Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Hurley

Manhattan College Jasper Chris Smith To Transfer

Michael Hurley — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:18:54 -0400

Manhattan College Jaspers' sophomore guard Chris Smith signed his release papers yesterday according to a couple sources close to the basketball program. Smith was second on the team in scoring in 2008-'09 with 13.4 points per game.

He also led the team in rebounding with 5.7 rebounds per game.

Smith, the younger brother of Nuggets player J.R Smith, was coach Barry Rohrssen's most heralded recruit of his three years here. Smith came out of St. Benedict's after a fall semester post graduate studies in 2007.

He started playing second semester of the 2007-2008 year at Manhattan College. Smith came out of St. Benedict's, garnering attention from Big East schools like Seton Hall and Rutgers. Manhattan College was the only school that would allow him to play starting spring semester 2008.

The other schools wanted him to redshirt and start playing the following fall. Even though he only played half the year he was a huge contributor averaging 9.9 points per game in half a year of play.

Smith was a player who oozed with potential that he never seemed to live up to at Manhattan College. He went for 35 points against Princeton, including 4-of-5 from three-point range.

Smith finished the year shooting less than 29 percent from behind the arc. He also developed into the best rebounder on the team toward the end of the year. This is a huge loss for Manhattan College.

It is an even bigger loss for Barry Rohrssen. After three years at Manhattan Coach Rohrssen has posted conference records of 10-8, 5-13, and 9-9. In all fairness the previous head coach, Bobby Gonzalez, left the cupboard bare when he left.

Coach Rohrssen had seven freshmen play his first year and finished with his best record 10-8. Three of Gonzalez's players who transferred after Bobby left, C.J Anderson, C.J Lee, and Jeff Xavier, played in postseason tournaments this year.

Regardless next year is a big year for Coach Rohrssen and it just got a whole lot tougher when his top recruit left.

Dennis Wolff Fired! Will Pitino's Son Take the Boston Terriers' Reins?

Michael Hurley — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:57:16 -0400

There has been a whole lot of speculation on who will take over the Boston University basketball team.

Head coach Dennis Wolff has been fired after 15 years.

Wolff won the most games in program history, 247, and had four seasons remaining on a ten-year contract. His buyout is rumored to be over $1 million.

The team finished in third place and will return four starters—including America East first-team players Corey Lowe and John Holland. They also return Freshman of the Year Jake O'Brien.

Considering these factors, Athletic Director Mike Lynch must have some top candidates in mind, because Wolff was coming off a winning season and a third-place finish in the America East despite season-ending injuries to two impact players this year.

The cupboard is also not bare, given the aforementioned players' return. With Lowe, Holland, and O'Brien returning the incoming coach will have an impressive roster that will be able to contend immediately in the America East. This hopefully will attract better candidates than if waited to fire Wolff.

AD Mike Lynch decided to hire Parker Executive Search at a price of $75,000 to search for the new coach. The company is well-respected and has been used in searches for Notre Dame's Athletic Director, Nebraska's head football coach, the Big 12 commissioner, and basketball coaches for the likes of LSU, Arkansas, Kentucky, Iowa, Minnesota, and Oregon State.

Lynch obviously is not looking to fill the position prematurely, but rather will deliberate over many qualified candidates. Now onto the possible candidates.

Within a day of the firing, The Boston Globe reported a list that led with Richard Pitino, Rick Pitino's son. Pitino is an assistant at Louisville for his father. He previously was an assistant for St. Andrew's High School in Rhode Island, the College of Charleston, Northeastern, and Duquesne. Pitino has spent the last two years assisting his father.

When asked about his interest in the BU job Pitino responded, "I would be very interested." Although there is immediate name recognition with the Pitino hiring, he has only been an assistant at the Division-I level for five years. He does have Boston roots, as he went to St. Sebastian's, but he is very young.

The other Louisville assistants who are in the running are Steve Masiello and former Celtic Walter McCarty. McCarty played for Pitino at Kentucky and on the Celtics. He has only been coaching for a couple years, so he is inexperienced. McCarty would immediately bring name recognition and he has expressed interest, but he is considered a long shot.

Steve Masiello on the other hand is the most experienced of the three Louisville assistants. Masiello has been assisting Pitino for four years. Prior to that he was an assistant to Bobby Gonzalez at Manhattan College for four years, two of which Manhattan made it to the tournament.

It has been reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal that Masiello is not interested in the job and is waiting for a bigger opening, MAC/A-10/C-USA type.

It will be interesting how Rick Pitino plays into. If he is pushing for one of his coaches over the others it would probably be his son Richard. Also does Pitino have enough juice left to even get the coach he wants the job at BU. He is not the only coach recommending his assistant.

Before UConn's opening game against Chattanooga Jim Calhoun said, "I called Mike Lynch and talked to him about Andre (LaFleur). I think there was some interest." LaFleur was one of the top scorers for Calhoun at Northeastern. LaFleur then played and coached overseas for 11 years. He has been part of the UCONN staff for the last eight years.

Other top assistants mentioned have included Pat Duquette for BC, Pittsburgh assistant Tom Herrion, and Providence assistant Pat Skerry.

Duquette has spent the last 12 years on the BC staff. BC has been incredibly successful during his time with post-season berths in seven of the last eight seasons. Duquette has stated he would not leave for just any job, but this does not seem to be any job because he has expressed his interest.

Herrion has been the associate head coach for Pitt the last two years. Before that he was the head coach for the College of Charleston and led the team to an 80-38 record under him including an NIT appearance and a top-25 ranking.

