Hold’n Court: The HoopGroup Blogs

Toughness, Passion, Pride and the WILL TO WIN this is the face of the new SJV team. St. John Vianney went into Rumson yesterday and won a game that they could have easily given up on. Instead they showed everyone that there is still a very good team wearing Lancer uniforms and they don’t plan on giving up their championship anytime soon!

 

 

 

This was the most physical played game I have seen in the Shore Conference in years. Missy Repoli and Ashley Cooper both went after each other like pit bulls. Yaccarino and O’reilly played as if they were in a cage match. Kates and Wilbur where playing as if this was Frazier vs. Ali. This was not a game for the weak of heart. Last night was world war three and everyone was in it to win it! This was a tough game to officiate. The intensity of the game from start to finish reminded me of a college game.

 

 

 

There are a few things about this game that was clear. Jackie Kates was not going to allow SJV to lose and Kat Egan is far better than anyone realizes. First Jackie Kates is the best pure point guard in the State. Anyone who says different please tell me who is and she better be playing in the WNBA next season. Kates was on a different level than everyone else last night. First she got in the lane and broke down the RFH defense that was looking like its old self again. When her teammates could not make shots, Kates started making things happen on defense. She frustrated RFH guards into turnovers’ and picked up charges. Then when the game was on the line she simply took over on offense. She drove to the basket for easy layups. Then she buried a deep three to kill the will of RFH. Then she broke the RFH half court trap by herself and then forced RFH to foul her late…of course Jackie closed the door on RFH by making the free throws. Kates it the total point guard who understands when to take over a game and when to let the game flow. Dawn Karpell has done a masterful job of developing this young lady.

 

 

 

Kates was not alone in this game. On a night when Theresa Manigrasso was not playing and Missy Repoli was having a rare poor shooting night. Kat Egan stepped up for the Lancers. Egan is a great example of why box scores lie so often. Egan who along with Lindsey Rowe came of the bench last night in order to make Coach Karpell’s bench longer, which by the way was a GREAT MOVE. Egan when the SJV offense was struggling got to the rim for easy baskets and fouls. 4 points may not seem like a lot. But when you get them can be big. Egan got hers when SJV was really searching for answers. Then the freshman played killer defense and rebounded in the paint. Now here is what Egan did that only coaches understand. She got back on defense all night. I can’t count how many 3 on 2 advantages she took away from Rumson last night. It seemed was taking away Bulldogs fast break points all night…it’s called doing the little things. Just one more thing,the other great freshman Lindsey Rowe had 6 of SJV 15 points in the first half. Where would this team be without these two. Two freshman getting it done on big stages..not easy my friends

 

 

 

 

Rumson played great Defense most of the night; their problem was in four Areas. One, they did a terrible job of closing quarters. In the first quarter they were ahead 8-1 with a little over a minute to go and then what happened? Mental breakdowns! First they gave up an uncontested layup in their half court defense and then they fouled. Instead of being in control to end the quarter and put doubt into SJV, the score was 10-6. Then in the second period they were up by 3 with under a Minute, Bad shot selection and what can only be described as bad defense, Rumson starts to foul and now instead of going into half time up 3 or more. RFH was down 1. Then in the 3^rd quarter and leading, RFH fell apart in the last 2 minutes of the quarter when Ashley Cooper went to the bench for a rest with foul trouble. With a chance to lead by 3 or more points going into the 4^th quarter RFH ended the quarter down 1. The next problem RFH had was the fault of no one, Ashley Cooper who played great most of the night. (See how box scores again don’t tell the story). She rebounded like a machine, helped handle the SJV pressure, chased Repoli all over the court and helped hold her to 2 points, could not make a shot last night. Cooper had a number of open drives to the basket go in and out all evening. Then the reliable shooter missed open shot after open shot. Cooper was 2-15 from the floor. Then the turnovers, RFH had 13 for the game, a very low number against SJV. They had 4 in the first half and 9 in the second half. But here is the problem… of the 9 in the second half. RFH turned it over 3 times in a row during the crucial 4^th quarter when SJV made their run to open the game up.  Next the mental mistakes from the foul line. First with a chance to close out the half RFH misses the front end of a one and one that would have put them up 5 towards the end of the second quarter. Instead SJV makes their one and one to lead at half. Then in the fourth quarter and a chance to cut the lead to 3(may have been 5) RFH misses the front end of a one and one. Then the Bulldogs made their biggest mistake of the night, after making two great hustle plays for layups and making it a 3 point game. SJV goes to the foul line. They miss! RFH does the unthinkable. They forget to pinch and rebound the ball on the miss free throw. SJV gets the ball back and scores…GAME OVER!

 

 

 

 

 

MY GAME THOUGHTS
 

 

 

 Rumson is close but must learn to do more. Cooper is becoming an all around complete player. On thing about this Rumson team is that everyone is trying a little too much on offense. They rarely pass up open shots for a teammate to get a better one. The defense has been up and down lately. I believe the defense will be there for the SCT. Rumson at times has put together some great stretches of defense. So it’s just a matter of doing it night in and night out!
 

 

 

 

 

 

SJV is clearly a different team right now. It will take time for everyone to adjust to their new roles. But its clear Manigrasso is a big lost. They will need to find ways to score. They have lost energy and experience and only time can take care of this. They caught a huge break with the weather pushing back the St. Rose game. This will give them some time to regroup. There will no doubt be pressure on SJV to reschedule this game which now may find them as the underdog. Zimmerman may be the answer to this entire thing. She has the ability to score and handle the ball. She has always played her role for the benefit of the team. Now she may have to step up and do more. She made some big plays around the basket last night. The two freshmen just seem to deliver every night for Dawn. SJV will get better but I can’t see how they can be the team they were before Manigrasso injury! The lancers have a tough job ahead of them right now! No team will value time and practice more

 

 

 

 

GAME NOTES

 

 This game was very physical. I believe these games should have three officials. This game was very fast and two officials cannot always be in position to make calls. They were two missed calls in this game that simply game down to position. Officials can’t call what they can’t see no matter how good they are! I also believe there are certain games during the year that must be considered different and the best available REFS should do such games. Last night’s game falls into that category.

 

 

 

 

I spoke with Theresa Manigrasso who may be out for the season. This is heart breaking news for a great kid and family. This young lady has made herself a player. She was the forgotten star last year. I believe she was having a POY type year. Lets all hope she recovers in time for her freshman year at St Peters University. But lets not forget the type of kid and player she has been come award time! If Manigrasso is not given some honors then all the awards are a farce. Also once again other kid Dawn Karpell has developed into a great player. The list goes on for Dawn!

