A-10 Men's Basketball Notebook

The league report for the second week of Atlantic 10 play is highlighted by the first ever designation of a basketball team as the 'player of the week.' Only Temple was still on the sidelines; the Owls open their season on Tuesday Nov. 21.

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Player of the Week

Duquesne University
(see earlier story)

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WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• Charlotte’s De’Angelo Alexander scored 25 points in the 49ers’ game with North Texas on Nov. 12
• Brian Roberts averaged 25.5 points in Dayton’s two games this past week. He tallied 30 points - the most he has scored in a regulation game - in a 79-66 win over North Carolina A&T on Nov. 15. He followed that with 21 points in the Flyers’ loss at SMU on Nov. 18...Freshman teammate Kurt Huelsman averaged 8.5 rebounds in those two contests
• Aaron Jackson averaged 13.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists as Duquesne opened the season with a pair of wins...Freshman teammate Scott Grote posted 20.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg. His two free throws with 1.3 seconds left gave the Dukes a 77-76 win over UNC Asheville on Nov. 18
• Brenton Butler scored 20 points in Fordham’s 78-71 loss at No. 25/24 Tennessee on Nov. 13
• Rob Diggs had a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds in George Washington’s 74-60 win over Longwood on Nov. 17
• Darnell Harris led all scorers with 25 points in La Salle’s season-opening 66-60 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Nov. 18
• Stephane Lasme averaged 14 points and 11.5 rebounds in a pair of UMass games this past week
• Kahiem Seawright averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds in three Rhode Island contests. He also shot 13-25 (.520) from the field and 21-29 (.724) from the foul line
• Dan Geriot led Richmond to a pair of season-opening wins by averaging 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. He had 18 points and five assists in the Spiders’ 61-50 win over American on Nov. 17
• St. Bonaventure’s Michael Lee posted 17 points and 10 rebounds in the Bonnies’ 69-64 win over Central Arkansas on Nov. 14
• Ahmad Nivins averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in a pair of Saint Joseph’s wins, including a career-high 20 points (15 in the second half) in a 63-47 win over Fairfield on Nov. 14...Freshman teammate Jawan Carter averaged 10.0 points and 4.5 assists in that span, including a best of 18 points and five assists in an 81-73 win at Lafayette on Nov. 17
• Kevin Lisch averaged 23.0 points on 13-25 (.520) shooting from the field, 8-12 (.667) shooting from three, and 12-14 (.857) shooting from the line in leading Saint Louis to two more wins. In the Billikens’ 82-69 win over Lamar on Nov. 18, Lisch tallied a career-high 27 points to go with five assists and no turnovers
• Drew Lavender had 14 points and five assists in Xavier’s 70-67 win over VCU on Nov. 17.

EXTENDED

La Salle director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation Dr. Thomas Brennan announced on Nov. 13 that head coach John Giannini has received a contract extension that will lengthen his contract through the 2010-11 season. “Dr. John took over our men’s basketball program at a critical time and has proven to be the right man for the job,” said Brennan. “He has demonstrated the skill and ability to lead our young student-athletes.” In just his second season as head coach, Giannini led the Explorers to an 18-10 record and gave La Salle a third-place finish in the Atlantic 10 - its highest mark since joining the Conference in 1995-96.

X-PERIENCE

There is a reason Xavier was the overwhelming choice to defend its Atlantic 10 title. Senior forward Justin Doellman has started 91 straight games, senior forward Justin Cage has started 81 straight, and junior guard Stanley Burrell has started 57 of the last 58 games. Junior forward Josh Duncan took over a spot in the starting lineup for the final 11 games last season and has now started 13 straight games. The new kid on the block, junior guard Drew Lavender, is hardly a rookie. He has already logged 61 career starts, including 59 at Oklahoma and two at Xavier.

THE MAN

George Washington senior Carl Elliott is embracing his role as the Colonials’ go-to guy. The guard scored consecutive career highs in GW’s first two games of the season - a 25-point performance in a 70-57 win on Nov. 10 at Boston University, and a 29-point outburst as GW blasted Dartmouth, 94-49, on Nov. 14. With his nine-point, seven-rebound effort on Nov. 17 in a 74-60 win over Longwood, Elliott is averaging 21.0 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.

THE TERMINATOR

We’re not sure if Stephane Lasme will ever run for governor of California, but he is fulfilling one of the other roles played by Arnold. Lasme, who has already established himself as one of the best shot blockers in the country, is looking to show he is one of the best well-rounded players. His numbers say that he is succeeding. Through three games, the senior is averaging 11.7 ppg on 14-20 shooting form the field. That’s 70 percent if you’re scoring at home. He is also pulling down 9.7 rebounds a game. And, lest we forget, he has 12 blocks in those three games.

THE RUNNIN’ RAMS?

Former Rhode Island sports information director and radio play-by-play voice Jim Norman used to say, “The runnin’ Rams are on the air.” It’s been a while since you could say the Rams were a running team. That is until now. With a team of young guys who like to run, head coach Jim Baron has adapted his style and philosophy to his players. Thus, the runnin’ Rams are back. In four games, the Rams are averaging an A-10 best 85.0 ppg, which includes a 99-point effort on Nov. 13 against Houston. To put that effort in perspective, since the 1997-98 season, URI has gone over 90 on the scoreboard just nine times.

