The Tribal Fever

The Final Stretch: Hofstra Preview

Bill McDonald — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:51:03 +0000

Hofstra Pride: 9-20, 2-14 CAA)

Coach: Mo Cassera (second season, 21-26).

The History: Wednesday night’s game will be the 18th meeting in the series between William and Mary and Hofstra. The Tribe trails the series, 12 games to 5, but three of the last five meetings between the two teams have been decided by a single possession, including a pair of three-point wins for the Pride last season.
Last time out: The Pride got an 81-69 win over Siena on BracketBusters Saturday. Hofstra got 30 points from Senior Mike Moore, while Nat Lester and Steve Mejia both scored in double figures in the win.
The Skinny:
It is a bit strange that on the next to last game of the year, the Tribe will meet a league opponent for the first time this season.
NU, led by guards Mike Moore and Nathaniel Lester, have been a disappointing team this season, much like the Tribe. They were riding a three game losing streak before the win over Siena. They average 64.7 ppg, while allowing 66.4 ppg). They are quick and rank fourth in the CAA in steals per game (7.9) and third in turnovers margin (+1.7), forcing opponents into 15.7 turnovers per game. The Pride is fifth in the CAA in offensive rebounds at 12.1 per game.
The Players:
• 6’5” Senior guard Mike Moore scored a team-high 30 points vs. Siena, which was his 12th straight game in double digits. Moore leads the CAA in scoring (19.5 ppg). He’s been Hofstra’s top scorer in 23 of 29 games. He shoots 38.2 from three (5^th in CAA) and 41.8 from the field.
• 6’5” Senior guard Nathaniel Lester added 15 points vs. Siena and tallied double figures for the 20th time in 21 games. He’s averaging 14.4 ppg (8^th in CAA) and averages 6.7 rpg. Lester and Moore have combined for over 52% of Hofstra’s offense (983-of-1877 points) this season.
• 5’9” Junior guard Stevie Mejia is averaging 6.3 ppg, but had a career-high 16 points and 6 assists vs. Siena. Mejia has 3 double-digit efforts in the last 4 games.
• 6’0” Senior point guard Dwan McMillan ranks 2nd in the CAA with 4.5 apg and is 3rd in assist/TO ratio.
Tribe Disa & Data:

• Freshman Marcus Thornton scored a team-high 13 points at Drexel. Thornton has reached double figures 16 times this year. Over the last six games, Thornton has hit 13 of his last 22 attempts from 3-point range, which is a 59.1 percent clip. In league games only, Thornton ranks fourth in the CAA at 41.4 percent from 3-point range.
• Quinn McDowell, who had a team-high 15 pts at VMI, ranks 6th on W&M’s all-time scoring list with 1,583 pts and is the 4th player in W&M history with 1,500 pts and 500 reb in a career. He also is just eight minutes shy of breaking the school record for minutes played in a career. He has played 3978 career minutes and is on track to break David Schneider’s mark of 3985 vs. Hofstra.
• Brandon Britt averaged 13.0 ppg last week. He has 7 double-digit efforts in the last 12 games, including 24 pts in a win over NU. He is averaging 13 ppg over the last six games.
• Sophomore Tim Rusthoven put up his third double-double of the year at VMI with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He is averaging 11 points and 7.5 rebounds per game over the last 11 contests.
The Broadcast: Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM. Be sure to join us for The Countdown to Tipoff, which begins at6:30 PM along the network,92.3 FM and 107.9 FM, and on www.tribeathletics.com. Hear Coach Shaver’s thoughts prior to the tip, as well as get the scouting report on the Pride.
Let’s get win #6.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…

Megan Lyons — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:42:30 +0000

That’s right: baseball is here. Tribe baseball kicked off its season this weekend, taking 2-of-3 games against the University of Rhode Island. Going into the series, the Tribe was ranked 168^th in the NCAA, while URI stood at 70^th.

You read that correctly. URI was ranked a good 98 teams above W&M. This bodes well for Wednesday, when the Tribe will take on 3^rd ranked UVA at Charlottesville… right?

