Efficiency Differentials

Updated to reflect games through Tuesday February 2, Xavier looks as if they are separating from the pack, but realize the Musketeers played Fordham and Duquesne last week. The differentials will tighten as Xavier plays Dayton next week, and Charlotte and Richmond in the following 2-3 weeks. Dayton and Charlotte seem to be anomalies. By the Pythagorean winning percentage, Dayton should have another win (or two), while Charlotte should have another loss. The 49ers still have games with Dayton (away), Xavier (home), Rhode Island (away) and Richmond (home closer) on tap. If Coach Lutz can run that gamut with a decent efficiency differential, Charlotte may be looking at a postseason in a four-letter tournament. Fordham continues to lag far behind the rest of the conference. The gap grows larger with each week.

Standings as of – 02/03/10

1. Xavier (7-1, 15-6)
2. Temple (6-1, 18-4, #17)
3. Charlotte (6-1, 15-6)
4. Rhode Island (5-2, 17-3)
5. Richmond (5-2, 16-6)
6. Dayton (4-3, 15-6)
7. St. Louis (3-3, 12-8)
8. La Salle (3-4, 11-10)
9. St. Bonaventure (2-4, 9-10)
10. George Washington (2-5, 12-8)
11. Duquesne (2-5, 11-10)
12. Massachusetts (2-5, 8-13)
13. Saint Joseph’s (2-5, 8-13)
14. Fordham (0-8, 2-18)

Team Rundowns

Charlotte

Coach Lutz’s squad ran their winning streak to four last week with wins over Massachusetts and, more importantly, Temple. Tagging the Owls with their first conference loss brought the team from Philadelphia back to the pack and put the 49ers in a small (numbering three) cluster of teams with a single conference loss. Charlotte holds a tie-breaker edge over Temple, but more importantly, virtually every D1 bracketologist marks their 74-64 victory as a good win that puts this Carolina school in the conversation for an NCAA bid. Sophomore guard Darrio Green was cited as the A10 Player of the Week for the second time this season for his role in Charlotte’s two wins. Freshman Chris Braswell also earned a mention in the conference’s weekly recap. Braswell provides a solid presence on the boards for Charlotte, a presence that puts Charlotte among the top three teams for defensive rebounding percentage in conference games.

Next up, the 49er’s host George Washington on Wednesday (2/3), then journey to New York City to play the hapless Fordham Rams on Saturday (2/6). Road wins are important for Charlotte, as they continue to lag with a offensive/defensive efficiency differential of (off 1.04, def 1.05) -0.01 for games not played in Halton Arena. Much of that comes from an early-season drubbing at the hands of Duke, but the 49ers also have away-neutral losses to Tennessee and Xavier.

Dayton

Nothing like a trip to Olean, NY to stop the bleeding. The Flyers halted their skid at two with a 75-58 win over the Bonnies last Saturday (1/30). Despite an off night from Chris Wright and Rob Lowry, the Flyers’ defense shut down the Bonnies while Kurt Huelsman and Chris Johnson stepped up with efficient (and prolific) shooting/scoring. The Flyers dominated the boards over both baskets, a key for them going forward, especially if they have trouble with consistent offensive production.

If Dayton is to get back in the A10 conference race, this is the week to start. Visits by Xavier and Charlotte, both teams above the the Flyers in conference standings, provide a great opportunity for Dayton to regain some ground lost in January. XU comes to Dayton on Saturday (2/6), with Charlotte following on Wednesday (2/10). Xavier has not been especially assertive on their offensive boards, a characteristic the Flyers should be able to exploit to limit the Musketeers’ second chance opportunities. Xavier has concentrated on the defensive boards in conference games, an area (their offensive boards) where Dayton has dominated (especially useful if you squad is having an off night on scoring).

Duquesne

Duquesne split the last week, 1-1, dropping their road game to Xavier 86-50, but bouncing back against Saint Joseph’s with a 74-71 win last Sunday (1/31). Games away from the Palumbo Center have been a real problem for the Dukes this season, as the team’s offensive/defensive efficiency is a dismal -0.18. Coach Everhart’s squad has a 1-7 road record this season, 0-3 in conference road games. The next two games are on the road, abd beating George Washington (surprising Temple might be too tall an order at this point) in DC would do wonders for the Dukes’ confidence.