 

 

 

SPORTMANSHIP …I hope every AD and fan reads this. How do you stop the knuckle heads at games? You band against them… Last night SJV was shooting free throws and the RFH cheerleaders where yelling. Coach George Sourlias told the young ladies “Cheerleaders don’t yell when they are shooting…knock it off”. Great move Coach Sourlias! Next the great freshman Lindsey Rowe goes down. Coach Karpell goes to see if the young lady is ok, she appeared to be in pain (she returned to the game). Then Coach Sourlias goes to check on the young lady…it s called sportsmanship. What does some fan start doing? …yelling and screaming. One fan yells “get away from her…like you really care” This while the young lady is on the floor in pain. This person wants to argue with George Sourlias while a young lady is on the floor hurt. GEE WIZ! This is not the time for this type of behavior. I was sitting next to the police and they were trying to figure out who THIS person was, but they simply were too far away and we only heard the comment!  I have a idea… lets give this person up next time regardless of which team you root for, now remember rarely at a game do you see bad behavior, for the most part it’s one or maybe two people at best. I have seen a lot of games and I have yet to see a group of parents or kids of out of control!…AD’s lets kick theses knuckle heads out of the gym and show our kids SPORTSMANSHIP COUNTS ALWAYS….WIN OR LOSE!

Two teams will PLAY a very important game Thursday. The game will mean more than wins and loses. It will be a game about growth and Respect. These teams will enter this game with many things in common. Each team is led by rising, aggressive, and demanding coaches. Each team is ranked in the Shore Conference. They are teams that must work hard to gain the attention of the fans in the Shore Conference. Many Shore Fans beat up on these two teams in order to put them in their place. Tomorrow Jackson Memorial and Tom River North will need to beat up on each other in order to gain some respect.

 

 

 

Jackson is the new and up and coming team on the block. If not for the stumble against Gil St. Bernard at the Battle of the Boardwalk we would be calling them the team to beat… MAYBE! They are playing lights out of late. Christa Evans has been everything that Rachel Goodale could have expected. She has had some monster games this year. We are talking about 20 rebound games. We are talking 30 point games. She has been a major force. Dana Costello has been the physical presence that all good teams need. She is someone that shows up in the big games. In the first game of the year against Southern she was great the last 5 minutes and at the Battle of the Boardwalk she was MVP. Hannah Missry is the freshman that all good teams need. You know a new player that adds something to your team. She adds shooting and more shooting. These three will lead the Charge for Jackson. But it’s Testa that provides the direction. She defends and is tough as nails. Caitlyn will do what ever Coach Rachel Goodale asks of her on any given night. She is simply a winner. Jackson is looking at its first real test since Battle of The Boardwalk. If they lose they know people will yell…OVERRATED. If they win people will say so WHAT! For now so what sounds much better!

 

 

 

TRN is fighting for any kind of attention. There are those who believe they should not even be ranked in the Shore Conference. This is a team that lost to Wall earlier in the year. But has been a giant killer this season, they knocked off a then state ranked Southern team that at time many felt would be a force in the shore. Then last week they beat the #16 team in the entire state, (Roselle cath) and it was not even a blip on the media radar. Forget beating state ranked teams. There are teams in my Top Ten ranked ahead of then that have not even beaten teams in the Shore Top Ten. This is want you are up against if you play in Ocean County.  You lose and people point to how you not very good. When you win they say you don’t play anyone. TRN is in that catch 22 right now. But senior leadership is something all coaches know about and this team has it. Asia Taylor scored her 1000pt this year but its her passing and unselfish play that so many people want to talk about. Why her name does not come up in all shore conversations is beyond me. Then you have Maeghan Highan the 5’8” guard forced to play center on defense. She has taken on her job with gusto! This is a player who had been hurt the past 3 years, but has never given up. Now she is getting her reward. The Last senior is Marie Geren, who starts pressuring the ball the moment she walks in the gym. They are a true team and are lead by 3 seniors who believe in their coach. They know some people will try and talk down their accomplishments. Yet there are not concerned because they are on a mission to have a great season. They have not let the bumps in the road slow them down or break their unity. The Walls and TRE defeats were nothing more than learning experiences. Now this team will try and take a big step Thursday. Coach Gillen and her teams’ reputation grow everyday. She is very well respected by a lot of people. The team has no big name player but some how along way; TRN discovered names mean nothing once the ball goes up. TRN knows how to win and they have proven it this season….

 

 

 

Now these two teams will meet and one team will lose some creditability no matter what they do in the eyes of some Shore Conference fans. When the big name schools play each other nobody loses creditability after a lost. It’s because tradition gives you an opportunity to redeem yourself. One lost can not take away years of success. Jackson and TRN are building their Traditions. It has to start somewhere and Thursday night one school will get a little closer!

 

 

 

 

AROUND THE SHORE
 

 

They are no easy games in the SC and Middletown South found that out last night as Howell shocked the states #20^th ranked team.  Howell, after knocking off a Slumping RBC team, took out a RED HOT Middletown South team. Howell was supposed to be one of my surprise teams this year. Well SURPRISE they are rolling right now. What’s the reason for the change in this team? Focus… and it started with Sara Olsen thinking about today and not tomorrow. Then point guard Kaitylin Schmid is now leading her team and scoring when she need too. Then the biggest boost all has to be Alex Miline who has been great recently including 10 points and 14 rebounds last night. That my friend is a big night! Middletown South learned a good lesson…in the Shore Conference be careful celebrating to long or you will get blown out…

 

 

 

Bob Ward continues to keep Holmdel in the mix. Last night Holmdel got some revenge and his team beat a tough Shore Regional team which now needs a creditability win in a hurry. Shore has played a lot of teams tough this year. But that is not enough this time of the year! Allie Minch has been fanatic this year for Holmdel. The man coaching this team is not good but great. The AD at Holmdel must be giving props. I also love the fact that this man is Classy all the time. Young coaches watch him on the sidelines, from his dress to his demeanor the man is a role model for coaches and kids!

 

 

 

“Maybrey is the best sophomore in the Country”. This is the text I received from a Big East asst coach last night. Michaela Maybrey lit up RFH again for 38pts. Manasquan who at one time looked like a team that could surprise people now has fallen on hard times, but watching Maybrey makes the pain a little easier to take. Now Rumson giving up 61 points should make George Sourlias very concerned. Ashley Cooper had 22 points and Yaccarino 14, while Nicole Isaacs had 12 points. A few Side notes about this game! George Sourlias quote “I tired everyone on her, hell at one point I was thinking about guarding her myself, she is a very special player”. One more quote about Maybrey. I ran into Rumson asst coach Miss Erin after the game and she said to me “I have never seen a player like her before. She made shots I just didn’t think a player at any level could make” Now my own quote. Maybrey is great for another reason and its called a swagger and she is like a gunslinger who comes to town and says “ you want to be the best then you have to beat me” You will notice a lot of people start running…the other way! I always wanted my players to have a swagger…. She has a big one!

 

 

 

 

 

As Colts Neck continues to roll, I have a question for you? Who is the best Robin to any teams batman this year…The answer for me is Tiffany DeTulio! This young lady has been great all season. I think a lot of people would agree she is playing as well as anyone in a Clots Neck uniform right now!

 

 

 

ANNETTE SNOW continues to make a play for most improved player in the Shore Conference with a 22 point outing last night. I will say this again. Put her in the freshman class (which age wise she is) and now ask this question?….who is the best freshman in the SC. She is no doubt in the conversation. Mom why did you have to start her early or skip a grade…lol

 

 

 

 

 

AWARDS
 

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
 

ALEX MILINE – (HOWELL) - She had a monster week in big games. In a big win against RBC she scored 12 pts. Then last night in a big win against Middletown South she put a Double Double on the board. She is leading the charge back to the ranking for Howell. One more thing about her… check out the defense this young lady is playing these days!

