is hard to imagine that Latina will lean on a ten-man rotation, so it will be exciting to see who steps up and who yields to the internal competition. 

It’s still early, but Sacred Heart looks like the clear favorites as they close off their final season in the Northeast Conference. 

It will take time to learn Tobin Anderson’s defense, but it is starting to jell 

Tobin Anderson teams push the tempo and predicate attacking the basket when their five-out offense allows space to open up. On defense, Iona will press relentlessly, which, as rotations have shown, mean that all thirteen scholarship athletes could be called to action at any given moment.

There are a lot of similarities between how Anderson and Iona’s former coach, Rick Pitino, strategize on the defensive end, but considering that Iona’s only incumbent, Osborn Shema, has yet to play due to injury, the defense hasn’t clicked just yet, but Iona’s strong finish on Friday night was sparked due to improved continuity on the defensive end that then allowed the team to force turnovers and transition to offensive opportunities.

Iona’s freshmen have been and will be counted on

One benefit of the injury to Shema: freshman Sultan Adewale has not looked out of place. The 64th ranked power forward of the 2023 class, according to 247’s rankings, Adewale’s motor and strength have been noticeable. In the first two games, Adewale has secured a whopping eight offensive boards and six blocks in just 52 minutes of combined action, catapulting Adewale as one of the most dangerous two-way low-post forwards in the MAAC.

In addition to Adewale, freshman guards Jeremiah Quigley and Jean Aranguren have impressed. At 6’3 190, Aranguren has immediately shown his defensive versatility thanks to his quickness, positional length and toughness: case in point, Aranguren has already grabbed twelve rebounds in just 31 total minutes and he also looks incredibly comfortable pressuring towards the front of Anderson’s press. 

At 5’11 160, Quigley looks and plays more of a classic point-guard role. Eyeing the box scores, Quigley’s six assists to only two turnovers show in a small sample size Quigley’s poise and comfort leading Iona in halfcourt situations along with his willingness to hunt for scoring opportunities at all three levels. 

Considering Joel Brown’s career inefficiency at the charity stripe – career 48.8 FT% – it will be interesting to see if Quigley surpasses Brown in late-game situations, especially to eliminate opponents’ strategy to foul and force Brown to shoot free throws. Despite this concern, Brown was a major asset on the defensive end, forcing three steals in the final nine minutes.