The Dukes travel to Philadelphia to play Temple on Wednesday (2/3) and then down to Washington, DC, to play the Colonials of George Washington on Saturday (2/6).

Fordham

Coach Grasso’s one bright spot on the squad, Chris Gaston, earned his third citation as the A10 Rookie of the Week. But the Rams continue to lose, having dropped two more games last week. Pomeroy projects a 63% probability that Fordham may go winless in conference play. Though Fordham managed to hold their home loss to La Salle to single digits, Coach Grasso will be pressed to maintain morale in the face of month-ending 48-point road blowout at the hands of Xavier.  

Next up for Fordham, a visit from Charlotte on Saturday (2/6).

George Washington

The Colonials finished January with a 3-5 record, 2-5 in conference play. The four-game losing streak was broken, but it took an overtime (home) game with St. Louis. The celebration was a short one, as GWU dropped their next game, a road trip to Kingston, RI, 72-66, on Saturday.

The Colonials will try to turn it around on Wednesday (1/27) when they host St. Louis. The weekend game, a visit to Rhode Island on Saturday (1/30), may not be a promising place to break their losing run.

La Salle

La Salle dropped two straight to teams at the top of the conference last week. Cross-town rival Temple beat the Explorers 64-52 on Saturday (1/30) and Rhode Island beat them Tuesday (2/2) 90-83. Offense is not really a problem right now, Coach Giannini’s squad is ranked #6 in the conference for offensive efficiency (ahead of Charlotte), but with a defensive efficiency of 1.05, they are ranked #11. In Rhode Island they were able to score at a 1.11 rate, in the hands of just about any other team that would be good enough to win, but they gave the Rams 1.20 points per possession, thereby dropping the decision. Only Fordham forces turnovers in conference at a rate less than La Salle. The conference named Aaric Murray the co-Rookie of the Week (with Fordham’s Chris Gaston), mitigating somewhat the disappointments on the court. Murray has won the honor three times this season.

The Explorers host the Billikens at the Gola on Saturday (2/6) and then take a week to prepare for a road game at Duquesne. The Billikens offer a solid chance for La Salle to break their losing run. Coach Majerus has assembled the youngest squad in the conference, the combination of a lethargic offense and a hostile environment should mask La Salle’s weakness. A win would put La Salle back into the middle of the conference.

Massachusetts

The Minutemen snapped their losing streak with an uncaharacteristic 87-80 win over Saint Joseph’s at the Hagan. The Minutemen have compiled a 2-9 record away from Amherst, keyed by a fatal combination of poor shooting (their eFG% in those games was 43.4%) and poor shot defense — they have allowed opponents to complete at a 52.7% (eFG%) clip. They could not, however, hold serve against a visiting Charlotte squad on Saturday (1/30), suffering a near-blowout 72-58 loss.

Massachusetts extends their home stand by a game as they host Xavier Wednesday (2/3), then travel to Kingston, RI, for a game with fellow New Englander Rhode Island Saturday (2/6). Shutting down Rhode Island’s shooting offense will be a challenge for Coach Kellogg’s squad. This could be a very rough week for the Minutemen.

Rhode Island

The Rams have to be happy about Temple’s slip last week, After dropping their second conference game to Xavier on 1/23, Rhode Island has since resumed the pace with a critical road win over Dayton. Last week they had two more wins over lesser conference opponents, George Washington (72-66) and La Salle (90-83). Neither was a dominant, put them away, performance, but they have an opportunity to pad their wins when they host Massachusetts on Saturday. They need to work on their conference defense of 0.984, which slipped to 1.11 in their game with La Salle. Taking the game on Saturday gives the Rams three days to prepare for Richmond, which also has two conference losses. Rhode Island has to look after their shot defense, a bit below average for the conference (eFG% is 49.1% vs the conference average of 47.1%), but even less aggressive at home (50.6%). This should not be a problem versus Massachusetts, a shot challenged team when on the road, but it could spell trouble when Richmond comes to town.

The Rams should be able to keep pace next week as they host George Washington on Saturday (1/30), then travel to Philadelphia for a game with La Salle on Tuesday (2/2).

Richmond

Coach Mooney’s squad bounced back from their loss to Charlotte (71-59, 1/20) with two wins versus struggling teams, the latest against road-challenged St. Louis, 62-36, on Saturday (1/30). The score is unusually low, even though Richmond and St. Louis are two of the lowest possesion teams in the conference. St. Louis managed a horrific 0.56 points per possession that night, far and away the worst performance in a conference game this season (that includes Fordham).