 

  FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

 HANNAH MISSRY-(JACKSON MEM)  -The talented freshman CONTUINES to shine as she averages double figures all week. She has been the biggest new impact to this team this year. Missry has taken on more responsibly on a top ranked than any other freshman this season. This is the second time she has won this award.  

 

 

TEAM OF THE WEEK
 

HOWELL- This team is rocking and rolling right now. They are fighting their way to .500 and no doubt the hottest team outside of my top 5 teams. Wins this over the 20^th ranked team in the State (Middletown South), knocking off RBC then revenging an earlier lost to Freehold Twp, Howell is now in control of their own world.

 

 

 

 

RANKING
 

 

TINY TOP TEN
 

 

1.) NEPTUNE- Right now its cause control. Davis and Richardson are a few free throws away from making a claim they are the best team in the country. Golden is now fitting in beautiful. Check out the recent box scores….she is Rebounding and scoring every night. Thompson is a major weapon on the outside. Freshman Ivy Harrington is getting some very important minutes these days.

 

 

2.) COLTS NECK- The big two is now the big three that’s Because Tiffany DeTulio is having a sensational year. If not for Lauren Clarke we all would be discussing DeTulio. Howes is back and Lawrence Looks like she could be healthy and at full strength. Brooke Hampton has been Solid all year and is a walking time bomb. She can explode at anytime.

 

 

 

3.) ST. ROSE- OK now it’s time to stop doubting them. This team is real. They knocked off Blair last week and Sweeney is playing like a First Team All Shore player. Sam Clark is having big nights every night and Hall and Chambers are becoming like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. They are trouble where ever they go!

 

 

 

4.) SJV- You may be asking why they are at #4 and the answer is simple. YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE! SJV without Manigrasso is 0-1 and that is the team I am judging. SJV lost toughness, loose balls, tough points, defense, depth and most importantly some Team chemistry when Theresa Manigrasso was hurt. Injuries are personal things. I will wait till I see her on the floor before I change my ranking on SJV. Right now they stay here! Lindsey Rowe and Kat Egan will need to be very BIG RIGHT NOW.

 

 

 

5.) JACKSON MEM- They play a big game Thursday night. Right now they have been on cruise control. Evans has been a rebounding machine of late. The guards Testa ( Miss underrated), Costello and Missry have been fine tuning their act. This is a team with all the parts…shooting, rebounding, leadership and chemistry. Plus the woman coaching them, RACHEL GOODALE…is a total warrior!

 

 

 

6.) MIDDLETOWN SOUTH- Megan McGuinness is on my All Shore First team right now. Her 17 points could not save MS on Monday against an improving Howell team. But MS has been good all year and losing to Howell will not drop them as all the teams below them lost as well. This team will be there right till the end. Beating Sothern on the Road and RFH is enough for now.

 

 

 

7.) TRN- Now you may ask why so high? My answer is Simple they beat the #16 team in the state and beat Southern when Southern was ranked in the state. They now have a chance to gain even more respect Thursday night. It won’t be easy. This is a team if not playing in Ocean would be having everyone talking. Howell beats unranked RBC and 20^th Ranked MS and we all go WOW this team does more and we go…OH thats nice!…ranking earned on the court!

 

 

 

8.) HOLMDEL- This is a team that keeps cooking. They have a quality win over #2 cardinal Mac Carrick of Middlesex. They are winning the games that they are suppose to win and they battle every night. They beat Shore Regional last night and now Bob Ward Crew is working on a good seed come the SCT.

 

 

 

9.) RUMSON- They ran into the McGuinness express on Saturday. That was a painful and concerning lost. But what  should be a bigger concern is RFH doing something few George Sourlias teams do….They have lost their identity. Why do I say this? After beating Holmdel who is now ranked ahead of Rumson despite losing to them, the famed Rumson defense is gone and I mean gone…61 points to Manasquan last night. That is a huge number for Manasquan to get against anyone. Rumson did score 73 so maybe their offensive problems are over! But upon further review, we find that everyone scores against Manasquan. But 63 points for Manasquan may be a season high for them and more important for Sir George, this happening more often recently. Check out the 17 pts in the first quarter Middletown South put on RFH Saturday…Now the good news. RFH has showed flashes early in the season and even in the MS game…During a two quarter stretch MS scored only ten points…So go figure! Maybe that’s what the Bulldogs need to do…go figure it out! Cooper came had 22 pts yesterday and maybe she can get on a roll. Nicole Isaacs and Yaccarino have been big surprises for George.

 

 

 

 

10.) HOWELL- They had what can be only described as a rocky start to the season. Thanks to lack of focus. Now they are back from the dead and playing as a unit and more importantly for each other. Why do I now give them the 10^th spot alone? YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE…and Right now they are GOOD. Here is what they have done recently, Beat Freehold Twp after losing to them earlier. Spanked RBC, and then took down the states #20 Ranked Team (Middletown South) Sara Olson is now playing like a division one player, Schmid has become an all around point guard. Miline is taking no prisoners and now you got one scary team on your hands these days…and their not even a .500 team…only in the SC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLAYER RANKING
 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

1.) CLARK (SR)

2.) DAVIS (NEPTUNE)

3.) CLARKE (COLTS NECK)

4.) McGUINNESS (MIDDLETWON SOUTH)

5.) EVANS (JACKSON MEM) 

 

 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
 

1.) TARA INMAN

2.) LINDSEY ROWE

3.) HANNAH MESSRY

4.) KAT EGAN

5.) RACHEL IOZZIA

 

 

 

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
 

1.) SAM GUASTELLA (RBC)

2.) ALLISON SWEENEY (SR)

3.) ALLIE MINCH (HOLMDEL)

4.) ANNETTE SNOW (HOLMDEL)

5.) ALEX MILIE (MS)

 

 

 

 

COACH OF THE YEAR
 

1.) BOB WARD (HOLMDEL)

2.) DAWN KARPELL (SJV)

3.) VICKI GILLEN (TRN)

4.) TOM BRENNAN (MS)

5.) JOE ROMAN (SR)

 

  The 2010 NBA All Star Weekend is rapidly approaching and the biggest stars in the world are headed to Dallas for the festivities.  The 59th NBA All-Star Game will be played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas February 14, before an expected crowd of more than 80,000 — the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game.

One third of the players selected to compete in the All Star Game are Hoop Group Alums:

Dwight Howard  Orlando Magic

Chris Bosh  Toronto Raptors

Kobe Bryant  Los Angeles Lakers

Chris Paul  New Orleans Hornets

Amare Stoudemire  Phoenix Suns

Kevin Durant  Oklahoma City Thunder

Deron Williams  Utah Jazz

Camelo Anthony  Denver Nuggets

    The Hoop Group is also well represented in the Rookie Challenge with 8 of the 19 participants Hoop Group alum. 