Herrion has also been the assistant at the University of Virginia for two years and Providence College for four years. In total he has 18 years of experience at the college level. Herrion was a graduate of Division II Merrimack College and grew up in Oxford.

Pat Skerry spent this past season assisting Keno Davis at Providence College. Prior to that he was an assistant at Rhode Island for three years, spent two years assisting Tom Herrion, another possible candidate, at College of Charleston, and three years at William & Mary. Skerry has spent 17 years at the collegiate level, 12 of which have been in New England.

Other names mentioned include former Providence and Iona head coach Tom Welsh, former Celtic Ed Pinckney, former Harvard head coach Frank Sullivan.

Tim Welsh is the only coach with experience at a high level school in Division I who is under consideration. Welsh has expressed interest in the job. He coached the Iona Gaels to three straight MAAC championships and post-season births. His teams made the NIT twice and NCAA once.

Welsh then moved onto Providence where he was unable to match the success at Iona, but finished with five post-season births in ten years. None of his teams ever won a NCAA tournament game. His overall record is 215-148. Welsh also was an assistant at Florida State, Syracuse, and Iona before becoming the head coach of the Gaels.

Pinckney has been an assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves for two years and previously spent the prior four years as an assistant for his alma mater, the Villanova Wildcats. Pinckney played in the NBA for twelve years for multiple teams including the Celtics. Pinckney starred for Villanova in their run to the National Championship in 1985.

Sullivan has expressed interest in the position. He spent 33 years coaching at the collegiate level including his last 16 as head coach of Harvard. Sullivan also assisted at recognizable schools like Villanova and Seton Hall. Sullivan also was a very successful head coach at Bentley for seven years. He has spent the past two seasons as the America East coordinator of officials. Sullivan is a native of Lexington and went to Westfield State.

AD Mike Lynch seems to want a new face for the program, so I doubt Tim Welsh, the most qualified, or Frank Sullivan are in the running even though both have expressed their interest. If any of the Louisville assistants are going to get this job it will be Richard Pitino, because the name still resonates at BU and also on a national stage. Masiello does not seem to have interest in it removing one of Richard's biggest competitors for the position.

The Pitino coaching tree has already produced numerous successful coaches, including Billy Donovan, Tubby Smith, Ralph Willard, Reggie Theus, Herb Sendek, and Travis Ford, to name a few. Pat Duquette is a formidable competition for the job. He knows the area so well and has much more experience than Pitino. LeFleur will be getting a head coaching shot soon, but it does not look like this year will be his.

Watch out for the dark horse Tom Herrion in all this.

Favorites: Richard Pitino, Louisville assistant; Andre LeFleur, UConn assistant; Pat Duquette, BC assistant.

Dark Horses: Tom Herrion, Pitt assistant.

Longshots: Walter McCarty, Louisville assistant; Ed Pinckney, Timberwolves assistant.

Checking In on The Pac-10: 1/28 Edition

Michael Hurley — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:43:37 -0500

Here's some news and notes from around the Pac-10....

California's 66.7 percent field-goal percentage against Oregon was the best any Pac-10 team has registered in conference play this year. Theo Robertson of the Golden Bears still leads the nation in three-point percentage, shooting 55.2 percent.

Cal's Patrick Christopher is just 13 points shy of 1,000 career points, currently sitting at 987 points. Teammate Jerome Randle is right behind at 957. Randle is also ninth in career 3-point field goals made at 125, and tenth in career assists with 313. Randle is also first in career free-throw percentage at 85.7 percent.

This is just the third time Washington has started 6-1 in the last 25 years. Washington has won 13 of their last 14 games. It is the first time the Huskies have been in sole possession of first place in the Pac-10 since January 2005.

It is just the third time Washington has started 6-1 in the conference in the last 25 years. The only time the Huskies ever had a better start through seven games was 1953 when they went 7-0.

Last week, Washington averaged getting to the free throw line 41.5 times a game. If they keep getting to the line this much they will be hard to beat.

Jordan Hill’s 30 points and 18 rebounds against Houston was the Arizona junior's first game of his career that he broke the 20-point and 15-rebound plateaus. Oklahoma's Blake Griffin, on the other hand, has put together 10 such games so far this year.

Aubrey Coleman’s face stomp of Chase Budinger was the most classless act I have seen in years. He should have been suspended multiple games for that. Each high-five he got while leaving the game should have added a game to it.

Oregon State’s three conference victories so far match their total of the last two seasons combined.

Joe Lunardi currently has Arizona State, California, UCLA and Washington getting in the dance. It is hard to see any other Pac-10 teams really making a push. USC has been too inconsistent still and they are the only other team with a shot in my mind.

Check Lunardi's bracket out here.

Player of the week - Calvin Haynes, Oregon State

Haynes averaged 22 points a game this week. Haynes shot 64 percent from the field, including 7-for-12 from 3-point range and a perfect 5-for-5 from the line. He also averaged four rebounds a game in Oregon State’s 2-0 week.

Honorable Mention:

Isaiah Thomas averaged 20.5 points while leading the Huskies into first place in the Pac-10 this week. Jerome Randle of Cal averaged 21 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds a game in two games this week. In Jordan Hill’s only game this week he scored 30 points and had 18 rebounds for Arizona.

Team of the week - Washington

As well as Oregon State is doing, Washington held court at home against USC and UCLA. Walking away with both victories vaulted the Huskies into first place. The team has won 13 of their last 14 and is on fire.