Next up for the Spiders, a visit with Saint Joseph’s Wednesday (2/3), then host Temple on Saturday (2/6). The Temple game is an oppertunity to tighten the conference race, but the Spiders have to take care of the Hawks first.

Saint Joseph’s

The Hawks dropped two games last week, an 87-80 home loss to Massachusetts and a 74-71 road game at Duquesne. Weak board work and shooting hurt Coach Martelli’s efforts to make Saint Joseph’s competitive in the conference. The Dukes and Minutemen were able to exploit the Hawks’ board problems. That a team with two senior backcourt players has a freshman (Carl Jones) taking over 25% of the team’s shots is not a good sign. Especially when the freshman is not converting efficiently.

Saint Joseph’s opens a three game homestand on Wednesday (2/3) when Richmond comes to town. They will follow with St. Bonaventure on Saturday (2/6).

St. Bonaventure

Coach Schmidt’s squad suffered a double digit loss to Dayton, 75-58, Saturday (1/30). The turnover problems, combined with lack of offensive rebounding undercut the Bonnies’ shooting efficiency (48.5%, a point above the conference average). But if St. Bonaventure is to make a second half run this season they will need to cut down on fouling. They should be able to get a start on that as they host St. Louis, one of the least aggressive offensive teams in the conference, Wednesday (2/3), followed by a trip to Philadelphia to take on the Hawks Saturday (2/6). The Hawks’ FTA/FGA in conference play is a relatively modest 32.2%.

St. Louis

St. Louis comes off of their worst offensive performance of the season, a stunning 62-36 defeat at Richmond. Failing to crack 40 points can play with a team’s confidence. The Billikens have suffered through bad shooting nights (Notre Dame, Charlotte) without losing contact with their opponent. Turnovers killed Coach Majerus’ team. Paradoxically, St. Louis has logged a better than average eFG% in conference games, but turnovers (the Billikens lose better than one in five of their possessions) undermine their offensive efficiency. Ah youth. The good news about freshmen is that they will become sophomores.

The Billikens host St. Bonaventure on Wednesday (2/3) then go back on the road for a game with La Salle on Saturday (2/6). Both the Billikens and Explorers are looking for conference credibility and a strong finish.

Temple

The Owls dropped their game in Charlotte, an ugly 74-64 scramble, on Wednesday (1/27). They bounced back with a 12 point win over La Salle on Saturday (1/30). Projected by Ken Pomeroy to finish strong, the Owls need offense from Ryan Brooks and Juan Fernandez (with help from Lavoy Allen and Scootie Randall).

Temple hosts Duquesne on Wednesday (2/3), and then back on the road for a conference showdown with Richmond on Saturday (2/6). Taking the Saturday game would put distance between Temple, Xavier and Charlotte, and the group nipping at their heels, Richmond and Rhode Island.

Xavier

The Musketeers stayed ahead of the pack with two more conference wins last week, an 86-50 drubbing of the Dukes on Thursday (1/28), followed by a 108-60 destruction of Fordham on Saturday (1/30). Those games closed a three game home stand for Xavier, as the Musketeers take to the road for a game with Massachusetts on Wednesday (2/3) followed with their mirror game with Dayton on Saturday (2/6). While Jordan Crawford draws a lot of defensive attention, Jamel McLean and Jason Love are cleaning up with very high scoring efficiencies. Terrell Holloway’s shooting efficiency is less impressive, but the sophomore guard does a great job of setting up his teammates for scores. Holloway and Crawford both are top 500 players in assist rate and turnovers (they don’t). Two characteristics that a winning team looks for in their back court.

Games to Catch

• Xavier at Dayton Saturday 2/6 — The Musketeers come to call on the Flyers in a game with conference and postseason implications. Lose this and Xavier gives ground in the loss column to Temple and Charlotte, but should Dayton fail, the Flyers, heavy preseason favorites to take the regular season title, would fall three games off the pace, and leave more than a few wondering if Dayton will, even in an off year in the BCS conferences, get back to the Dance. Rhode Island snapped Dayton’s 30 game home winning streak last weekend. How likely is that Dayton will drop a second home game this season?
• Temple at Richmond Saturday 2/6 — The Owls have a strong road record, 8-2 overall, 2-1 in conference. Richmond, located in the two-loss cluster behind Xavier, Temple and Charlotte, cannot afford to drop another loss off the pace. The Spider backcourt will have their hands full with senior Ryan Brooks, who has been hot since December. If Juan Fernandez gets on a roll from the perimeter, Richmond may have trouble keeping up. David Gonzalvez will have to have a good day.