Mike Beasley  Miami Heat

Eric Gordon  Los Angeles Clippers

OJ Mayo  Memphis Grizzlies

Dejuan Blair  San Antonio Spurs

Tyreke Evans  Sacramento Kings

Jonny Flyn  Minnesota Timberwolves

Taj Gibson  Chicago Bulls

James Harden  Oklahoma City Thunder

Congrats to all

 

 

Well, it’s finally February.  And, before I continue I start with this.  Don’t you agree that the spelling of the month February shouldn’t be spelled that way?  I mean, the word January flows perfectly.  February should be spelled Feburary.  Sorry, I always thought that was annoying.  Anyway, let’s get on to my Facts & Bracks.  Remember to click the link at the end of this blog to see my entire grid of Facts & Bracks.

Who has the #1 RPI?  Kansas
Which team has played the toughest schedule ?  Kansas State
Who are my four # 1 seeds?  Kansas, Syracuse, Villanova, Kentucky
 

Last 4 teams in the Bracks?  Dayton, North Carolina, Marquette, St. Mary’s (CA)
First 4 teams out of the Bracks?  Virginia Tech, Connecticut, Seton Hall, Mississippi State
 

Most intriguing major conference game this week?  South Florida @ Georgetown on Wednesday.  Don’t look now, but the Bulls are climbing up the Big East standings and are now 4-5 in the league.  They are ahead of UConn.  They have key wins over Virginia, Seton Hall & Pittsburgh.  What they’re missing from their resume is a key road victory.  If somehow South Florida wins at Georgetown, they will be a serious contendor for an NCAA tournament bid.  Yes, I repeat, with a win on Wednesday South Florida will be in the mix for an NCAA tournament bid.

Most intriguing Non major conference game this week?  Wichita State @ Northern Iowa on Wednesday.  If the Shockers want to have any shot at getting an at-large bid then they MUST win this game.  They’ve already beaten Northern Iowa once, but beating them twice (along with hoping Texas Tech picks it up) and the Shockers will be able to enter the conversation.

The “Let’s Goooo” team of the week (Team who helped itself the most this past week)  The Charlotte 49ers.  Charlotte defeated Temple this week improving their RPI to 44 overall and now have solid wins accompanying their Temple win with wins at bubble contendors Louisville and Richmond.  The bubble is so weak this year (as usual) that the 49ers find themselves as a 10 seed in my latest Facts & Bracks.

The “What Are We Doing?” team of the week (Team who hurt itself the most this past week).   Without question, the Connecticut Huskies have themselves thinking “What Are We Doing?”  They lost @ Providence and at home against Marquette this week.  Their Big East record now resides at 3-5.  The Huskies have lost 5 of their last 7 games and find themselves OUT of the field of 65 as of today.  Yes, they did beat Texas…but that’s it.  They play @ Louisville and home against Depaul this week.  The game @ Louisville is very intriguing because both teams need a quality win in the worst way.  Louisville and UConn both find themselves on the outside looking in and need something to improve their stock.  This could be something.
 

The “Wait, We scheduled who?” team of the week (team who will regret scheduling a certain someone at the end of the season) This award goes to Northwestern.  The Wildcats have a had a very nice year and when it’s all said and done should be in the mix for their 1st NCAA tournament bid in their school’s history.  Their current RPI stands at an OK 63, but they play in the Big Ten so you figure with a few more wins their RPI will improve.  However, Northwestern may have something on their schedule they are going to regret scheduling.  That would be the last week of the season playing against CHICAGO STATE.  Chicago State has a current RPI of 344.  There’s 347 Division 1 teams.  Even if Northwestern beats Chicago State (if they don’t then the NCAA’s is out of the question), their RPI will still take a major hit.  Note to teams who are potential NCAA tournament teams.  DO NOT schedule teams that will find themselves at the bottom of the RPI.  Yes, you will get a win, but Northwestern’s resume will look much better if their game vs Chicago State didn’t exist.  

The “Middie who’s gettin’ giddy” team of the week (mid major team who’s on the rise).  New Mexico.  This team can smell an NCAA tourney bid.  With wins already over California, Texas A&M, Texas Tech & Dayton the Lobos also went on to beat BYU at home this week.  New Mexico’s RPI currently stands at 12 and they are really close to being a lock for the tournament.
  The “Power who’s goin’ sour” team of the week (high major team on the decline).  UConn.  As noted, before the Huskies are dropping fast and must figure out a way to right the ship.  I would not be shocked to see Jim Calhoun return next game and light a fire under his team.  Because for Calhoun, you know this is just unacceptable. 
 

The “Opportunity Knocks?” team of the week (most opportunistic team this coming week)  Virginia Tech.  The Hokies had a very nice win this week @ Virginia, but followed that one up with a stinker at Miami (FL).  Their computer #’s are very shaky right now (RPI 70, SOS 210), but they have plenty of opportunities which lie ahead.  They get to play a struggling North Carolina team and Clemson both at home this week.  Winning both of these games would drastically improve their resume and put them in the field for a tournament bid.
 

“Survive and Enhance” team of the week (Team who saw the biggest improvement to their RPI) South Carolina.  With the Gamecocks win over Kentucky, South Carolina imporved their RPI from 88 to 61.  They are still not in the field, but they are in the mix for a bid.

“Eh, the RPI is overrated anyway” team of the week (Team whose RPI dropped the most this last week).  UConn.  The Huskies RPI dropped from 16 to 43 the last week after losing @ Providence and at home against Marquette.
 

We are now into February and the picture is still blurry, but we will now begin to find out which teams are for real and which teams are just for show.   Please CLICK HERE TO VIEW MY FACTS & BRACKS.                                                                                                  

                              

          

    

 

This weekend the Shore Conference answered many questions and caused a few new ones to BE ASKED. Three traditional Shore powerhouse teams took hits and one of those teams may have taken the cruelest hit of ALL.

 

Who is the best player in the Shore Conference right now? Ask George Sourlias of Rumson. On Saturday morning his team had a walk through while reviewing their Scouting report on Middletown South. He was very concerned about Meghan McGuiness and did not want her to get off to a good start in their game Saturday…George Sourlias was right about his gut feeling… His concerns were confirmed on the very first play of the game. McGuiness came off the same screen that Rumson had reviewed prior to the game and buried a 3 pt shot. McGuiness and Middletown South were off and running at that point. MS jumped out to a 17-4 lead and RFH was playing catch up all day. The best defense in the Shore Conference held MS to 10 points over the next 2 quarters. But it was not enough as McGuiness finished with 19 points. Meghan “the Magnificent “is now the hottest player in the Shore Conference, she is getting it done in big, big games. This reminds me of  her former teammate Danielle Pankey’s  run  last year, when Pankey was the best player in the Shore Conference  the 2^nd half of the year. Right now I dare anyone to name me 5 players playing better than McGuiness right now. She also has Middletown South in the Mix in a big way come seeding time. The role players for this team act like stars every night. Look at the numbers for Kerri Kiaesella 12 points and 14 rebounds. I mean that is a huge night for any player. Kelly Haspell has been good all year. Put her in any other county and she is being talked about as a great player. Remember last year when I said Manigrasso, was a Division 1 player…guess what! And getting close to making another prediction my friends! Kelly is pretty darn good and I want to see more of her. For now I like what I see!  Tom Brennan has to be considered one of the best basketball minds we have right now. People his teams are ALWAYS PREPARED TO PLAY. Rumson is now back to the drawing board in what could have been a monster week now has been destroyed… courtesy of MIDDDLETOWN SOUTH.