The main story of the weekend was the pitching. Starters Brett Koehler and Matt Wainman each earned wins, with John Farrell coming in for two saves. Freshman Jason Inghram showed promise in his starting slot in the third game, pitching a day earlier than expected due to poor weather predictions for Sunday. Matt Davenport also pitched a total of 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings over the first two games, a great start for his senior season.

Now for Michael Katz. Katz probably isn’t a name you’re too familiar with unless you listen to the radio in Missouri or watch too much Courage the Cowardly Dog, but that’s about to change. This freshman first baseman out of Falls Church, VA started his college career with the Tribe on Friday as the designated hitter. Katz drove in one of only two runs with a double to right center in the fourth. The second run was driven in on a sacrifice fly by Chris Forsten in the sixth. On Saturday, Katz replaced senior Tadd Bower at first, moving Bower to left field. The Saturday noon game looked a lot like Friday for those lucky enough to be in the stands, with Katz driving in the first run of the day with a single to left and Forsten following up with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, the pair once again driving in the Tribe’s two runs of the game. In game three Katz scored on a passed ball after singling to left, which unfortunately was not enough for a Tribe victory.

For a team that has struggled in the past with its hitting, Katz is a welcome addition to the line-up. Pitching won us our first two games, but the Tribe will need to step up its hitting if they hope to make the CAA playoffs this year. Josh Smith was another freshman stand out defensively with an impressive showing in right field.

Overall a great weekend for Tribe baseball. Final scores were 2-1 (W), 2-1 (W), and 4-3 (L).

Megan’s Game Balls:

Friday 2/17 4pm: Brett Koehler (W, 1-0, 7 scoreless innings, 5 strikeouts)

Saturday 2/18 12pm: Michael Katz (1B – 1 for 3, 1 RBI)

Saturday 2/18 2:45pm: Ryan Lindemuth (3B – 2 for 4, 1 run scored)

Sitting Down with Coach Leoni

Tribe Athletics — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:08:16 +0000

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - After narrowly missing a berth to the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament last spring, the William and Mary baseball team returns a wealth of talent this year and is eager to challenge for the conference title in 2012. Led by seventh-year head coach Frank Leoni, as well as tri-captains Sean Aiken, Ryan Brown and Chris Forsten, the talented and experienced squad looks poised to reach its postseason goals. With the start of the season less than a week away, TribeAthletics.com recently sat down with Leoni and discussed the upcoming campaign.

Direction Heading into the 2012 Campaign

What are the goals for Tribe baseball in 2012?
Coach Leoni: “Our goals remain simple. Make the CAA playoffs, try to win at least 30 games and win the CAA championship.”

Compared to last season where do you expect the biggest improvement to come from?
Coach Leoni: “I think we’ll be a much more effective offensive team. We did not do enough to adapt to the changes in the bats last year. Also, we have a considerable amount of experience returning in our line-up, which I think will provide improvement.”

What kind of identity do you anticipate this 2012 squad to have?
Coach Leoni: “This year’s edition will be “team first” all the way. I believe we’ll be tougher when it matters most.”

Who are you expecting big things from this season?
Coach Leoni: “I never like to single out players. That said, I believe our pitching will continue to lead the way. We’re more athletic this year, and as I’ve mentioned previously, our offense should be more productive.”

Chemistry is an integral part of any team; describe how important chemistry is in college baseball.
Coach Leoni: “Chemistry is very important in baseball, especially since there is more downtime than in other sports. Our team chemistry has been outstanding so far.”

Who will the Tribe rely on for leadership this season?
Coach Leoni: “We have nine seniors and 10 juniors. Many have played a lot for us over their time here. They are all doing a great job of keeping our team focused on what’s important. The leadership on this team has improved considerably.”