Joe Dzuback of Villanova By the Numbers is the RTC correspondent for the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Road Warriors

A few BCS schools developed reputations for rarely venturing far from their home arenas during their out of conference seasons and relying on their conference’s RPI to bolster their resumes come Selection Sunday.  Coach Jim Calhoun masked the inexperience of his 2007 Huskies by keeping them at home from early November to late December where they ran off 11 straight wins and rose to #12 in the polls.  They opened the Big East season with a 10 point loss to West Virginia, and continued to implode with an 6-14 record through January, February and early March.  The 1st round of the Big East Tournament was their post-season.  Florida State’s Len Hamilton nursed his 2006 Seminole squads to an 9-1 OOC record, leaving home once before ACC conference play (a loss to in state rival Florida).  FSU finished with a 9-7 conference record, and despite a signature win over #1-ranked Duke at the end of the conference season, could not tease a dance bid out of the Selection Committee come Selection Sunday.

A10 coaches have no illusions that the conference’s reputation (however good among the non-BCS conferences) will carry a bubble team into the field of 65.  While few subscribe to former Temple head coach John Chaney’s “Anyone, Anywhere” philosophy, everyone recognizes the virtue of playing invitational tournaments and having a healthy dose of road games on the resume.  Most of their OOC resume-building games may come from traditional rivalries and invitational fields, but the road games, at worst, help their squads prepare for the hostile crowds they will face when playing conference opponents.  How did the conference members do this OOC season?

The statistics, drawn from each team’s Game Plan page at Ken Pomeroy’s website, shows the team’s road (away and neutral site) record, the team’s efficiency (points per possession the team scored – offense and allowed – defense), the team’s shot efficiency (on offense and defense) and the estimated average possessions per game.

Temple looks better with each passing week.  The road wins in particular are very encouraging and suggest the Owls will be able to score and defend in hostile venues. Seton Hall is a resume win, and the 46-45 loss at Georgetown (provided the Hoyas don’t implode again in 2010…) will be a good loss.  The nucleus of Fernandez, Brooks, Allen and Guzman (see Temple Team Capsule below) are putting together a very nice run, which they may well be able to sustain going into conference play.  File Rhode Island and Charlotte under “Surprised in a Good Way” also.  Though the Rams’ slate is a bit light (they did not participate in any MTE tournaments this season), it does include a double-digit win over Boston College from the ACC and a 2 point loss to a well-regarded 7-2 Virginia Commonwealth team on 12/2.  Charlotte was torched early in the season by Duke at the Cameron, but has bounced back nicely with double-digit wins over Hofstra, Louisville of the Big East and Winthrop, each of whom has a record of .500 or better.

Filed under “Surprised in a Bad Way” — try Dayton, Duquesne and Richmond. The Flyers participated in the Puerto Rico Tip Off and started strong, taking out Georgia Tech in their first round.  They dropped their next two games to two more BCS teams (Villanova and Kansas State) and have scraped by their two road opponents — Miami, OH and George Mason.  Mason having a down year, is teetering at .500 (5-5) at this point and will, should the trend continue, watch the post-season on CBS and ESPN.  Duquesne started out well, housing Iowa in their second game of the season, but the two-overtime, neutral court loss to Pittsburgh seems to have thrown the team out of synch. They were hammered by West Virginia and lost to UIPIU last weekend.  The Jaguars may be the pick of the litter in the Summit League, but they too have taken three double-digit beatings.  Hardly makes for a stirring endorsement of the Dukes.  Bolding’s return may spark the Dukes, but heading into conference play (they have 2 more OOC games left), Duquesne’s prospects for A10 road wins seem uncertain at best.  Taking South Carolina may have been a stretch for Richmond, but their losses to in-state rivals William & Mary and Virginia Commonwealth (both of the CAA) gives me pause to think.  Those games most resemble the conference road conditions Richmond will probably encounter in conference play.  Both may have been “close” losses, but they were losses nevertheless.