 

 

 

Next up was RBC and they needed a big win bad! They have been living on the name on the front of the Jersey and Sam Guastella. Well Saturday RBC was sent a message by Howell. Reps and history only mean so much and you have to play the games. In what can only be seen as major stumble. The young Casey’s found out that the Shore Conference has no sure things and Howell drove that point home Saturday. Howell who looked liked they could be a surprise team earlier in the year has been a bit of a disappointment. They have been up and down all season. Well don’t look now. This group is rounding into form and may be finding themselves. Last week the revenged their lost to Freehold Twp and now they gave the young Casey’s a spanking. Lauren Kolacki and Alex Mile each had 12 points and the underrated floor general Kaityln Schmid had 10 points and you know she played great defense. Sara Olsen who is now in a groove had 9 points and 10 rebounds. This is a group of girls if they continue to play together can be very good. They have all the parts to make a serious run come tourney time and things are falling into place for Howell at the right time. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! Now RBC has all kind of problems. IS it time for Joe Montano to change his lineup or rotation? He certainly has nothing to lose by trying at this point! Don’t be surprised if he gives his young freshman some serious minutes over the next few games. As Yogi Berra would say… “It gets late out their… Really early” for RBC it’s getting late early! RBC needs a Stimulus package in a hurry! Much like SJV it may be the young freshman who will provide it!

 

 

 

Now to the team that took the biggest hit of all this weekend. Lost in Friday nights’ SJV game vs. Manasquan was that Theresa Manigrasso was hurt. How bad? I don’t know but I will give Coach Karpell a call Monday. SJV continues to beat the doors off their opponents as Manasquan was the latest victim. SJV lead by a score of 50-21 after only 3 quarters. This victory may have come at a cost as Manigrasso sat out most of the 2^nd half. One thing is for sure and that is Manigrasso did not play in Saturday’s battle against Cherokee. SJV who was nationally ranked before the game will not be ranked next week… Cherokee beat the Lancers by 1 point! Theresa has been one of the best players in the Shore Conference all year and now SJV may have to play without her for a period of time. To say SJV is different without Manigrasso is like saying winning and losing is the same because believe me she is the difference between losing and winning for SJV. Yesterday that message was driven home by Cherokee a team that had lost to Colts Neck earlier in the season.  Now the freshman for Dawn Karpell’s team must really step up and more importantly the SJV bench just got a little shorter. Why do I get the feeling Dawn Karpell’s team will figure it all out? Because that’s what champions do!

 

 

 

St. Rose or should I say…I HAVE A DREAM! BECAUSE THE DREAM STILL LIVES ON! Allison Sweeney and Sam Clarke may be the big guns on this team. But the players making fans BELIEVE are KC Chambers and Alex Hall. Chambers is the best young floor General the Shore has to offer. Alex Hall is the offensive nightmare all teams hate to face. She simply scores every night. Hall does not miss open shots and more important she is now using her quickness on the defense end of the floor. KC Chambers and Alex Hall are two very steady guards and present problems for any team. Would you like to know why? Chambers NEVER turns the ball over and Hall prevents you from doubling Sam Clark! This means more shots and fewer easy points for their opponent. On Thursday SR took on Blair Academy who has two division 1 players including their center Fagbenle who many feel is on of the best on the East Coast. Well Sam Clark is one of the best in the Country and Allison Sweeney’s new name is BUTTER…because she is on a ROLL. Let’s forget her 21 points. It her great passing skills that is catching the eyes of people these days. Throw in how Nikki Donahue is quietly rebounding and being Sam Clark’s robin and you get! St. Rose knocking off Blair Academy while gaining more respect faster than any team in the state! Now SR will wait on two traditional powerhouse programs…SJV and RFH both who appear to be wounded animals. Now we will see if SR has the killer instinct.

 

 

 

 

This time of the year is great because the truth is revealed. Shakena Richardson and Sy Davis both scored their 1000^th point this weekend and that is great. Because there is not much to write about when it comes to Neptune, they have no challengers unless they go out of the Shore Conference for games. It would be nice if we could have seen a CN vs. Neptune game during the regular season. What about a SJV vs. Neptune game or for that matter any good team vs. Neptune. Just so people don’t forget Davis and Richardson are still that best backcourt on this and any other planet! Chyna Golden is rounding into form and this makes Neptune and almost unbeatable team. Ivy Harrington is getting lots of time in these blow outs. This will help come tourney time. Then don’t forget about the best swing player in the Shore Conference Allen who for some reason we all don’t want to give any love too! Thompson may be the deal breaker for this team as she is just shooting the lights out of the ball lately.

 

 

 

 

Colts Neck has a big Game Sunday and just keeps winning and I believe is gaining confidence everyday as they get to know their coach and her system better. Lawrence can be the difference maker in this team. Just remember how good this young lady was before her injury. Each week she will get a little healthier and a little better!

 

 

 

 

 

MY GOALS THIS WEEK
 

 

 

 

I WANT TO SEE TRN AND THIS GREAT COACH AND EXCITING TEAM
 

I HOPE TO DO A FEATURE ON SHORE REG…..THE YEARS MOST SURPRISING TEAM.

 

 

AND THEN YES….THE BEST TEAMS AND PLAYERS IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY…FINALLY

 

 

 

 

 

HERE IS MY TOP TEN AS OF SUNDAY—1/31/2010

• I will give a new top ten on my weekly wrap-up *

 

 

 

1. NEPTUNE
   
2. COLTS NECK
   
3. ST. ROSE
   
4. SJV
   
5. JACKSON
   
6. MIDDLETOWN SOUTH
   
7. TRN
   
8. RUMSON
   
9. HOLMDEL
   
10. SHORE REG/HOWELL(TIE)
    

 

 

Biglerville High School (PA) is looking for varsity boy’s teams (preferably A or AA schools) for both their Tip Off Tournament (December 10th/11th) and Christmas Tournament (December 28th/29th) for 2010-2011. 
 
Please contact Athletic Director Anthony Graham:  (717) 677-7192 Ext 2707-Fax (717) 677-0142 or Head Coach Steve Elsier: cannercoach@Yahoo.com.

She has broken more backs than a chiropractor. When she was a freshman she broke the back of Morris Catholic in the state tournament with what many people around SJV now call THE SHOT. A three point bomb and a beautiful assist with time winding down. Then as a sophomore in SJV’s first big game against a ranked opponent she lit up the # 9 ranked team in the country (Oak Hill Academy) for 12 pts in the first quarter to break both OHA back and sprit. This year in SJV’s first real test in the Shore Conference against Rumson, OVER and OVER she buried back breaking 3 point shots. Rumson simply had no answer to the problems she presented. Then in front of over 50 college coaches at the Battle of the Boardwalk Showcase she broke the backs of a young Pt Boro team by scoring 20 pts and yup you guessed it by burying numerous 3 pt shots, OVER and OVER and OVER. Then she got tired of breaking backs in New Jersey and decided to break a few backs in New York just for fun. Boy she really knows how to hurt a team! So against the #16 ranked team (St. Michaels) in the country she scored 20 pts… With you guessed it!!  Back breaking 3 point shots… OVER and OVER and OVER…I guess you can call her the BACK BREAK KID. She has broken the backs of so many teams’ it’s down right freighting and people she’s only a junior and it looks like MISSY REPOLI LOVES HER JOB, because, I don’t see her stopping in the near future anytime soon.