Pitching Outlook
Junior hurler Brett Koehler headlines a Tribe pitching staff that ranked near the top of the CAA last season in every major statistical category. The 2012 Preseason All-CAA selection dominated the competition last spring, posting an overall ERA of 2.73 and a league ERA of 1.25. After moving to the bullpen in the early part of last year, Koehler tallied eight saves, which was good for third in the CAA. Junior Matt Wainman, fresh off of a solid sophomore campaign brings depth and quality to the rotation. The southpaw started 10 games last season, posting a 5-3 record with a 4.06 ERA. Rounding out the returning experience is senior right-hander Matt Davenport, who made 18 starts in 2011, striking out 60 batters in only 68 innings pitched. Talented freshmen - Matt Houston and J.T. Castner - look to be in the mix, by adding quality depth to the staff.

Pitching Q&A:
Last year’s pitching staff ranked among the CAA’s best. What is the 2012 outlook for the pitching staff?
Coach Leoni: “The staff is solid once again. Replacing Logan Billbrough‘s contribution from a year ago will be difficult, but we have added some exciting new talent here, and there are others ready to step up to fill the void.”

Offensive Outlook
At the plate senior slugger Tadd Bower leads the College. Last season, Bower drove in a team- best 40 runs, while homering five times and tallying nine stolen bases. At one point last season, the Chesterfield, Va., native reached base in 38 straight games. Junior outfielder Ryan Brown adds to the Green and Gold firepower. Last spring, Brown started all 55 games and posted a .292 batting average. The speedy Brown led W&M with 15 stolen bases during the 2011 campaign, while his .445 on-base percentage was good for 10th in the CAA. Sophomore Ryan Lindemuth looks to keep the momentum rolling after a stellar freshman year. As a freshman last spring, Lindemuth appeared in all 55 contests, earning 54 starts.

Offense Q&A:
Offensively, what kind of potential exists?
Coach Leoni: “We have the potential to be a more consistent offense. The addition of Coach Miller has helped us change our mindset at the plate. The hitters have bought into being complete offensive players and I believe we’ll take better advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.”

Defensive Outlook
Defensively, the Tribe returns a core group that finished second in the CAA in fielding last spring, posting a team-fielding percentage of .967. Pacing the Green and Gold vacuum is junior outfielder Ryan Brown. Named a team captain for the 2012 season, Brown roams the gaps for W&M, and last season notched a .985 fielding percentage. Senior catcher Chris Forsten has been a mainstay behind the plate for the Tribe during his career. Named a captain for the third consecutive spring, the College will rely on Forsten for his solid defense and leadership abilities. Last season, 23 baserunners were caught stealing by Forsten, which ranked the senior leader third in the CAA.

Strong fielding and a solid bullpen can win a lot of games. How do you envision these two components being this season?
Coach Leoni: “As I mentioned, we’re more athletic this year, which I believe will translate into an improved defensive effort as well. We’ve made some changes to the middle of our infield, which I know will be positive in the long run. We have a host of players who should anchor another strong bullpen. Games are won and lost in the bullpen, so we feel we’re going to be in good shape.”

The Schedule
Headlining the non-conference portion of the 2012 slate are match-ups with 2011 College World Series participants Florida and Virginia. William and Mary opens the season on Friday, Feb. 17, as it welcomes the Rhode Island Rams to Plumeri Park, for a three-game series. On Feb. 21, the College will travel to Virginia for a mid-week game against the Cavaliers. Three days later on Friday, Feb.24, W&M treks down to Gainesville for a weekend series against the Gators. Rounding out the mid-week non-conference schedule are contests against VMI, NYIT, Quinnipiac, Norfolk State, Richmond, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Longwood, East Carolina and George Washington.

Colonial Athletic Association play begins for the College on Friday, March 9, as the Northeastern Huskies travel to Williamsburg for a weekend affair. Other league members making the trip to Williamsburg include: Towson, Delaware, Old Dominion and UNCW. Conference road trips are comprised of visits to: James Madison, George Mason, Georgia State, VCU and Hofstra.