George Washington’s 4-0 road record may look impressive, but know the opponents were UNC – Wilmington, Boston University, Navy and Towson. Not a BCS team to be found in a group whose collective record is 15-24.  Their extended, post holiday trek through New England should provide a bit more insight into the state of the program and their prospects in conference road play.  The unimpressive road/neutral records posted by Xavier, Massachusetts, Saint Joseph’s and St. Louis (a combined 3-18) maybe due in large measure to the youth of all three squads.  Ken Pomeroy ranks them by experience level as #259, #305, #156 and #346 respectively, out of D1’s 347 D1.

Standings as of – 12/21/09:

1. Temple (9-2)
2. Rhode Island (9-1)
3. Charlotte (9-2)
4. Dayton (9-2)
5. Richmond (9-3)
6. George Washington (8-2)
7. Duquesne (8-4)
8. La Salle (7-4)
9. Xavier (7-4)
10. St. Louis (8-4)
11. St. Bonaventure (6-5)
12. Massachusetts (6-6)
13. Saint Joseph’s (4-6)
14. Fordham (2-8)

Team Rundowns…

Charlotte

Taking to the road, the 49ers beat Winthrop by ten, 57-47, on Sunday (12/20).  Junior forward Shamari Spears delivered from the field, going 5-11 from the floor for 13 points (his 45.5% shooting percentage well ahead of the team’s overall 39.1%), while senior point guard DiJuan Harris delivered from the line, hitting 7 of 8 free throws to pace Charlotte to the win.  Junior center Phil Jones grabbed 11 rebounds as the taller, more physical 49er team dominated with inside play.  The A10 team received ten more free throw opportunities than the host, and made the most of the advantage by converting 13 more times, going 18-22, compared to 5-12 for the Eagles. There indeed was the margin of victory.  Charlotte has now won five straight, all by double-digits.  The Niners traveled to Old Dominion on Wednesday (12/23) for one last game before the Holidays and got thumped, 81-48, after shooting 16% in the first half and appearing generally uninterested.  They resume their schedule when they host Mercer on the 29th.

Dayton

The Flyers beat Presbyterian by 19 (71-52) at the UD Arena on Saturday (12/19), paced by junior forward Chris Wright and senior back-up point guard Mickey Perry, each of whom scored 15 points.  Perry, normally in the rotation for about 17 minutes per game saw 25 minutes when off-guard Marcus Johnson went down with an ankle sprain in the 1st half.  Redshirt freshman Josh Benson scored 10 points, also in extended action, when starter Chris Johnson left the game after a blow to the head, also sustained in the 1st half.  Dayton beat Appalachian State, 65-49, on Monday night.  The Blue Hose and Mountaineers should have been double digit wins, and the Dayton team many expected in November appears to be rounding into form as the conference season approaches.  Wright and Perry led the team in scoring for both games, grossing 29 and 30 points apiece respectively for the two games.  The Flyers return to action after the Holidays with a game versus Boston University on the 29th.  They will ring in the New Year in Albuquerque, New Mexico as they take on the Lobos of New Mexico on New Year’s Day.

Duquesne

The Dukes needed two overtimes to put down the Griffins of Canisius 86-77 on Wednesday 12/16.  Duquesne used size and speed to force turnovers and alter shots, but they did not control the boards.  The game, played for 68 possessions (adjusted for the overtimes), was a bit low for Duquesne home games this season.  The Dukes’ offensive efficiency was about 1.00 (points per possession), very slightly above their home court average, the defense, at 0.90, was higher than the Dukes’ 0.81 home average, suggesting the stifling defense, especially on opponent’s shooting, was simply not there.  Duquesne dropped a nine point road game, 73-64, to IUPUI in Indianapolis, IN on Saturday 12/19.  Continuing a trend for road games, Duquesne’s defensive efficiency again turned in a >1.00 defensive effort, 1.05 this time.  The Iowa game in November aside, the Dukes have had problems keeping opponent’s points per possession under 1.00 this season.  The culprits appear to be shot defense (the Dukes let the Jaguars hit at a 56.5% eFG% clip) and rebounding.  Duquesne hosts St. Francis, PA on Tuesday 12/22, then break for Christmas. They finish their OOC schedule with a trip to Virginia to play the Monarchs of Old Dominion on Wednesday 12/30.