Game of the week

Arizona’s comeback against Houston this week was impressive. The Wildcats were down nine with less than a minute to play.

Arizona’s furious comeback can partly be attributed to Aubrey Coleman’s blatant disregard for Chase Budinger’s face. After he stepped on Budinger’s face and was ejected, Arizona mounted a comeback. The Wildcats scored 55 points in the second half.

Best game of the upcoming week:

01/31 Washington at Arizona State – Washington has yet to play one of the top-tier teams (Arizona State, UCLA, Cal) on the road. It will be a great chance to see James Harden go up against Isaiah Thomas. Arizona State has a chance to snap Washington’s four-game winning streak and get the Sun Devils back into a tie for first place.

Team Rankings:

1. Washington (15-4, 6-1)

2. Arizona State (16-3, 5-2)

3. UCLA (15-4, 5-2)

4. California (16-4, 5-2)

5. USC (13-6, 4-3)

6. Oregon State (9-10, 3-5)

7. Stanford (13-4, 3-4)

8. Arizona (12-8, 2-5)

9. Washington State (11-8, 3-4)

10. Oregon (6-14, 0-8)

For the detailed team rankings and my Pac-10 notes check RushtheCourt every Thursday.

What Are The Chances Siena Finishes Undefeated In Conference Play?

Michael Hurley — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:23:09 -0500

I know this may seem a little bit premature to be talking about this subject, but we are almost halfway through the conference schedule already. When I previewed the Saints at the beginning of the year, I mentioned that Manhattan's 2003-04 conference record of 16-2 was "within reach barring injury."

They were lauded in preseason articles and projections, including some by myself, before being brought back down to reality in the Old Spice Classic where they lost all three of their games. They have rebounded and since the tournament gone 12-2, with the only losses at Pittsburgh and at Kansas.

Siena has an unblemished 8-0 record in MAAC play right now. This matches the best start in MAAC history also by the Manhattan 2003-04 squad. The Saints recently finished their first three game road trip. It is the first of two three-game road trips in MAAC play for Siena this year.

Siena is averaging winning by almost 10 points a game in the MAAC this year, 9.87.

At this point they have won at Loyola, at Manhattan, at Marist, and at Fairfield. They also have beat Marist, Fairfield, St. Peter's, and Rider at home.

The remaining 10 games, in chronological order, are Niagara, Iona, Canisius, at St. Peter's, at Rider, Loyola, Manhattan, at Iona, at Niagara, and at Canisius.

Looking at the remaining schedule a couple things jump out. First they have yet to play Niagara, Iona, and Canisius. Without having played one game against any of these three teams it is hard to have something to judge them by.

I will attempt to do this anyway.

First I will start with Canisius. The Griffs are 1-7 in league play so far. There are many reasons Canisius is 1-7, the biggest being they just can't put the ball in the basket. They are shooting 39 percent from the field, 25 percent from downtown, and 58 percent from the charity stripe.

The team in preseason rankings was picked to finish eighth and looks like that may be a stretch. This is a team they should beat at the Times Union Center and on the road. They have to be careful not to overlook them though as Canisius' only win came against a top-five MAAC team, Rider.

The Saints play Niagara Saturday and it should be a tough matchup. Niagara is at 5-2 in conference play and coaches around the league have said they could win this conference if Siena slips up.

The Saints do have a week off to prepare for this game which they will need. The second time they face them will be in the second three game road trip. They have an 11 day break before the game to get ready. Their practices are essential to them getting ready for these two games. The game at Niagara could be the toughest of the year in the MAAC for the Saints.

Iona's 4-4 record may put them in the middle of the MAAC, but the four wins have came in the last five games. They beat Fairfield at home and Niagara on the road. The one loss in the five games was by one point at Rider. They are a dangerous team that keeps improving, three of the four losses have been by a combined four points.

Siena has yet to be beaten at the Times Union Center this year. If they can beat Niagara Saturday they should be able to hold the remaining four games this year. This leaves games at Rider, at St. Peter's, and the final trio of games away, at Iona, at Niagara, and at Canisius. The Niagara game should be the toughest of the five, with Iona, and Rider providing more than able challenges.

In my breakdown I have Siena splitting with Iona and Niagara, winning at home, losing away, and sweeping the rest of their games. This would give the Saints a 16-2 MAAC record, matching the Manhattan 2003-04 record. With the 16-2 record a possibility, 18-0 may not be as far-fetched as it may seem.

There is still a lot of basketball to be played and they can't overlook anyone in the up-and-down MAAC.

Checking in on the... Pac-10

Michael Hurley — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:21:37 -0500

This is the first half of my weekly update on the Pac-10. The second can be read here at RushtheCourt.

The Pac-10 still is searching for the first defining win of the year. The out of conference schedules have not helped any teams come tournament time.

Sure Stanford is 4-0, but the toughest team they have played is a 4-3 Colorado team who lost to Montana State. Arizona State is 7-1, but their best win is over a 6-1 Nebraska team, who had yet to play a team from a big conference when they came into Tempe.

One thing is for sure, the Pac-10 does not want to go back into Texas where Arizona lost 67-66 at Texas A&M and UCLA lost 68-64 at Texas. In fact, the only win against a Texas team this week was Washington’s victory over winless Texas Southern University.

The Pac-10/Big 12 series is not what Tom Hansen envisioned, the Pac-10 is 3-6 so far. Worth noting, Arizona is two baskets away from being 8-0.

Player of the week- James Harden

James Harden is on a tear. In both wins this week he averaged 21 points and 9.5 rebounds. Harden started off the first four games shooting two for 14 from downtown, but in the last four he is shooting an unbelievable 16-22 from three-point range.