Schedule Q&A:
The early season schedule consists of 2011 College World Series participants Florida and Virginia. In past seasons, the College has played national powers Oklahoma and LSU. How do playing these teams prepare the Tribe for the remainder of the season?
Coach Leoni: “Matching up against the best of the best prepares your team for conference play. There should not be much that we haven’t encountered once we get to CAA play. We’ll truly know our strengths and weaknesses, and what we’ll need to do to improve.”

The Tribe’s season gets underway Friday, Feb. 17, against the Rhode Island Rams. First pitch from Plumeri Park is slated for 4 p.m. Fans can follow all of the action online at TribeAthletics.com with live audio and stats.

The Visitors from Boston: Northeastern Preview

Bill McDonald — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:36:53 +0000

Northeastern Huskies (11-13, 7-7, 7th CAA)
Coach: Bill Coen (sixth season, 88-95).
The History: The Series between these two teams is brief, standing at 5 wins for each team. It has been strongly in favor of the Home Team. To this point the home team has won every matchup in the Series, including a 64-50 win by the Huskies up in Boston back on January 14th.
Last time out: The Huskies lost to Georgia State 61-59 on Wednesday. NU got 16 points and 8 rebounds from guard Joel Smith and fellow co-captain Jonathon Lee added 14 points, as the Huskies lost for the fifth time in their last nine games.
The Skinny:
NU, led by Juniors Jonathon Lee and Joel Smith, have been a very streaky team this season. They are currently riding a three game losing streak. They are the sixth best defensive team in the league (allowing 64.0 ppg), and are the 3^rd best three point shooters at 33% from long range although the majority of their points come from in close, as they look inside to the two young freshman forwards often.
The Players:
• Junior Jonathan Lee averaged 15.5 ppg last week and extended his double-figure scoring streak to 13 games. Lee has scored at least 9 points in every game this season. Lee ranks among the CAA’s top 10 in scoring (14.8ppg/8th), assists (3.6apg/6th) and steals (1.7spg/8th). He’s shooting 48.1% from the floor and 41.8% from three.
• Freshman Quincy Ford averaged 13.0 ppg and 6.0 rpg last week and blocked 5 shots. He has 9 double-digit scoring efforts in the last 11 games and is 26th in the CAA in scoring and 7th in steals.
• Junior Joel Smith scored 13 points at VCU and 16 against Ga. State. He has 7 double-figure outings in his last 10 games. Smith has made at least one 3 pointer in 42 of his last 45 games.
• Freshman Reggie Spencer leads the team in FG % at 50.8% from the floor and is tied for the rebounding lead with 5 per game.
Tribe Disa & Data:
• Freshman Marcus Thornton was named CAA ROY for the second time this season. His career-high 28 pts vs. VCU was the 6th-best total by a freshman in W&M history.
• Junior Matt Rum is the top 3 point marksman for the Tribe, shooting 38% from three. He is also the Tribe’s second best Free Throw shooter, hitting 81% of his attempts.
• The Tribe has definitely been a slow starter this season. W&M has scored almost 200 more points in the second half of games (33.3 pph) than in the first half of its games (25.6 pph).
The Broadcast: Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM. Be sure to join us for The Countdown to Tipoff, which begins at 6:30 PM along the network,92.3 FM and 107.9 FM, and on www.tribeathletics.com. Hear Coach Shaver’s thoughts prior to the tip, as well as get the scouting report on the Huskies.

Quinn to Win

Tribe Athletics — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:17:18 +0000

Quinn McDowell Named Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Finalist

Courtesy TribeAthletics.com

Overland Park, Kan. - William and Mary senior forward Quinn McDowell was named one of 10 finalists for the 2011-12 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Men’s Basketball Award, honoring student-athletes who excel both on and off the court. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.

An exceptional leader for the Tribe and a strong representative in the Williamsburg community, McDowell received the Dean Ehlers Leaders Award from the CAA in 2011, which is given to the student-athlete who “embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity and sportsmanship in conjunction with his academic athletic achievement.” A First-Team CAA All-Academic, McDowell is heavily involved in the community. He is the President of the Tribe Fellowship student organization on campus and leads a Bible Study group comprised of high school students at the Williamsburg Community Chapel.