IT’S ABOUT TIME

Temple begins the Fran Dunphy Era on Nov. 21 at Kent. The Owls are the last A-10 team to open the season.

THE DYNAMIC DUO

Last year, they were the best rookie tandem in the Atlantic 10. This year, guards Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch of Saint Louis are at it again. Liddell, the A-10 Rookie of the Year last season, is third in the A-10 in rebounding at 11.0 per game. He is also scoring 14.7 ppg. Lisch, who joined Liddell on the All-Rookie team, leads the Bills with a 19.0 ppg average, which includes a career-high 27 points in an 82-69 win over Lamar on Nov. 18.

MR. ROBERTS’ NEIGHBORHOOD

Junior Brian Roberts is seven free throws away from becoming the only Dayton player to be among the school's top five in career three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. Roberts is already there in long-range shooting as his .419 (121-289) from behind the arc is third. His .808 free throw percentage (143-177) would be fourth if he were not short of the minimum needed. Roberts has had a tremendous start to his junior campaign. The guard is averaging an Atlantic 10-leading 26.7 ppg on 53.2 percent shooting from the field and 50.0 percent shooting from three.

THE BUTLER IS DOING IT

Fordham freshman Brenton Butler has gotten off to a fast start, scoring 14 points in the Rams’ season-opening 70-68 win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 10 and following that with a 20-point effort in a 78-71 loss at No. 25/24 Tennessee on Nov. 13. That is the best start by a Fordham freshman since current Ram Bryant Dunston (now a junior) scored 20 and 14 in his first two games in 2004-05.

JUST LIKE OLD TIMES

It has been since the days of Caswell Cyrus and Peter Van Paassen back in 1999-2000 that St. Bonaventure featured a frontcourt worth talking about. The Bonnies have something to brag about this season with junior forward Michael Lee and senior center Paul Williams. Last year, that duo combined to average 22.8 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. Lee finished among the top 20 players in the A-10 in scoring (12.7), rebounding (6.5), and blocked shots (1.1). Williams finished seventh in the A-10 in rebounding (7.1) and averaged 10.1 points per game. In the Atlantic 10 Conference, only UMass’ Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme boast better numbers among the returning frontcourt tandems (24 points/16 rebounds on average). This year, the duo is picking up where they left off. Through three games, they are combining to average 33.3 points and 19.3 rebounds a game.

THE O.R.

Saint Joseph’s freshman Darrin Govens underwent surgery to repair a fracture of the fourth metacarpal of his right hand. Govens, who injured the hand in the Hawks’ opener on Nov. 14, will begin rehabilitation immediately. His return to the court is undetermined.

BAD NEWS

Charlotte freshman center Phil Jones has been declared ineligible by the NCAA following a review of his academic records. Jones enrolled at Charlotte in late August and was allowed to practice with the team while the review took place. He was unable to play in the 49ers exhibition game and their two regular-season games. At Laurinburg (NC) Institute last year, he averaged 19.0 ppg and 120 rpg.

DE JA VU?

Don’t let the headline fool you, we are not saying that since Saint Joseph’s Jawan Carter hails from the same hometown as Jameer Nelson (Chester, PA) and since he is the first freshman to start at point guard since you know who did in 2001-01 that Carter is the next you know who. Carter, who finished his high school career at the Tatnall School as Delaware’s all-time leading scorer with 2,464 points, is off to a good start to his Hawks’ career, averaging 10.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds a game. He is part of Saint Joseph’s kiddie corps backcourt. Freshman Garrett Williamson starts opposite Carter, while D.J. Rivera and Darrin Govens (pre-injury, see previous note) are the first guards off the bench.

A FRESH START

Duquesne started three true freshmen - forwards Robert Mitchell, Stephen Wood, and Scott Grote - in its season-opening 81-75 win over Youngstown State on Nov. 13. Since NCAA bylaws were changed to grant freshmen eligibility prior to the 1972-73 season, Duquesne had never opened with three freshmen in the starting lineup. In fact, since 1972-73, the Dukes had opened the season with two freshman starters on just four occasions. Mitchell (14 points), Grote (23 points), and Wood (11 points) combined for 31 of the Dukes’ 41 second-half points as Duquesne rallied from eight down to pull out the win. By the way, Grote’s 23 points tied for third-most by a Duquesne player in his first varsity game. Grote, who missed four free throws in the final 43 seconds, was three shy of tying the record of 26 set by Tom Pipkins versus Robert Morris in the 1993-94 opener.

DREAMS DO COME TRUE

Richmond red-shirt freshman Ryan Butler was injured in the preseason last year and played in two games before shutting it down for the season. Butler, the son of former Spider star Jeff Butler, is back from his foot injury and looks to be in the starting lineup for the 2006-07 season opener against East Carolina. Butler, who grew up near campus and starred at nearby Douglas Freeman HS, has been going to games in the Robins Center since he was a young boy. Butler did come off the bench to play in the 2005-06 season opener against Hampton for five minutes. Butler and his father are the second father-son duo to play for the Spiders, joining Pat DiServio (1981-83) and Tony DiServio (1945-47). Jeff Butler was a star for the Spiders from 1975-77, leading the team in scoring both seasons. He averaged 14.3 points per game in 1975-76 and 16.3 points per game in 1976-77. Jeff Butler was later an assistant coach for the Spiders under Dick Tarrant, who regularly attends games in the Robins Center.