 

 

 

Missy Repoli has been so good for so long, it seems like she has been around forever. The first time I saw Missy Repoli play was in Gammar School. She was just a baby back breaker in those days. Her team won that day and she was already a special player. You see everywhere Missy goes winning is sure to follow. Her Mom has the look of a beauty queen and she has passed that along to Missy. Her sister won state Championships in both soccer and basketball at SJV. She has passed along the wisdom of teamwork, winning and playing a role. Her father is the critic who reminds her to work hard and take responsibility both on and off the court. Yes people she is an A student…and listen to this! Missy Repoli missed two days of school this year when she caught the flu! Prior to that she had never missed a day! Her sister Christine missed 1 day in four years…Get the picture. Each family member has passed a little of themselves along to Missy. Now what they have is a confident and dedicated student athlete. If someone asks you to describe her, just say the five Bs…She’s a Brilliant, Beautiful, Back Breaking Basketball player.

 

 

As a freshman Missy was an ALL SHORE player and one of the best freshman in the state. Yet nobody talked about her very much. Now as a junior she may be the most forgotten player on the SJV roster (Aaron Zimmerman may disagree). This is a girl who may be the best transition player in the Shore Conference. Do you know anyone that gets out in front of the ball better than Missy? How many layups and easy baskets does she get for SJV in close games? When was last time you seen her turn the ball over? She always plays her best when the game means more and she is not afraid to take the big shot. It‘s funny how she is always in the Center of winning. Think about this for a second…. her AAU team, the Central hawks won the JR National Championship (has any jersey team other than the hawks ever done this? I doubt it!), and then her High School team won the TOC championship all in one year. Missy Repoli is running out of things to win. If SJV wins the SCT this year, next season they are going to have to make up something for Repoli to win. Now here is the interesting part of this. Missy is never the MVP or the most talked about player. How can someone score 20 pts at Battle of the Boardwalk and not be MVP? How can someone who was All SHORE as a freshman then win the state Championship as a sophomore and not be first or second team ALL SHORE? Don’t you get rewarded for getting better? I guess when you been this good for so long people just expect it.

 

 

 

Missy will take her services to a Div 1 school in two years and they will get one of all time great money players in the Shore Conference. A player that wins and shows up when the lights go on. They will get a teammate as well, somebody that will smile and root hard for the success of the team first. She like everyone will want personal awards but the winning will come first. When I think of Missy, I think of speed, quickness and decision making. These are three areas all great players excel in. Missy does all three with ease. Missy is the temperature of SJV, when she is scoring and playing well. SJV is tough to beat. She has had so many big games, so early in her career that she is now taken for granted.  Missy may be the best shooter in the Shore Conference and nobody knows this better than the people she has played against. Let me tell you something else about Missy that many people don’t know. Behind that angelic like face is one tough hombre. If you know her mother or her sister you would know where she gets it from. Toughness is in the mind and sprit, not in muscles. Missy is living proof of this. No doubt she is one of the toughest girls in the Shore Conference. She will back down to know one. The hard foul she will give or take. She comes from a family where they take no quarter and give no quarter. Repoli also brings something else to the court every night that you can’t teach… a competitive nature. When she was in 6th grade she participated in the Elks Hoop Shoot. Repoli made it to the state finals. While waiting for the finals to take place she broke her shooting hand. Instead of dropping out, what did Missy do? Practice with her left hand for 3 weeks. Miss Repoli amazing finished third and made 18 of 25 shots. A score that one year earlier would have won her the championship; Missy does not like losing and will not accept it on any front. I spoke to her last year after Neptune upset SJV in the SCT final. She was not happy and made it clear to me that SJV was going to win the TOC…guess what? They did!!!  Missy Repoli will be an ALL SHORE PLAYER the next two years. She most likely will win every type of championship known to girl’s basketball. People will say over and over the next two years. “Wow she’s still playing at SJV, how long has she been there” that’s because she will have been better for a longer period of time than any player in the Shore….MISSY REPOLI a back breaking winning machine!

 

 

 

 

AROUND THE SHORE
 

 

Come next week the Shore Conference will get a clear picture of where everyone stands. We are getting to that time where every game counts. Nobody wants to hear about how good you’re going to be…that want to know how good you are now!

 

 

 

Kathy Snyder of Southern goes for her 500th win tonight. The Southern community should really come out and support this great coach tonight. She has done a lot for the school and community. I will do a feature on this great coach soon!

 

 

 

 

It was a great showing for the shore as Colts Neck, SJV and Neptune all had big wins. SJV took apart National ranked St. Michaels and then CN sneaked by St Mikes on Sunday. Neptune ran all over St John’s the Baptist.

 

 

 

 

Middletown South beat Southern as Meghan McGuiness continues to have a monster year. Meghan the “Magnificent” McGuiness had 24 points. Middletown South is slowly becoming a team you don’t want to play. MS despite losing a close game earlier to CN and then getting blow out last week is a team with grit!

 

 

 

 

Don’t look now but Rumson held Shore Regional to 8 pts total in the first half  last week and took Holmdel’s A++ game and still got a win. It’s that time of the year when George Sourlias teams start to improve and become very dangerous. Ashley Cooper is becoming the leader RFH needs to play with the big boys.

 

 

 

 

JT is doing again… Central who lost to Jackson Liberty 41-32 the first time around. Beat Jackson 36-24 last Monday. Then Central who was down 17-0 against Pt Boro in the 1^st quarter the first time these two teams played, found themselves in a battle with Pt Boro for much of the first half the second time around?  JT is building again. Think about this! JT left a team that returns their top six to join a team that lost all five star senior starters…that guts my friends. John Truhan will return to Tom River for first time since coaching there in 6 years ago tomorrow night. When he left TR they had a 33 game winning streak and a 26 game A South winning streak….isn’t that funny he seems to always leave programs in pretty good shape!

 

 

 

 

MATIER DEI continues to role. Danielle Locicero is just having a dream season. This team is winning and winning they still only have one lost this season

 

 

 

 

Howell continues to be an up and down team. They revenged their 7 pt loss to Freehold twp by defeating TWP by 7 points last week. This win comes after losing to Manalapan who they beat earlier in the season by 40 pts…

 

.

 

 

Southern losing to Middletown South ends any chance of Southern having a quality win during the regular season. They will now have to focus on the SCT.

 

 

Tom River north picked up another big time win this week. Monday they beat the states #13 ranked team Roselle Catholic. Earlier in the season they beat a Ranked Southern team.
   

   

 

 

BAD NEWS
 

 

Freshman sensation Kelly Hughes broke her wrist last week. The star freshman will be in a cast for at least 3 weeks. She hopes to be back in time for the state tournament.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLAYERS PERCULATING!
 

 

 

 

SARA OLSON- the Howell junior averaged 20 points a game this past week. If she continues to perform Howell will become a dangerous team again!

 

 

 

 

ANNETTE SNOW- of Freehold TWP has been playing very well all season… this past weekend she had games 14 pts against Howell and 18 pts vs. Freehold Boro…Here is food for thought…ANNETTE Snow is age wise a freshman. If she was a freshman where would you rank her among the best freshman?