He is not the only star in the Pac-10. Harden is one of three players averaging 20 points a game, shooting over 50 percent from the field and the three point line, and shooting over 80 percent from the foul line. The other two are Jerome Randle of California, and Chase Budinger of Arizona.

Honorable Mention:

Randle with 20 points and four assists a game in a 2-1 week for California. He also hit the game winning three in their win over Utah.

Jordan Hill of Arizona, who averaged 22.5 points per game and 10.5 rebounds this week for the Wildcats in a split.

Freshman Garrett Sim of Oregon, who averaged 22 points and 4.5 rebounds in two games last week, including a season high 28 in a loss to Utah.

Team of the week- Arizona State

Arizona State has rebounded nicely from the Baylor loss. Arizona State was one of two from the Pac-10 who finished 2-0, with the other being Washington. Arizona State handled both Jackson State and Nebraska with ease at home. Harden and Rihards Kuksiks both had a good week for the Sun Devils.

Game of the week

Either of the games in Texas could be picked as game of the week. Both went down to the wire with great individual performances on both sides of the ball. I would have to pick the UCLA vs. Texas matchup just because of the skill on the court. Watching A.J Abrams and Darren Collison warranted the game of the week pick.

Best game of the upcoming week:

12/14 Gonzaga at Arizona – Can Arizona pull the huge upset here? Will Gonzaga win big in their second of back to back games against Pac-10 opponents? Budinger, Hill, Pargo, and Heytvelt promise to makes this an interesting game.

Stephen Curry Does Not Disappoint

Michael Hurley — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:33:43 -0500

Just my reactions to the Davidson-Oklahoma game last night.

By the way, what a Davidson-Oklahoma game last night. My god, Blake Griffin, what a man-child—but the real reason we all tuned in was to see baby face Stephen Curry, who didn't disappoint and is putting together quite the season so far.

Some stats to note...

Game 1: 9-20, 29 points, 10 assists and only one turnover, and nine steals

Game 2: 14-19, 4-6 from three-point range, 33 points, nine assists, four TOs, and four steals

Game 3: (AT No. 14 Oklahoma!!!) 12-29, 6-15 from three-point range, 44 points, three assists, three TOs, and two steals

Now this is a guy who every team game plans for probably more than any other single player in the nation. He is 6'3", 185 and touches the ball more than Kobe does for the Lakers. He is the point guard and also the best scorer, shooter, you name it. When he doesn't have the ball, he is running around more screens than Reggie Miller and Rip Hamilton combined.

Now if you have the ball that much, turnovers are expected. His assist to turnover ratio right now is 1.875 to 1. Actually, my mistake—that is his STEAL TO TURNOVER ratio. I want Elias to tell me the last time a college basketball player had that steal to turnover ratio after his first three games of the season. Now yes, I understand a bunch came against D-III Guilford, but give credit where credit is due.

His real assist to turnover ratio is 2.75 to 1. The guy has transitioned from shooting guard to point guard more smoothly than even optimists could expect. If only they could have beaten Oklahoma.

In my mind they proved they deserved the ranking though. They simply went into Norman and played against a top 15 team with the strongest forward in basketball this year, who just decided to turn into a combination of the Incredible Hulk and Michael Beasley and put up 20 and 20.

I recommend everyone watching as many games as you can of Curry this year, because after this he is done. No way he is coming back for his senior year, so clear out your Tuesday, Dec. 9, because it is the next time Davidson is on ESPN. They will be at the greatest arena on Earth, Madison Square Garden, to play the Mountaineers.

Manhattan-Morgan State: Antoine Pearson Provides Big Shot in Jaspers Home Opener

Michael Hurley — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:03:16 -0500

Antoine Pearson's only field goal last night turned out to be the biggest in the game.

Devon Austin grabbed a defensive rebound off the front end of a one and one from Reggie Holmes. He found a cutting Darryl Crawford, who sliced his way up the middle of the court. The defender committed and Crawford dished the ball off to Antoine Pearson filling the left lane.

Pearson then did a beautiful up and under move for the game-winning basket with nine seconds left.

The second half was back and forth the entire way. It featured eight lead changes and five ties. Morgan State went ahead 60-58 on a Kevin Thompson basket with 49 seconds left. Manhattan had a chance to tie, but Andrew Gabriel missed the back end of a one and one, setting up Pearson's heroics.

Chris Smith finished with a game-high 14 points, seven of which came in the first two minutes of the second half, when it looked like Manhattan might pull away. Crawford and Austin also finished in double digits with 12 and 11.

On a night when Austin's touch from outside seemed to have escaped him, he got big in the second half and played inside while also collecting six rebounds. Andrew Gabriel also had a good game off the bench scoring nine points, four of which came during a 13-0 run late in the second half, turning a six-point deficit into a seven-point lead.

Defensively Manhattan did a great job on the Morgan State Bears, who will be one of the tougher opponents to come through Draddy Gym this year. The Jaspers would pressure the Bears' ball handlers throughout the game.

Herve Banogle played a great game inside, holding Preseason All-MEAC forward Marquise Kately to only nine points on 3-9 shooting, and had a huge block at the end of the first half to take Manhattan to the locker room.

Preview of Nov. 17 MAAC Games: Loyola, Siena, and Marist All in Action

Michael Hurley — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:04:41 -0500

This past weekend, MAAC teams went 4-6. The most impressive win was an Iona victory over a Hampton team predicted to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The most surprising MAAC game was not a win, but rather a hard-fought two-point loss by Marist at Rutgers. Marist was predicted in the coaches' poll to finish last in the MAAC. A victory by Marist over a major conference opponent would have been huge for the MAAC.