On the court, the Mason, Ohio, native is leading the Green and Gold at 12.5 points per game to go along with 4.6 rebounds per game. He ranks second in the CAA at 83.8 percent from the free throw line and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (36.1). Earlier this season, McDowell became just the seventh player in W&M to score 1,400 career points and pull down 500 career rebounds. Over the Tribe’s last 10 games, the senior forward is averaging 15.1 points per game, including a season-high 26 at Towson on Jan. 11.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School^®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The finalists were chosen by a media committee from the list of 30 candidates announced in November. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to determine the winner. Fans are encouraged to vote on either the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award website or the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Facebook fan page through March 18. Fan votes will be combined with media and Division I men’s and women’s basketball head coaches’ votes to determine the winner.

McDowell joins a list of men’s finalists that includes William Buford (Ohio State), Aston Gibbs (Pittsburgh), Draymond Green (Michigan State), Mick Hedgepeth (Belmont), Robbie Hummel (Purdue), Ronald Nored (Butler), Zack Novak (Michigan), Zack Rosen (Penn) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina). The 10 women’s finalists are Denise Beliveau (New Hampshire), Brittany Carter (Memphis), Lauren Edwards (Princeton), Amanda Johnson (Oregon), Emilie Johnson (UCSB), Michelle Kurowski (UMBC), Natalie Novosel (Notre Dame), Nuemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford), Justine Raterman (Dayton) and Brittany Rayburn (Purdue).

Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, will announce the men’s Senior CLASS Award^® winner during the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four^®, which will be held March 31 and April 2 in New Orleans. The women’s award winner will be announced during the NCAA Women’s Final Four^®, which will be held April 1 and 3 in Denver.

About the Award
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School^®, the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award honors the attributes of senior student-athletes in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The award program is designed exclusively for college seniors who are utilizing their complete athletic eligibility, remaining committed to their university and pursuing the many rewards a senior season can bring. The award is sponsored by Lowe’s, an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, and is managed by Premier Sports Management.

About Lowe’s
With fiscal year 2010 sales of $48.8 billion, Lowe’s Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE^®50 company that serves approximately 15 million customers a week at more than 1,725 home improvement stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Founded in 1946 and based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s is the second largest home improvement retailer in the world. Lowe’s is an official Corporate Partner of the NCAA.

About the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletics opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit NCAA.org and NCAA.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes.