Fordham

The Rams “hosted” Villanova at the IZOD Center, in the New Jersey Meadowlands last Saturday.  Before a Villanova-friendly crowd, Fordham dropped a 96-53 decision to the #9-ranked Wildcats.  The good news has to be that forward Chris Gaston had another good day scoring.  Another Ram has to step into the vacuum left by Jio Fontan.  Fordham faced James Madison in Virginia on Wednesday and dropped a disappointing one, 85-73, after leading by nine at the half.  They now break for the Holiday.  They resume their pre-conference road trip with games against Kennesaw State (in Georgia, Tuesday 12/29) and Hampton (back to Virginia, Sunday 1/3) in the fortnight before they take on Massachusetts in their A10 opener.

George Washington

George Washington took a week to finish the fall semester.  They squeaked out an 84-80 victory at  East Carolina on Tuesday 12/22, led by Damian Hollis’ 21/3 and Tony Taylor’s 20/6/4.  They will take a New England road trip the week after Christmas, facing Holy Cross in Worcester, MA on Monday 12/28, then travelling east to Cambridge, MA to face Harvard on Wednesday 12/30.  They will return to Washington to face cross-town rival Howard on Saturday 1/2.

La Salle

The Explorers beat Bucknell, 83-70, at home on Saturday then dropped a road game to Oklahoma State 77-62, on Monday night.  The Explorers continue to feel the effects of being an undermanned squad.  With senior PG Ruben Guillandeaux out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right foot, and senior swingman Kimmani Barrett nursing a fractured middle finger on his non-shooting hand, La Salle needs to free Rodney Green to cut and shoot, rather than take over the ball-handling duties.  Green continues to lead the Explorers in points scored — he scored 22 in each of last week’s games (Barrett scored the team-high 23 points versus Bucknell), but needs to maintain his stamina through the end of the game.  La Salle will host Cornell on 12/29 in what may be their last best chance to score a signature win in the OOC. Cornell beat St. John’s to take the ECAC Holiday Festival on Monday (12/21) night.

Massachusetts

Coach Derek Kellogg’s squad scored their best win of the season Saturday night when they downed the Tigers of Memphis 73-72 in Boston.  Freshman Terrell Vinson scored a team-high 21 points on 8-13 (0-1, 8-12) and 5-7 shooting.  Vinson grabbed nine boards, missing the chance to log his second consecutive double-double.  The Minutemen headed out of town to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College on Wednesday night and were stifled from beyond the three-point arc, shooting 3-21 (14.3%) resulting in a 67-79 loss to the Eagles.  After the Holiday break they conclude their OOC schedule with a trip into the South to play Davidson on Wednesday 12/30.

Rhode Island

The Rams extended their winning streak to five when they beat Fairfield 89-84 on Saturday (12/20).  Senior guard Keith Cochran stepped back a bit in this game, letting the forward tandem of Delroy James and Lamonte Ulmer take the offensive lead.  The seniors did not disappoint, scoring 21 and 20 points, respectively.  James logged his first double-double of the season by grabbing 11 rebounds as well.  Marquis Jones and Stevie Mejia handled the point guard duties effectively, dishing ten assists (with only four turnovers) between them.  Rhode Island has three more OOC games before they commence conference play, the first coming next Tuesday (12/29) when they travel to Philadelphia to play Drexel.