 

 

 

 

Lauren Clarke had another game against a big name team and her performance again was bigger than anyone’s. Clarke had 21 points in CN battle against national ranked St. Mikes. Now let me say it again. There is no better big game player in the state!

 

 

 

 

Meghan McGuiness of Middletown South is just destroying anyone in her path. Her 24 point game against Southern is another show stopping performance in an important game.

 

 

 

 

Ashley Cooper had 15 pts of Rumson win over Shore REG and Cooper is now starting to impose her will on this team.

 

 

 

 

Michaela Mabrey of Manasquan continues to put up huge numbers as Manasquan got back to 7-7 on the season. The Mabrey show is playing to great reviews these days and is doing just fine these days.

 

 

 

CHYNA GOLDEN of Neptune is starting to roll. Golden had 15 pts and 10 rebounds last week against St. Johns the Baptist. As Chyna gets to know her teammates more….lets just say…be careful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEAM RANKING
 

 

 

1. SJV- They are official the best team in the shore right now. They blew out nationally ranked St. Michaels and they are playing as well as any team in the country. Who is the star of this team? Nobody they are a true team. Each player is as valuable as the next, check you EGO at the door if you play here, your STATS mean nothing and winning is everything!…I don’t want to brag but I did say they would be better this year!

 

 

1. NEPTUNE- They are the most talented team in the Shore and with the non conference schedule they are playing, nobody will be a more battled tested team, come tournament time. They destroyed St Johns the Baptist this past weekend

 

 

1. CN- This is the most interesting team of the top 5. They got by a tired and beat up ST. Mike’s team on Sunday. They have not had a so called BIG WIN. Clarke continues to make a play for PLAYER OF THE YEAR, DeTulio and Hampton are two of the best in the business behind the 3 pt line. What more can they have or Do?

 

 

1. ST ROSE- All is well in Belmar. College coaches continue to swan around Allison Sweeney and Sam Clark is well….Sam Clark. They finally get another test tonight. If they win, they gain more creditability. If they lose to Blair tonight…the critics will yell paper tiger!

 

 

1. JACKSON MEM- They have the best rebounder in the Shore, one of the best defensive duos in Testa and Costello and a freshman who shoots like a senior.  It’s all falling into place for Jackson who’s experience in the Battle of the Boardwalk will help come tourney time.

 

 

1. MIDDLETOWN SOUTH- The most overachieving team in the Shore Right now. They finally picked up a quality win against Southern.

 

 

1. RUMSON- This group is rounding into a very dangerous team. Check out the defense last week. Now Cooper and Lesko are taking over the offense. Yaccarino is doing it all. The bench play has arrived. Sir George is laying down the law folks and its defense, defense and defense….watch out!

 

 

1. TOM RIVER NORTH- This is the mystery team that keeps pulling off big wins. They have a very big argument that their ranking should be higher. They have beat two teams ranked in the state!

 

 

1. RBC – They must step up now. Why am I still ranking them? I believe in 3 things. Sam Guastella, Joe Montano and the name on the front of the Jersey. This will need a quality win ASAP to stay in my top ten. Every team in the Top ten has at least one quality except RBC.

 

 

 

1. Holmdel- Alex Diekman and Mellissa Martorelli need to take more credit for this team. I got to see them play last week and yes they are real. Allie Minch and freshman Tara Inman give them a very talent well coached group. They are a very Sharpe, confidence and smart team…they get the 10^th spot because of the quality win over Middlesex county’s’ 2^nd best team Cardinal Mcarrick

 

 

 

 

 

AWARDS
 

 

 

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
  

MEGHAN McGUINESS-(MIDDLETOWN SOUTH) - She is the first player to win this award three weeks in a row. This week McGuiness in a big Shore Conference game that no doubt will affect seeding, Meghan threw a major Haymaker at Southern. She scores 24 points in the victory. She is getting it done in some very important games the last 3 weeks.. 

 

 

 

 

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
 

 

RACHEL IOZZIA(CENTRAL)-The 5’ 9’ freshman exploded for 28 points and 5 assists against Mon Don. Then she had 14 pts and 14 rebounds against Pt Boro. Then against Jackson Liberty she had 16 pts and 5 assts. She now has 28 three’s on the season and is approaching the school record.

 

 

TEAM OF THE WEEK-
 

 

TOM RIVER NORTH- ARE YOU KIDDING THEY BEAT THE STATES #13 RANKED TEAM….WOW THERE IS A GROWING STORY IN TOM RIVER!

 

 

 

 

PLAYER RANKING
   

  

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
 

1. LAUREN CLARKE (CN) - Nobody is doing it better on bigger stages right now. Her off nights are most players’ best nights.

 

 

1. SY DAVIS (NEP) - She like Clarke is on a roll right now. The battle of the boardwalk was just a start. The performance in the Bronx this past weekend only adds to her  dream season

 

 

1. SAM CLARK (SR) - Ok close your eyes forget and about Sam Clark for a second. Now take the best player of each team off their roster. How does that team look now? Now take Sam Clark off St. Rose and how do they look? Who’s the most valuable player in the Shore Conference…I’ll let you answer that one!

 

 

1. MEGHAN McGUINESS (MS) - I don’t want to brag again… But if you read my preseason review. I said she would be one of the best players in the Shore Conference. Player of the week three straight weeks…Thank you for making me look good Miss McGUINESS

 

 

1. THE SJV STARTING FIVE- (ZIMMERMAN,OREILLY,KATES,REPOLI,MANNIGRASSO)

 

*all five of these players make a major impact on this team.*

 

 

 

 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
  

1.      KELLY HUGHES (PB) - She has been great all year. Now that she is injured it may be hard to give her this award 

 

 

2.      TARA INMAN (HOM) - She had 4 three’s against RFH last week and she is the best defender of the freshman class. She is having a great year. With Hughes out she may be the leading candidate for the freshman of the year award.

3.      LINDSEY ROWE (SJV) - She has stepped up all year. She has been freshman of the week twice already.3.      (SJV) - She has stepped up all year. She has been freshman of the week twice already. 

3.      (SJV) - She has stepped up all year. She has been freshman of the week twice already.  

4.      Hannah Missry (JACKSON MEN) - She has been a rock all season. The scorer Jackson has needed to play with the big dogs. A future Star

 

 

5.      KAT EGAN (SJV) - part of the dynamic duo doing in a much tougher setting than the other freshman. She has been great from Day!

 

 

6.      RACHEL IOZZIA (CENTRAL) - She has been carrying Central this year. The numbers are eye popping for a freshman…we now have 6 freshman on my list

 

 

 

 

 

 

COACH OF THE YEAR
 

 

1. DAWN KARPELL (SJV) - Rises to the top of the list. You lose Linney, Mabrey, Mulvey and you beat the #16 team in the country and now you’re my top team in the Shore Conference…you got to be kidding! She has taken a chance on two freshmen and it has paid off big time… Now she has made her players think team first and not worry about anything except game night… Coach Karpell has never been better and she is on top of her game right now.

 

 

1. BOB WARD (HOLMDEL) - He has put Holmdel back in the big time. They are ranked and are as season team as there is in the Shore Conference. Their tough as nails along with their never say die approach is breathe taking to watch! The man is getting it done in year one!