The MAAC will have that chance today. There are three games today in the MAAC Conference.

The first game has the Loyola Greyhounds visiting the Boston College Eagles. It is the second game in as many nights on the Greyhounds, which will take its toll, but with the season still early, it is better to play it now than later.

Loyola is 1-1 already, with a loss against Mount Saint Mary's and win against Tennessee State. Both were home games. Brett Harvey is coming off a career-high 34-point game, so hopefully his hot hand comes with him into Chestnut Hill.

The most interesting matchup will be reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year Brian Rudolph against All-ACC First Team point guard Tyrese Rice. Rice was suspended for the first game for violating team policies and was the Eagles' leading scorer last year.

If the Greyhounds can outrebound the Eagles and Rudolph controls the ball, they can stay in the game—but if Rice gets hot, expect a long night.

Boise State is visiting Albany tonight, playing the Siena Saints at the Times Union Center. They are unveiling the 2008 MAAC Championship Banner at the game as Tay Fisher, a senior last year, is returning. Expect the Saints to be pumped up for this game.

It is the opening game of the season for Siena, while Boise State has a win under their belt already. Expect the Broncos to try to be physical with a smaller Siena team. Siena will push the ball and rotate their guards and wingmen often, but they will need to rebound to win the game.

Siena has many preseason accolades, but the season starts today, which is where they earn them. Expect Siena to take this one at home to start off a great season for the Saints.

Finally, St. Bonaventure is traveling to the McCann Center to play Marist. Marist is expected to be in a transitioning year with not only a new head coach, Chuck Martin, but also only four upperclassmen. The Red Foxes showed some fight down in New Jersey this weekend, though, losing by only two to Rutgers in a hard-fought game.

The Bonnies won their first game against Robert Morris behind big games from freshman guard Jonathan Hall and junior guard Chris Matthews. If David Devezin and Javon Parris can defend like they did against Rutgers and improve on their shooting, look for an upset by Marist.

Manhattan College Basketball Notes 11/15

Michael Hurley — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 09:37:39 -0500

Just a couple notes through the two exhibition games and the first game of the year.

Considering the opponents have been a Division III team, a Division II team, and the worst Division I team last year, there has not been enough to judge them on, so I will just make a couple observations heading into the opening home game.

When Morgan State comes into Draddy Gym the Jaspers will face their first true test. Morgan State is the preseason favorite in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They received 15 first place votes in the coaches' poll. So take everything with a grain of salt up until this point. Now onto the observations:

There is a big difference between when Chris Smith is on the floor and when he is not.

Smith was the best player on the court in the first exhibition game against Baruch, sat out the second exhibition game against Pace because of a wrist injury, and was the leading scorer the first regular season game against New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Notice that I said he was the leading scorer against NJIT, not the best player on the court. After playing within the offense against Baruch and shooting extremely well the first half against NJIT he seemed to be looking for his shot too much. He did not shoot well from behind the arc (1-5).

All things considered he still finished with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. So far he has been the biggest playmaker and when he is not out there at times the offense lacks an aggressive scorer. If Smith continues to be that playmaker and plays within the offense expect him to be playing 30+ minutes a game for the rest of the year.

Patrick Bouli will play a big part of the team at the point guard position this year.

Bouli so far has this year has been the best ball handler on the team. In the preseason games he had eight assists and only one turnover. His assist-to-turnover ratio last year was the best on the team, but he looks even better controlling the ball this year.

He is moving the ball up the court and making smart decisions. Bouli may not be a scoring point guard, but he plays the position effectively.

In the game against NJIT he had only one turnover while playing 28 minutes. Bouli also had seven rebounds in the game. He has started all three games so far. It will be hard to keep him off the court if he keeps his play up. Bringing me to my next observation.

Antoine Pearson and Coach Rohrssen have to work out their issues for this team to be successful.

Coach Rohrssen is obviously trying to make a point to Pearson so far. Pearson didn't dress the Pace game, and has not started either of the next two. He only logged seven minutes against NJIT.

This is the returning leading scorer for the Jaspers and a preseason All-MAAC second team pick. He is one of the best players on the team and they may have been able to win against weaker competition, but to be successful this year they do need him to play a bigger role on the team.

The team seems to have made a commitment to play defense. Coach Rohrssen said here that was a big step the team needed to take this year.

The Jaspers only allowed 100 points in the first two games combined. Baruch shot 21%, Pace 30%, and NJIT 23%. The Jaspers held NJIT to only 32 points total. They are playing better perimeter defense and are forcing turnovers.

There will need to be an improvement in the defense in the post once they start playing teams with bigger and more athletic guys, but up until this point there are no complaints.

They will not have a serious shot blocking presence, but we already knew that. The only problem so far with the Jaspers defense has been the transition defense which at times, especially against Pace was bad. They need to pick up the men better in transition and get back quicker.

Banogle will be a presence on the boards this year.

Banogle has been the leading rebounder in two of the three games so far. He finished with 10 rebounds against NJIT.

The Jaspers as a team has out-rebounded their opponents by a whopping margin of 67. As previously mentioned though, once the Jaspers start playing the bigger teams we will truly see what they are made of underneath. So far Banogle has been a pleasant surprise.

The three-point shooting is at best inconsistent.