Richmond

The Spiders dropped their road game to South Carolina last Wednesday (12/16), 76-58.  The result may not have surprised; after all, Devan Downey, Sam Muldrow and Brandis Raley-Ross can be a handful, especially in front of a Gamecock-friendly crowd.  The margin was troubling as the Spiders will — should their fortunes during conference play pan out —  be looking for an at-large bid from the selection committee come that Sunday in March.  Justin Harper, Dan Geriot and Kevin Anderson took large amounts of the possessions when they were on the floor (29.5%, 28.4% and 30.0% respectively — Anderson played the entire game), but of that core only Harper converted efficiently.  With an eFG% of 54.2% and a PPWS of 1.16, Harper developed an offensive rating of 111.6; an offensive rating greater than 100 is good, greater than 110 is very good.  For Geriot and Anderson however, the numbers were not nearly as impressive.  Both converted (eFG%) in the high 30s to mid 40s, but worse, both lost high percentages of their possessions:  Geriot lost 30.4% of his possessions, while for Anderson the number was 26.1%.  Where was David Gonzalvez? Out of action with four fouls, for starters.  The senior guard logged only 65% of the minutes, in large measure because he picked up his second foul at the 12 minute mark of the first half, sat for five minutes, came back in for another five minutes before picking up his third foul for the half.  Gonzalvez picked up his fourth foul two minutes into the second half, and found himself watching as the Spiders four point advantage became a five point deficit.  The Spiders managed to bring the score to a tie, 52-52, with eight minutes left, but the Gamecocks launched a 24-6 run over the last eight minutes, running away from the Spiders and handing them their third road loss of the season.  Richmond bounced back with a 56-53 win over #13 Florida in the Orange Bowl Classic on Saturday.  The game, played at Sunrise, FL (and not Florida’s homecourt at Gainesville), found the Spiders paced by the backcourt duo of Gonzalvez (16 points) and Anderson (14 points).  The two minute mark of the 1st half found the Spiders down by 13 (32-19), but Gonzalvez and senior center Geriot scored five unanswered points.  Still trailing by eight (32-24), Coach Mooney and his squad took to the locker room to regroup.  A 22-5 run over the first nine minutes of the 2nd half saw the Spiders blow by the Gators and take a nine point lead.  The Gators scored six unanswered points (a jumper by Georgetown transfer Vernon Macklin, two converted free throws by sophomore guard Erving Walker and a layup by senior forward Dan Werner) to cut the deficit to three over the next 90 seconds.  The two teams were locked in a tug-of-war, never separated by more than four points (and tied twice) for the last 9:30 of the game.  The Spiders took the lead for good on a Gonzalvez three-pointer at the 1:34 mark, and the Spiders hit their free throws down the stretch to bring home the win.  After beating UNC – Greensboro, 89-63 (David Gonzalves posted a season-high 25 points), the Spiders can now break for the holidays.  Richmond will return to action on the 28th against another North Carolina school, the Seahawks of UNC – Wilmington.  The Spiders will spend New Year’s Eve on the road with yet a third North Carolina school, the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest.

Saint Joseph’s

The Hawks beat Lehigh 77-66 on Sunday (12/20) and are off until after Christmas.  Senior guard Darrin Govens paced the team with 15 points, while three others, starting sophomore guard Chris Prescott along with two freshmen, forward Carl Baptiste and guard Carl Jones chipped in 13 apiece.  Sophomore forward Bryant Irwin scored a career-high 11 points.  Saint Joseph’s will travel to Albany, NY and will face the Siena Saints on Tuesday (12/29).

St. Bonaventure

The Bonnies dropped a 13-point decision to the Orange of Syracuse 85-72, Saturday (12/19).  Sophomore forward Andrew Nicholson and senior guard Chris Matthew led the Bonnies with 18 and 17 points, respectively. The Orange answered with 17, 18 and 17 points from junior forward Rick Jackson, transfer wing Wes Johnson and sophomore forward Kris Joseph, respectively.  St. Bonaventure traveled to Little Three rival Niagara on Tuesday (12/22) for one last game before Christmas, but couldn’t get the job done, losing 71-77.  They return to action on Wednesday the 30th, as they host Canisius.

St. Louis

Coach Majerus’ squad beat Belmont, 75-67, on Wednesday (12/16), then lost to Missouri State, 73-63, on Saturday (12/19).  Sophomore guard Kwamain Mitchell, poked in the right eye with 2:59 to go in the Belmont game, was held out of the Missouri State game.  The Billikens could have used his 14.3 PPG on Saturday.  After winning by seven (61-54) at home against Missour-Kansas City on Tuesday 12/22, the Billikens break for Christmas, and return to action against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday 12/29.  Let’s hope Mitchell’s recovery is swift and complete.

Temple

Looking for a definition for “on a roll?”  Check out the Owls!

