 |
 |
Five for Friday
By: Ian Nolan, Columnist
Welcome to another installment of "Five for Friday". Each week I'll
tackle five different topics within the Atlantic 10: A game, a
player, a team, a statistic, and a wild-card subject. Players and
the team of the week do not necessarily reflect the most
outstanding team and/or player, but represent only an individual or
squad I find worthy of some ink.
This week, I'll turn my attention to Michael Davenport of St. Bonaventure, Xavier and Richmond's critical Sunday match-up, the disappointing season of the La Salle Explorers, and also break down the race for the Atlantic 10's Most Outstanding Player award and more.
-------------------------------------------
1. The Player: Michael Davenport (So.) - Guard, St.
Bonaventure
A few weeks back I asked St. Bonaventure sophomore guard Michael Davenport to give me a scouting report of his game, as if he were an assistant coach on an opposing team. Here is what the 6-4 guard had to say:
"Driver and a slasher. He loves to grab offensive rebounds, great at boxing out, good defender, plays hard and really defends."
Interestingly enough, Davenport mentions his rebounding and defensive abilities more than he does his offensive game; a rare find in today‘s college game. Clearly, the current sixth man of the Bonnies knows his role within the team and knows exactly what his talents are; he is self-aware to be sure.
A lefty with a high-arching jump shot, Davenport has shown the potential to become a second scoring option in the future for the Bonnies (Davenport scored 19, and 16 against Saint Joseph's and UMass) who could pair well with big man and fellow classmate Andrew Nicholson. That said, coming out of Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller Catholic High School, Davenport was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year, known around the city for his great man-to-man defense. Schmidt and company took note and signed the guard knowing he could be a piece to build around on the defensive end.
After averaging just 3.3 points a year ago, Davenport says he attributes his growth to increased confidence and playing time. "My confidence has gone up in all aspects of the game", he said. At first, I was second guessing myself, looking over my shoulder when the horn would buzz at the scorer's table. Now my confidence has gone sky high."
As a sophomore, the Cincinnati native has increased his scoring to 8.2 points on 43% shooting, and grabs four rebounds a game in 25 minutes of work per night. Anyone who has seen him play knows that Davenport's incredible vertical leaping abilities make him one of the best rebounding guards in the league.
It is an area of his game that he takes great pride in: "God has blessed me with some great leaping ability. But it takes a skill of being able to read the ball in the air and time it, especially on the defensive end. I want teams to get one shot and that's it, the balls mine."
Mark Schmidt certainly has holes to fill next year at the two and three positions, and while Davenport is not yet the offensive player that seniors Chris Matthews or Jonathan Hall are, he brings a much needed and seldom found skill-set to the Bonnies: Great on-ball defense and a willingness to rebound the basketball from the wing. Expect Davenport to provide those in spades next year, and to increase his offensive game as he perfects his jumper over the summer.
2. The Game: Xavier (20-7, 11-2) vs. Richmond (22-6, 11-2), Sunday, 1:00pm
When the Musketeers and Spiders meet Sunday at the Cintas Center there will be plenty on the line. Most obviously, both the Atlantic 10 regular season title and seeding heading into conference tournament are hanging in the balance with each club at 11-2 with three games to play. Another compelling story line to consider is the Player of the Year race which could also be determined during the course of the game... as Jordan Crawford and Kevin Anderson know that winning this contest and the league could very well mean taking home individual hardware at year's end.
Richmond enters the game having won eight straight contests while
Xavier has spun off four straight victories of their own including
a non-conference triumph over a charging Florida
team down in Gainesville. Both are hot, both are armed with
two of the best players in the conference and while Xavier is armed
with an explosive offense (best in the A-10 in points per game),
Richmond sports the third best defense in the league giving up just
a tick over 60 points per game. So what to look for in this
fantastic late season match-up?
Richmond is well aware that rebounding the ball is not their forte. That being said, at 13thin the conference with a -4.6 ratio, Richmond must at least limit the damage on the boards against a Xavier team ranked fourth in rebounding margin - armed with bigs such as Jason Love (8.4 rebounds), Kenny Frease (4.8 rebounds) and the resurgent Jamel McLean (7.1 rebounds). Richmond cannot allow Xavier's forwards a bevy of second chance points after gaining position on the blocks. With Dan Geriot still a shell of his former self, Richmond must receive major contributions from Justin Harper, Darrius Garrett and Ryan Butler to contain the Xavier forwards who are more physical and athletic than them.
In order to do that, the Spiders are going to have to use their guards to pressure the Xavier wings in order to make entry passes difficult. Richmond must continue getting into the passing lanes when Xavier guards beat them off the dribble to force turnovers. The player to watch in that department is Ryan Butler (1.5 steals) who is one of the best in the league at jumping the pass across the floor. Applying pressure on the perimeter should be a natural task for Richmond since Xavier sports the best three-point field goal percentage in the league at 38%. Richmond's great guard pressure has produced the second most steals in the league this year at 8.4 per game.
Similarly, Richmond's motion offense has yielded the second best three-point shooting team in the league behind the efforts of Gonzalvez, Anderson and Butler. Xavier must have long close-outs on the wings, but at the same time be mindful of Richmond players cutting backdoor during their sets. If Xavier cannot keep the Richmond guards out of the paint they will be setting themselves up for trouble as Gonzalvez and Anderson can work their way into the paint kick to open wings in their spread offense. Stopping the dribble penetration of one of the nation's finest backcourts in Anderson and Gonzalvez will be critical for Xavier Sunday afternoon.