Not including the second half against Baruch when they shot 9-10 from behind the arc, they have shot 17-58 for 29%, from three-point range this year. Devon Austin has been having an especially tough time shooting 5-20. The whole team needs to improve in this to give them a shot at opening up the floor.

Hopefully the team can make the improvements they need for Wednesday against Morgan State. Tip-off is at 7 pm.

Saints Go For Repeat: 2008-09 Siena Preview

Michael Hurley — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:41:15 -0500

After losing only one impact player and returning their entire starting lineup, Siena is going after one thing this year—a repeat of the MAAC Championship.

Three of the top returning scorers in the MAAC conference this year reside in Albany—Kenny Hasbrouck, Edwin Ubiles, and Alex Franklin. This year’s Siena team is arguably the most anticipated MAAC team since the Manhattan Jaspers of 2003-04 season.

Another aspect that the Saints would like to have in common with those Jaspers is becoming the repeat conference champions. Another conference championship would mean another NCAA berth. Back-to-back berth's has not been achieved in the MAAC since the 2003-04 Jaspers.

The 2003-04 Jaspers went an all-time MAAC record 16-2 that year, which is within reach for this year's Saints barring injury. The Saints won a league high 13 games last year, and should improve on that total.

The Jaspers were also the last MAAC team to win a NCAA tournament game, excluding play-ins, until last year’s Saints. The Saints would like to best them in that regard and win NCAA tournament games in back-to-back years. That is a feat that has never been accomplished by a MAAC team.

The Saints are also good enough to possibly advance even further than that this year, which has never been done.

The preseason accolades have poured in for the Saints. They have received votes in the AP Top 25, and the ESPN/USA Today Top 25.

They also placed fifth on the CollegeInsider.com Preseason Mid-Major Poll.

Three of the five players on the MAAC first team are Saints—Hasbrouck, Ubiles, and Franklin. The other returning starters are forward Josh Duell and guard Ronald Moore

Another player who is not getting as much recognition is Clarence Jackson. Jackson had an injury-plagued freshman year for Siena. This year he should challenge starters, Hansbrouck, Ubiles, and Moore for time at the guard position.

Jackson was expected to be a starter last year before getting injured. He is a great athlete and has been shooting the ball exceptionally well in the preseason this year.

Coach Fran McCaffrey brought in two freshmen in guard Kyle Downey and forward Owen Wignot. Both should make a significant impact on this year's Saints. Downey is a good shooter and slasher while Wignot has a good touch for a forward.

Once again this year's weakness for the Saints will be their rebounding. They were the worst rebounding team in the MAAC last year and should be around the bottom again in that category. Ubiles will be the tallest starter, and he is a 6’6” guard.

Siena will try to make up for its lack of size by rotating the guards positions in and out of the game to keep them fresh. The defense will pressure opposing team’s ball handlers. The Saints forced an average of 17.3 turnovers-per-game, outdistancing their opponents by almost six turnovers a game.

The Saints need to force other teams into playing their game. Expect to see the Saints lineup consisting of three to four guards at times. The rebounding could end up being a bigger problem out of conference.

The out of conference schedule is the toughest in the MAAC. Siena starts off the season at home against Boise State and Cornell before heading down to Florida for the Old Spice Classic.

They play Tennessee first and then will face either Wichita State or Georgetown in the second game. Later in the season they have dates at Pittsburgh, at Saint Joseph’s, at Holy Cross, and at defending champion Kansas.

Coach McCaffery believes that this tough schedule will better prepare his team for the MAAC and hopefully NCAA tournament. Who is to argue against him?

In three short years Coach McCaffery has taken the Siena program from the bottom of the MAAC to the top. He inherited a 6-24 team in 2005-06 and has created the bona-fide program that other MAAC coaches hope to emulate.

Expect this year to be no different than last, and the Saints will be looking down at the rest of the MAAC from the top of the mountain again at the end.

Q & A With Coach Barry Rohrssen of Manhattan College Basketball

Michael Hurley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 02:04:55 -0500

I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Manhattan College basketball coach Barry Rohrssen. We talked about the upcoming season and what to expect. Hope you enjoy. You can also find my Manhattan College basketball preview here.

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about Operation Hardwood and what you saw over there? How did it influence you?

Coach Rohrssen: Well, it was a privilege and an honor to be asked to be a part of something that has such an impact on a lot of lives both abroad and here.

One of the things that we found (the coaches who went over there) was what joy and relief it brought to the daily grind of the servicemen’s life. To be able to give them another outlet, whether it was a basketball game or even just a conversation in the tent or the mess hall, was great. Just to be able to share stories with them.

The interaction from having people from their country over there to come and visit them relieved them. Then as it narrowed down to people, in my particular case, from the East Coast, then from New York, finally even New York City even.

You just come across and in contact with so many people over there, it was one of the more incredible things to have ever happened to me. It was certainly eye-opening.

When asked before if it was a once in a lifetime experience, I have used maybe, because it will be more than that if they ever ask me to go again. It left such an impression, so certainly if the opportunity presents itself again I would do it again.

Q: There are a couple new faces on the coaching staff in C.J. Council and Guy Ngarndi. How will they add to your staff?

Coach Rohrssen: Well, both of the new members of the staff have higher education degrees. C.J. Council is an undergraduate and master’s degree graduate from St. John's, and Guy is a Manhattan College double major graduate. A double major graduate is someone who deserves cartwheels for what they did.

Guy, the year that we had been together here as coach and player, he was our hardest worker. Not just during the 40 minutes on game day, but also in each and every practice we had.