Hampton Roads Showdown: ODU Preview

Bill McDonald — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:00:04 +0000

ODU Monarchs (15-10, 10-3, 4th CAA)
Coach: Blaine Taylor (eleventh season, 230-120 at ODU).
The History: This is the 82^nd meeting in the series between William and Mary and ODU which began back in 1973 … ODU leads the series,65-16, and has won the last 8 and seventeen of the last nineteen meetings between the two teams,…the last time W&M beat the Monarchs, was a season sweep during the 2007-2008 season.
Last time out: The Monarchs last outing was a 54-50 loss to George Mason, in Fairfax, on Saturday. ODU got 13 points from Trian Illiadis and 10 points and 5 boards from Senior Chris Cooper in the loss.
The Skinny: While ODU, led by Seniors Kent Bazemore and Chris Cooper, is the fourth best defensive team in the league (allowing 60.8 ppg), they are not a great shooting team. They are only 10^th in FG % (40%), 11^th in FT % (61%) and next to last in 3pt % (31%). They are, however, the best offensive rebounding team in the CAA at 15.1 per game.
The Players:
• 6’9” Senior F Chris Cooper posted double-doubles vs. JMU (10pts/career-high 22reb) and Mason (10pts/10reb) and has 14 for the season. Cooper ranks 3rd in the CAA in rebounding (10.5 rpg) and 23rd in scoring (11.1 ppg).
• 6’5” Senior G Kent Bazemore had a team-high 19 pts vs. JMU and 11 at Mason. He’s scored double figures in 13 of the last 15 games and is averaging 14.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg inCAA play. Bazemore ranks 7th on the CAA’s career steals list with 229.
• 6’3” Senior G Trian Iliadis averaged 12.0 ppg last week. He’s scored 11+ points in 6 of his last 8 games, including 3 in a row.
• 6’8” Junior F Nick Wright is averaging 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
• 6’3” R-Fr. G Dimitri Batten is averaging 7.3 points and 2.3 rpg.
The Outlook: This is a “character game” for the Tribe. The game in Norfolk was, by far, their worst performance of the season. They were completely outclassed in most phases of the game. They need to prove that that game was an off night, a fluke, etc., and that they can compete with ODU as well as they have done with VCU. Obviously, the big difference is the imbalance between the two teams in the front court. The Tribe has to do a better job of boxing out and getting some inside production, and the guards have to prevent the seemingly regular appearance of the five minute scoring droughts in order to pick up the win.
Tribe Disa & Data:
• Freshman Marcus Thornton scored a career-high 28 pts vs. VCU on 10-12 FG shooting, including 5-6 from three. It was the 6th-best total by a freshman in W&M history.
• Senior Quinn McDowell scored a season-high 27 pts at UNCW. He ranks 6th on W&M’s all-time scoring list with 1,541 pts and is the 4th player in W&M history with 1,500 pts and 500 reb in a career. He also is one of four W&M players with 200 career treys.
• Soph. Brandon Britt added 19 points vs. VCU and has 4 double-digit efforts in the last 8 games.
• Soph. Tim Rusthoven scored 16 pts at UNCW and had 10 reb vs. VCU. He’s averaging 11.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg over the last seven games.
The Broadcast: Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM. Be sure to join us for The Countdown to Tipoff, which begins at 6:30 PM along the network,92.3 FM and 107.9 FM, and on www.tribeathletics.com. Hear Coach Shaver’s thoughts prior to the tip, as well as get the scouting report on the Monarchs.

Let’s get win #5.

Go Tribe!!