A final factor to consider will be the obvious difference in pace that each team will want to create. Richmond is going to run judiciously while Xavier is going to want to push the pace playing in front of their home crowd. Richmond will use their experience to dictate the pace as best they can, but if Chris Mack's club can engineer on a run via some big baskets by Crawford or Redford, Richmond will be hard-pressed to escape the Cintas with a victory; something no team has done all year.
3. The Statistic: Damian Saunders' 192 Career Steals
In the course of the past two years Damian Saunders has vaulted himself into the discussion as one of the most well-rounded players in the league. The 6-7 junior forward is averaging 15 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.3 blocks and 2.8 steals per game, as his stat line demonstrates his versatility. Saunders had grabbed an eye-popping 122 offensive boards this year, and is shooting just under 50% from the floor.
But it is his defensive efforts that garner him print here.
Beyond his offensive numbers Saunders is a versatile big man who can play on the wings, using his above average ball handling ability to take slower big men off the bounce. But Saunders has also used his deceptive quickness, great hands and versatility to swipe 192 steals in just 91 career games for the Dukes. His ability to be a quality perimeter on-ball defender against both forwards and guards alike has given Duquesne a tremendous asset on the defensive end. As a safety net, consider that fact that even if Saunders is beaten off the dribble his ability to quickly recover and become a shot blocker can help erase mistakes away from the basket from both he and his teammates.
Saunders has a chance to break into the league's all-time top 10steal leaders next year, as David Hawkins of Temple currently stands in tenth with 259 thefts. Richmond's Kevin Anderson is second in the league in steals this year, and as a junior has 158 career steals while Saint Joseph's senior Garret Williamson (considered by most to be the best defender in the league) has 169 steals. Both guards flash impressive numbers, but neither can stack up to Saunders who has become a "thief" in every sense of the word as most would not peg him to be climbing the all-time lists in takeaways.
The junior currently ranks in the league's top 10 in scoring, rebounding, steals, blocks and field goal percentage.
4. The Team: La Salle Explorers, A Promising Season Gone South
A quick take on the Explorers: Considered by many to be a sleeper in the league's title race this year because of their five seniors, La Salle has faltered down the stretch in a big way - dropping their last seven games. To be sure, the Explorer's downfall has been in large part due to a rash of injuries suffered by a pair of key players. Senior guard Kimmani Barrett (13 ppg) has been out since January 10thand forward Yves Mekonogo Mbala (11 ppg) hasn't played since February sixth. The two seniors combined to average 24 points and over nine rebounds, and while their losses certainly depleted the talent and depth of Dr. John Giannini's club, the injuries alone are not a satisfactory excuse for all that's gone wrong in Philadelphia.
Fact is, on January 10th, La Salle was 8-7 and showing no signs of establish itself as a title contender in the league. On this date, the Explorers had a clean bill of health and suffered losses in four straight games (including a loss to then disjointed Binghamton) before downing UMass in their second league game. Now, the senior laden club has loss all six of their February games, and is fighting for their tournament lives against city rival Saint Joseph's. Rodney Green and company have lost their last four games by an average of 13.7 points, unacceptable for a squad that still is fighting for a place in the league's top 12.
With three games to play (Temple, UMass and St. Joseph's) La Salle has plenty to play for; it's just not what they thought it would be when the year started. Let's keep an eye on the finish with only their pride and effort being questioned now. If they can't get up for these last three (including the Saint Joseph's game which could very well determine the 12 seed) then there's not much more to be said.
5. The Wildcard: The Race for the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year
With most clubs having just under a handful of games remaining and the conference tournament rapidly closing in, it is the perfect time to drum up debate by discussing the Player of the Year candidates. Below are my top five in order with a short blurb on each.
1. Jordan Crawford, Xavier - First year player in the league has made a major splash as he leads the conference in scoring and is leading Xavier to a potential league title. Not a one trick pony, Crawford shots over 40% from three, averages over 4.5 rebounds and dishes out three assists per game. Simply put: he was hyped up in the summer and has exceeded all expectations; the best offensive player in the league as a sophomore.
2. Kevin Anderson, Richmond -Was the league's best point guard last year, and is the league's best point guard again this year. The difference? His team is 22-6, 11-2 in the league and is bound for the NCAA Tournament. Anderson's 17.5 points and 2.7 assists pace the Spiders and his leadership at the point has been invaluable for a team that runs such a disciplined offensive system. If Richmond wins the league title, expect Anderson to jump Crawford and steal the award.
3. Lavoy Allen, Temple -Allen's numbers (11.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists) aren't mind-blowing but his team's record (23-5, 11-2) and national ranking (No. 18) are a byproduct of Allen's all around game. The junior is the best big man in the league, and his defensive IQ and skill set are a major reason why Temple hasn't missed a beat without Dionte Christmas. He's a dark horse, and probably going to be a favorite to win this next year as a senior.
4. Ryan Brooks, Temple - Temple earns two players on this list and why not? They have been the best team in the league all year and Brooks has been the senior leader. Averaging 14.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and shooting 31% from three and 79% from the line, Brooks has become the scorer that Fran Dunphy had hoped he would during his sophomore year. Seniors usually get a nice advantage when it comes to this award, so don't sleep on Brooks when the ballots get returned in a few weeks.
5. Keith Cothran, Rhode Island - Cothran and the Rams seemed poised to be on their way to the Big Dance prior to their three game losing streak this month. Still, Cothran has had a great year averaging 15 points, 3.6 rebounds while shooting a much improved 70% from the line. Cothran has shouldered much of the scoring load for the Rams quite nicely, and has grown leaps and bounds since his freshman and sophomore years. Had the Rams not faltered down the stretch he may have received a longer look.
* * * *