When you look at both these young men, what you are seeing is two people that have an idea about what higher education is, C.J. having both a bachelor's and master's degree and Guy having a double major.

One of my main points is that our players don’t ever lose sight of the value of education. I stress the student part of student-athlete. It is of paramount importance to me that they don’t go through their college years and leave without acquiring their degree.

Guy is personal proof from being on this campus that those things are obtainable and are achieved through hard work. Some of these guys may be able to relate to Guy in particular because they were teammates of his and know what his work ethic is like.

Both of these guys can be an example and someone that you can look towards when it comes to being a good student and good person.

Q: You and Coach De La Rosa go way back, right? You used to play at Saint Francis?

Coach Rohrssen: He was the captain of our team in college.

Q: How important is it to have someone there that you have known for so long?

Coach Rohrssen: Well, even though we played in college, we go even further back to high school together. We grew up in the same neighborhood and played at competing rival high schools. Edgar, even in high school, was a very good player.

Throughout his career he has been an overachiever. He has excellent leadership qualities, and he is an outstanding gentleman. So when you are putting a staff together there are certain things you look for, and first and foremost is a quality person and individual that also demonstrates good leadership abilities.

Having that good background and familiarity with Edgar throughout our lifetime together has really made him a nice addition to our staff.

Q: How are you going to be able to replace Rashad Green (transferred to University of San Francisco), one of the best rebounding guards in the league in my opinion, and statistically the best rebounder on the Jaspers last year?

Coach Rohrssen: Well, on every team for different reasons things have to be replaced, whether by graduation or whether by transfers. In this particular case it will be more rebounding by committee.

We don’t want to just look to one individual person and go out and say, hey you, grab eight rebounds. We actually as a team need to do a better job in rebounding.

Statistically he was our leading rebounder. There is always a value in that someone who can rebound the basketball. That is one of the areas we highly emphasize in practice and in games, so they hear it a lot, but individually and as a group they have to execute it.

Q: Opposing teams shot 47.5 percent from the field against you last year. Have there been any changes from the defensive strategy, or is it still the same scheme and you just need to get the players to work harder at it?

Coach Rohrssen: Well, defense is an aspect of the game that if you commit to it and you do it properly, you should always be in the game. There are going to be nights when your shot isn’t falling, as an individual, as a team, but if you can defend and guard people and stop people, you more than likely have a chance to be in the game.

For you, being a Boston guy, for all that was said about the Big Three, let’s not ever lose sight that Kevin Garnett was the defensive player of the year last year. All that seems to go under the radar screen, but having a good defense and playing a good defense keeps you in games.

Teams that are good defensively and take pride in it are winning teams, and teams that master it and excel at it become championship teams.

Q: You have two new players on the team, Djibril Coulibaly and Marty Higgins. What does each of them bring to the team?

Coach Rohrssen: Djibril provides us with another body at the center position, which is a very important position on the court. He also brings a different look in the position for us. He has an ability to run up and down the court and appears to have a knack of being able to block some shots. He will be a big help to us if he stays healthy and progresses.

Marty Higgins is a walk-on who has appeared to be a very hard worker, a diligent worker, and a good student. He seems to have a good understanding of the game and how it's played and should be somebody that can help us in practice and be a good member and part of our team.

Q: Siena is obviously the heavy favorite this year, but after that I feel the two through seven spots are sort of up for grabs, as there are no other teams that are significantly better than the others. Where do you anticipate Manhattan falling?

Coach Rohrssen: Well, I’m not much of a predictor. We are both sitting here and don’t have a crystal ball in front of us. Instead of where we need to fall, it is where we need to rise. Where someone finishes is more up to them, through hard work and attitude, than where someone else sees them finishing.

There is a lot of work in front of us. There is a lot of wood to chop. This team, like a lot, is most definitely a work in progress. We need to take things day by day, week by week, and month by month and try to build that into a productive and successful season

We need to take pride in coming out each day and working hard. We need to take pride in getting better individually, because when you get better individually, you get better collectively. We need to make greater efforts on the defensive side of the ball, rebounding the ball, offensively making better decisions with the basketball, and overall need to have a real sense of leadership in our team.

The pendulum needs to start swinging now from youth and inexperience to maturity and experience. A lot of young guys, because of how the situation was here, got playing time for us early. You don’t always get that in other programs, so we cannot let them fall into a false sense of work ethic or entitlement. To get time on the court you have to earn that, and that’s through hard work.

Q: You are playing Iona at the Garden again this year. Will that become a tradition? It was a huge hit last year for the students, getting to go to the Garden and watch the Jaspers. In future years, 2010, 2011, is it a possibility?

Coach Rohrssen: Well, we love to play in the Garden anytime we have that opportunity. It is always something we will look at and try to do. The Garden is synonymous with New York basketball. It is dubbed the world’s most famous arena, so it’s a tremendous experience for our players to be participants on that hardwood floor.

It is also great for our students, alumni, and fans to walk in there. They walk through those turnstiles and have their green and white on and are proud of that venue they are playing in. It makes sense doing it with a recognizable school like Iona. We are locked in for this year obviously, but it is something that we hope continues.

Personally, I am very thankful to the MAAC conference for helping us arrange that game and also very thankful to St. John’s for letting us be part of the doubleheader. In both years we have and will be playing on a night that they already had the building. We are sharing and piggybacking in the game in the Garden. They have been very hospitable in having us as another game on the card.

Q: Any chance we will get to see a UCLA or a Pitt on the schedule in the future?