 

 

1. TOM BRENNAN (MIDDLETOWN SOUTH) - the Guy is just amazing. He does it every year. He teams play the right way all the time. How do you lose Pankey and get better as a team with less talent. He plays Colts Neck in a War and then takes out Southern. This guy is playing with bb guns while these other teams have nuclear weapons. How is he doing it?

 

 

1. VICKI GILLEN (TRN) - this woman has to be on everyone list of coach of the year. The lack of respect shown to her staff and her program by me is just down right wrong. She had beaten some power house teams. Interesting story about Vicki who I have never met. A friend of mind about 3 weeks ago told me one of the best coaches in the Shore Conference resides at TRN and he said “She can win games from the bench”. He is looking very smart right now.

 

 

JOE ROMAN (ST. ROSE) - Now maybe people thought St Rose was going to be good. But now look how good… #7 in the state. They are playing defense and have a style of play. Roman must be on this list for one reason only…who expected all of this!

HERE’S THE DEAL

 

            St Patrick has had a rough last 7 days as they lost to Findlay Prep from NV and St Benedict’s of NJ by 1 point each on last second plays. To make matters worse, in the Findlay game Michael Gilchrist returned from a sore knee only to injure his ankle and play three quarters on only one leg. His injury was serious enough to not allow him to play against St Benedict’s.

            On the flip side you just can’t discount losses because of injuries. We drop them right below St Benedict’s.

            This creates a log jam at the top of “The Deal” as we have all three Jersey powers in the top three spots. It was a hard decision but we had to put Paterson Catholic on top. They don’t play the schedule Pat’s and Benedict’s play on a weekly basis but have that big jewel of winning the City of Palms Classic and defeating Winter Park of Florida in the finals. Winter Park is the only team to beat St Benedict’s. If you take the top six in “The Deal” they are all extremely close to one another.  

            It was a tough week-end up at the Hall of Fame Classic for our east coast powers. Findlay nipped St Patrick, Westchester beat St Anthony, Mater Dei stopped DeMatha and Columbus Northland held off Oak Hill.

            The biggest jump in the poll was by newcomer Half Hollows Hills West as they are undefeated and beat Bishop Loughlin in overtime and also defeated a quality Chester PA team.

            Falling back into the “No Deal” are Hillhouse who lost to East Hartford, Calvert Hall who lost to St Francis and Washington Danville who suffered several losses to local teams in Virginia.    

            And now onto the teams in question…Deal… or No Deal?

		1/25/2010
1	Paterson Catholic NJ	12-0
2	St. Benedict’s NJ	14-1
3	St. Patrick NJ	12-2
4	Oak Hill VA	20-2
5	Neumann Goretti PA	14-1
6	Dematha MD	18-1
7	Rice NY	12-2
8	Montrose Christian MD	11-1
9	St. Anthony NJ	14-2
10	St. Peter’s Prep NJ	10-2
11	Plymouth Whitemarsh PA	15-0
12	Gonzaga DC	15-4
13	Petersburg VA	16-0
14	Christ the King NY	12-3
15	Mt. St. Joseph MD	22-2
16	Penn Wood PA	12-3
17	Half Hollows Hills West NY	10-0
18	Bishop Loughlin NY	13-4
19	Archbishop Carroll PA	12-2
20	Benedictine VA	14-4
21	Mt. Lebanon PA	14-0
22	Jamesville Dewitt NY	13-0
23	Imhotep Charter PA	11-2
24	Plainfield, NJ	12-0
25	Ballou DC	15-4
26	Bridgeport Central CT	9-0
	Close But “No Deal”
	Hillhouse CT	9-1
	Calvert Hall MD	15-4
	Hayfield VA	15-0
	Thomas Stone VA	13-0
	Newburgh Free Academy NY	7-1
	Iona Prep, NY	11-3
	J F Kennedy NY	17-2
	City College MD	12-1
	Lynn English MA	11-0
	Strawberry Mansion PA	14-0
	St. Frances MD	14-6

Thanks for checking back for another edition of my Facts & Bracks.  Just as a reminder, my Facts & Bracks are projections of where teams would finish if the season ended today.  If you have an interest in a team that has a realistic shot at the NCAA tournament then following my Facts & Bracks will help you monitor your team’s status throughout the remainder of the season.  Click the Facts & Bracks link anywhere throughout this blog and it will take you to my official grid with all of my projections.

When you think of the Colonial Athletic Association which teams normally pop into your head?  Is it George Mason who were the Cinderella’s in the NCAA tournament a few years ago and reached the Final 4?  Or how bout VCU, the team that had now NBA guard Eric Maynor, reached the tournament 2 of the last 3 years and beat Duke in the ‘06-’07 first round tourney?  Or maybe you think of the current mid-major power William & Mary who has gotten off to such a great start with wins including @ Wake Forest and @ Maryland.  And then there’s Old Dominion who finds its way into the NCAA’s every so often and has a knack for winning at Big East power Georgetown on a seemly yearly basis.  Well, which team is currently at the top of the standings in the CAA?  The answer is…none of these teams are.  In fact, the team that is on an 11 game winning streak with wins over George Mason and VCU twice is the lone CAA team from all the way up north in Boston…the Northeastern Huskies.  Now, while an at-large bid may be out of the question for them due to the lack of major non-conference wins, the Huskies are still a legit threat to win this conference.  The reason I bring them up is because I feel as if they are going a bit under the radar and should be recognized for what they are doing.  Keep an eye on Huskies Senior G/F Matt Janning and let’s see how it all plays out the rest of the way. 

I currently have 1 team (California) in the field from the Pac-10.  As you can tell, we won’t be discussing the Pac-10 much this season.

#1 RPI in the nation?  Syracuse

Who has played the toughest schedule thus far?  UConn

Team who has the most Top 25 RPI wins so far this season?  Georgetown.  The Hoyas are 4-1 against the RPI Top 25 with wins over Temple, Butler, UConn & at Pittsburgh.

Major conference game I’m looking forward to the most this week?  Georgetown @ Syracuse on Monday

Non major conference game I’m looking forward to the most this week?  BYU @ New Mexico on Wednesday 

Team who helped themselves the most this week?  Seton Hall.  With wins over Louisville and Pittsburgh, the Pirates put themselves back in the thick of things in the Big East and in the conversation for a tournament bid.  They are currently in my field as an 11 seed.

Conference who helped themselves the most this week?  Easily the Big East.  With UConn’s win over Texas and West Virginia’s win over Ohio State, the Big East has clearly established itself as the best conference in the country.

Team I had overrated the most the past few weeks of Facts & Bracks?  Mississippi State.  I still need to see more from them.  I have dropped them to a 12 seed.  They’ve won @ Mississippi, but have lost at Western Kentucky and at home to Rider.

Well, I guess we should congratulate Louisville for finally beating a decent team.  They beat Cincinnati on Sunday and that is their 1st quality win of the season…still nothing to write home about though.

My last four teams in the Bracks are:  Mississippi State, Northwestern, Richmond and William & Mary

My first four teams out of the Bracks are:  Louisville, Maryland, Texas Tech & Charlotte

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