After knocking off Villanova on the 13th, the Owls headed up the New Jersey Turnpike to Newark and housed the Seton Hall Pirates in their downtown arena, the Rock.  Down by 13 twice early in the 2nd half, Temple took a 40-21 run in the last 16 minutes to hand yet another Big East team their first loss of the season.  The two game snapshot above suggests that a nucleus of Ryan Brooks, Juan Fernandez and Lavoy Allen has taken the reins on offense and has efficiently converted possessions into points.  Fernandez and Brooks took turns having career games, but that each was able to step in is a very good sign going forward.  Scootie Randall and Craig Williams should see their minutes grow; Randall because he has provided timely offense in both games, and Williams has taken the injured Michael Eric’s spot in the rotation.  Of particular interest is the Owls’ rebounding.  They dominated both of their Big East opponents, a bit surprising given the Big East’s reputation for physical inside play.  Especially noteworthy is the defensive rebounding coach Fran Dunphy is getting from his backcourt and wing players (Brooks, Guzman, Moore and Di Leo); 15% is a good number for a front court player, the 14%+ the four are registering is terrific.  Allen and Williams’ DR% is phenomenal, but simply not sustainable.  Guzman’s turnovers are high, but he has brought the ball up against two teams known for their press and ability to harass ball handlers.  Like Allen and Williams’ defensive rebounding, the number will probably not hold.

Xavier

The Musketeers traveled to Indianapolis, IN to take on the Butler Bulldogs, losing a 69-68 nail-biter on an unusual clock malfunction.  Xavier trailed through the first half, dropping behind by double digits ranging out to 15. They closed the gap to seven before the break, then came out with an 11-0 run to overtake the Bulldogs.  Jason Love and Kenny Frase were beginning to control the paint, as Terrell Hollaway hit several critical threes from the outside.  The X-Men were held the lead for over 13 minutes in the second half, but a Butler surge tied the game at the four-minute mark, and the teams traded the lead (and tied) five more times over the last four minutes.  Jordan Crawford’s trey with 45 seconds left broke the fourth tie and gave Xavier a three point cushion.  Holloway’s fifth foul at the 39 second mark put Butler guard Shelvin Mack on the line.  Mack hit both free throws, but Xavier had possession with just over a shot clock’s worth of time left.  A steal by Butler guard/forward Gordon Hayward with 36 seconds left gave Butler three tries (two misses and offensive rebounds) before Hayward converted on a layup with an unknown amount of time left on the clock.  According to the clock itself there appeared to be 1.8 seconds left, but the time keeper reported an earlier malfunction had prevented the clock from starting properly earlier in the Butler possession.  The referees (D.J. Carstensen, Sid Rodeheffer and Bo Borowski) decided there was no time left and called the game.  Xavier then hosted in-state rival Miami, OH on Wednesday 12/23.  The Muskies almost fell victim once again to a clock-related question at the end of that one.  Xavier’s Dante Jackson stole an in-bounds pass with less than seven seconds left which would have sealed the Xavier victory, but the play was blown dead because one of the zebras was checking the clock.  On the re-do, Miami’s Kenny Hayes missed a long three at the buzzer that would have tied it and Xavier won, 70-67.  After breaking for the Holiday, the Musketeers will conclude the OOC portion of their season with two BCS opponents — LSU (at home) on Tuesday 12/29 and Wake Forest (in Winston-Salem) on Sunday 1/3.

Games to Catch

• La Salle vs Cornell, Tuesday 12/29 — The Big Red are heavy favorites to grab the Ivy’s bid to the NCAA.  I am interested, given Cornell’s win over St. John’s (a team looking to improve it’s standing in the Big East this season) in the ECAC Holiday Festival, to see how the Explorers match up.
• Xavier vs LSU, Tuesday 12/29 — The Musketeers host the Tigers during holiday week.  While LSU was not expected to be a force in the SEC West this season, Xavier has a good chance to match up (indirectly) with two BCS teams expected to make some noise in their respective conferences, Connecticut and Arizona State.  The Huskies beat the Tigers by 26 at the NIT Season Tip-Off (semifinal game), while the Sun Devils took LSU by 19 a round later.
• Richmond at Wake Forest, Thursday 12/31 — The Spiders get another road test, this time against ACC contender Wake. The Spiders’ front court contingent of Dan Geriot, Justin Harper and Ryan Butler will have to match up with the Deacons’ Al-Farouq Aminu and Chas McFarland.
• Dayton at New Mexico, Friday 1/1 — The Lobos are not a BCS power, nor are they favored to take their conference bid (the Mountain West) this season.  But their homecourt, an 18,000 seat hole-in-the-ground in Albuquerque, NM known simply as “The Pit,” is a legend.  A notoriously difficult place for visitors to win.  The Flyers are expected to win the A10 title this season, and The Pit will be a good place to get ready for hostile crowds, and lots of noise.