VIDEO: Tribal Fever Sports Minute – Feb. 2

Peter Hays — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:33:04 +0000

Going for the Sweep: JMU Preview

Bill McDonald — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:33:14 +0000

James Madison Dukes (9-11, 2-7, 9th CAA)
Coach: Matt Brady (fourth season, 64-58). Formerly HC at Marist.
The History: This is the 82^nd meeting between the Dukes and the Tribe. William & Mary is JMU’s longest continuous basketball rival. Madison leads the series with William & Mary 44-37, but the Tribe has won 19 of the last 28 games overall, including the 68-61 win in Williamsburg earlier this month.
Last time out: The Dukes fell to Georgia State by 74-58. Humpty Hitchens finished with 15 points, to lead JMU, while AJ Davis finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Dukes have gone 2-5 since losing to the Tribe back on January 4.
The Skinny: The Dukes are very much a perimeter oriented team, taking 21 3-pointers per game. They also make about 35% of them. Hitchens and Davis both shoot over 35% from three.
JMU is not a good free throw shooting team (66%) and is 11^th in rebounding margin, getting out rebounded by about 4 a game (W&M is 12^th).
They allow their opponents to score 69.4 ppg, while scoring 66.8 ppg.
The Players:
• 5’9” Senior Humpty Hitchens (transfer from Akron) scored a career-high 27 pts at UNCW and added 14 pts vs. Hofstra, which was his 15th double-figure effort this season. He ranks 5th in the CAA in scoring (15.7) and 4^th in assists (3.7). He tops the CAA in 3’s per game (2.7), 3’s made (54) and is 3rd in 3-pt FG% (38.8%).
• 6’6” Junior A.J. Davis (transfer from Wyoming) averaged 21.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 4.5 apg last week. He’s averaging 18.0 ppg over his last 7 games. He is 4^th in scoring in the CAA at 16.4 ppg and has seven 20-point games for the season.
• 6’4” Junior Devon Moore has upped his scoring to 9.7 ppg and hands out 3.7 assists per game.
• 6’8” Freshman Enoch Hood scored a career-high 14 pts at UNCW. He’s contributing 8.6 ppg and 5.3 rpg over his past 7 contests.
• 6’4” Freshman Arman Marks, 4.4 ppg, had career-highs of 14 pts and 5 steals against Hofstra.
Tribe Disa & Data:
• Soph. Tim Rusthoven posted his first two career double-doubles last week with 10 pts and a career-high 12 reb at VCU and a career-high 17 pts and 10 reb vs. UNCW. He added 12 points versus Drexel on Monday.
• Senior Quinn McDowell scored a team-high 18 pts vs. UNCW and is averaging 15.1 ppg over his last ten games. He ranks 8th on W&M’s all-time scoring list with 1,484 pts and needs 16 more to become the 4th player in W&M history with 1,500 pts and 500 reb. He was recently named one of the 10 Finalists for the 2011-2012 Lowe’s Senior Class Men’s Basketball award, honoring student-athletes nationally, who excel both on and off the court
• Freshman Marcus Thornton scored a team-high 22 pts at VCU and 18 points vs. Drexel. He’s reached double digits 13 times and is averaging 14.5 ppg since joining the starting lineup.
• Soph. Guard Brandon Britt added 11 pts, all in the second half, at VCU. He’s scored double figures in 3 of the past 7 games.
The Outlook: The Tribe is in the fourth game of five in a 10 day stretch. It became fairly obvious, in the second half against Drexel, that the tank was a bit low on many of the players. They will have to fight through the fatigue in order to come up with a win on the road. Another strong game from Rusthoven inside would be a big plus. The guards have to keep the turnovers low against a team that likes to go for steals. Defending the three will also be key.
The Broadcast: Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM. Be sure to join Jay and myself for The Countdown to Tipoff, which begins at 7:30 PM along the network, 92.3 FM and 107.9 FM, and on www.tribeathletics.com . Hear Coach Shaver’s thoughts prior to the tip as well as get the scouting report on the Dukes.
Let’s get CAA win #3.

Back in the Burg: UNCW Preview

Bill McDonald — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 03:21:44 +0000

UNC-W Seahawks (7-10, 3-4, 7th CAA)
Coach: Buzz Peterson (second season, 20-28).
The History: The Seahawks and Tribe meet for the 58th time on Saturday. UNCW leads the series by a 38-19 margin and has won thirteen of the last eighteen matchups, including three of the last four. Exactly 21 years ago, the two teams played a double overtime thriller, won 78-76 by the Seahawks.
Last time out: The Hawks come in off a 69-61 loss to JMU on Wednesday night. Sophomore forward Donte Morales paced UNCW with 14 points off the bench and Junior forward Keith Rendleman added 12 points and 17 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season.
The Skinny: The Seahawks are a very up and down team. They have lost three straight after winning four in a row. This is a bi-product of being one of the youngest teams in the country. There are six freshmen on the roster, with three of them in the starting lineup. They are the fourth best scoring team in the CAA, but the worst defensive team. They are strong on the offensive boards (a big problem for the Tribe), getting 12.8 offensive boards per game (3^rd in CAA). Adam Smith is one of the top freshmen in the League this season.
The Players:
• 6’7” Junior Keith Rendleman picked up his 9th double-double (12 pts/17 reb) at JMU. He’s scored double digits in 15 of his last 16 games and ranks 2nd in the CAA in rebounding (10.8 rpg) and 6th in scoring (15.9 ppg).
• 6’1” Freshman Adam Smith has 13 double-digit scoring efforts and four 20+ pt games, is 5th in the CAA (15.6 ppg) and 3rd among all Div. I freshmen in scoring.
• 6’4” Freshman point guard K.K. Simmons added 12 pts vs. JMU and is averaging 13.0 ppg over his last five contests.
• 6’7” Sophomore Donte Morales missed both games last week due to injury, before scoring 14 in his return against JMU.
Tribe Disa & Data:
• Quinn McDowell scored 15 points vs. VCU and a season-high 26 pts at Towson and is averaging 15.8 ppg over his last eight games. Quinn ranks 10th on W&M’s all-time scoring list with 1,459 points and is the 7th player in W&M history with 1,000 pts and 500 reb. He is now in eighth place on the W&M all time scoring list.
• Freshman Marcus Thornton, coming off a 22 point effort, has reached double digits 12 times and is 2nd on the team in scoring with 11.8 ppg.
• This game is the second in a brutal NBA-like run of 5 games in 10 days for the Tribe.
The Broadcast: Tip-off is set for 2:00 PM. Be sure to join me for The Countdown to Tipoff, which begins at 1:30 PM along the network,92.3 FM and 107.9 FM, and on www.tribeathletics.com. Jay & Charlie will be along for the play-by-play at 2:00 PM. Hear Coach Shaver’s thoughts prior to the tip, as well as get the scouting report on the Hawks.
Go Tribe!!

Back to School: Spring Basketball Preview

Peter Hays — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:53:53 +0000

Well the spring semester is upon us and as students from across the globe descend upon Williamsburg, Tribal Fever has a few course recommendations for the teams. So sharpen your pencils, set your cell phone to vibrate, and get ready for Tribal Fever’s selected spring schedule.

ANTH 201: Intro to Archaeology. Coach Tony Shaver is hoping to excavate past seasons’ successes down the stretch for the men’s team. Last season the team won 3 of their final 5 games, including the first round of the CAA tournament. The year before the team made it all the way to the finals of the tournament and earned an NIT berth. In 2008, the Tribe reeled off three straight tournament wins before falling to George Mason in the final. Hopefully this years team can capture some of that lightning in a bottle.

APSC 456: Random Walks in Biology. Dana Lotito is the newest addition to Tribe basketball. She walked onto the women’s team this month but has not accumulated any statistics yet. Lotito is from Conshohocken, Pennsylvania where she set her high school’s record for field goal percentage at a staggering 61%. Lotito joins an already successful frontcourt, but can add the element of precision shooting to Coach Debbie Taylor’s offense. Welcome to the Tribe, Dana.

CLCV 316: Greek and Roman Hero: Voyage of a Hero. In addition to his Roman name, freshman guard Marcus Thornton has certainly displayed all the hallmarks of the classical hero this season. Hailed as one of the best recruits in Tribe history, Thornton struggled in his first game with the Tribe, committing seven turnovers against St. John’s. Since then Thornton has greatly improved, and was named CAA Rookie of the Week on January 9th. Marcus has slipped of late however, averaging only 5 points against Towson and Northeastern.

BIOL 306: Microbiology. Doug Howard is small. Listed at 5′-9″, he is the smallest player on the team by four inches. However, Howard has been a consistent contributor for the team this season. He has seen action in seven games this season, and started against Eastern Kentucky. Over the course of those games he has amassed six points, two steals, four assists, and even two rebounds. That already matches his number of steals and rebounds last season and surpasses his assist total from last year.

ART 418: Advanced Architecture. With five players over six feet tall, the women’s team very much resembles a city skyline. 6′-3″ Emily Correal is averaging a double-double this season. Jaclyn McKenna, also 6′-3″, has kept up the scoring pace with over ten points per game. 6′-2″ Kaitlyn Mathieu has had some injury issues this season but has the unique ability of being able to rebound and shoot from range. While 6′-2″ Victoria Willems and 6′-4″ MacKenzie Morrison have seen very limited action this season, they both add a great amount of depth for the team.

BUAD 531: Forecasting. It’s never too late to look forward to next season and the Tribe has managed to already ink four recruits between the two teams. The men’s team has gotten commitments from Terry Tarpey and Sean Sheldon, while the women’s team has managed to sign Jamie Revels and Brooke Stewart. Tarpey, a 6′-5″ guard, was born in France but played high school basketball in Connecticut. Sheldon is a 6′-9″, 215 lb. forward from Michigan and can be a serious inside presence. Revels is a 6′-1″ forward who earned all city honors in Denver. Stewart is a 6′-0″ Massachusetts guard who should add some height to the backcourt.