Coach Rohrssen:(laughing) You know what, that would be nice to happen, but I’m not sure if Ben Howland or Jamie Dixon are going to bring their teams into Draddy Gym.

Q: With Jason Thompson playing so well in his rookie year so far, who is the next NBA prospect in the MAAC, if anyone?

Coach Rohrssen: We will have to see how the players develop. Being in the league for two years now, it has been nice to see and good for our conference to have two players drafted—Jared Jordan from Marist two years ago and Jason Thompson last year in the first round as a lottery pick. It brings attention to our conference and is great for the league.

Manhattan College Basketball 2008-2009 Preview

Michael Hurley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:47:25 -0500

In the third year of the Barry Rohrssen era, we know we can expect three things from Manhattan. They are, in no particular order, senior Devon Austin, junior Antoine Pearson, and sophomore Chris Smith. These three players are who Rohrssen has built his Jasper squad around, and their success will play a big part in dictating the team’s success.

Manhattan finished 12-19 and 5-13 in the conference last year. They can build on a late season win at home against Siena. The win is even more notable since Siena proved its ability in the NCAA tournament with a win over Vanderbilt.

Manhattan returns 88 percent of its points, 86 percent of its assists, and 84 percent of its rebounds. To make it simple, Manhattan returns a lot. They only lost seldom-used Frank Traore to graduation and freshman guard Rashad Green.

Green started 27 of 31 games for Manhattan last year and was the team’s best rebounder. He will be tough to replace, but the team overall needs to improve on rebounding this year.

In the starting lineup, expect Green to be replaced by a strong forward type like Andrew Gabriel, Brandon Adams, or Herve Banogle. The other option would be to use another wing player, Darryl Crawford.

I vote for Gabriel because it will get them stronger and tougher inside where they need help. It can also open up the floor for Pearson, Smith, and Austin on the outside. Gabriel has improved his offensive game from last year and can play with his back or front to the hoop.

There is one incoming freshman, Djibril Coulibaly. He is a larger body that can man the post and add depth to the center position. Coulibaly has the defensive presence down low to block shots and should help the team with rebounding.

The three returning leading scorers will carry much of the load offensively again. Pearson (12.2 ppg), Austin (11.6 ppg), and Smith (9.9 ppg) together scored almost half the points for the Jaspers last year. They shot 57 percent of the team’s three balls but only shot a combined 35 percent from behind the arc.

If they can improve on their three-point percentage, they can open up the floor more for each other and for the post men.

The Jaspers also need to make a commitment to playing defense. Opponents last year shot an astounding 47.5 percent from the field against the Jaspers. This is an aspect that Coach Rohrssen stresses to his players, so expect to see an improvement in the team's defense this year.

Although Siena is the heavy favorite yet again, Manhattan should be able to improve on its five conference wins last year and could finish in the middle of the pack with a MAAC record of anywhere from 8-10 to 12-6.

The key to Manhattan’s success is its ability to play well on the road against conference teams. They went an abysmal 1-8 away from Draddy Gym last year against MAAC opponents.

The Jaspers’ out of conference schedule this year has no teams on it that are from BCS conferences. They are only playing two teams from the top 10 conferences, La Salle and Fordham, both out of the A-10.

This does not mean they can overlook any teams. This is a Manhattan team still maturing that has not proved itself and will be questioned game by game.

You can also find my interview with Manhattan College Coach Barry Rohrssen here.

Joe Dumars Surprises Us All

Michael Hurley — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:07:30 -0500

The Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets have just finalized a deal which will send Allen Iverson to Detroit in exchange for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheikh Shamb.

After Detroit lost to the Boston Celtics in last year's Eastern Conference Finals, Joe Dumars said, "Make no mistake, everybody is in play now. There are no sacred cows here. You lose that sacred cow status when you lose three straight years."

The summer that followed was full of trade talk, but no move was made. The core (Billups, Wallace, Hamilton, Prince, and McDyess) was aging, so it was assumed one or two of them would be traded for younger players. Those players would complement the young Detroit players with whom the Pistons had suddenly fallen in love.

These players included Amir Johnson and Jason Maxiell, but the favorite was Rodney Stuckey. After his emergence in the playoffs last year the organization envisioned him as the point guard of the future.

They still had Billups locked up for three more years after 2008-2009 though, so he was the favorite to be dealt. The idea of him being dealt for an aging superstar guard, however, caught everyone off guard. Iverson is already 33 years old and more importantly would keep a body in front of Stuckey on the depth chart.

Iverson has always been a great scorer, with 26.4 points per game last year. He can create his own shot and is arguably pound for pound the toughest player in the game. Defensively he cuts off the passing lanes well, but his one-on-one defense has deteriorated. Iverson is not as quick as he once was.

Does any of this matter, though?

Iverson has one year left on a deal that pays him just under $21 million this year, but it is the final year in the deal. Billups has another three years after this one. Another one of Detroit's core players, Rasheed Wallace, will also be a free agent after this year.

The Pistons have just under $35 million coming off the books this summer. Hamilton is the next up with his $11.375 million off the books in the 2010 summer. He will be 32 then and a decision will need to be made.

With the young nucleus combined with the holdover veteran, Prince, who will be 30, the Pistons put themselves in the running for the 2010 summer of LeBron.

The Pistons could have a nucleus of Stuckey, Prince, Maxiell, and Johnson and could make a run at one or two of the major free agents that year, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, just to name a few.

This year's team got the shakeup Dumars promised, and it seems will be better suited to pass the torch from the Billups, Hamilton, Prince, Wallace era to the next generation of Pistons.

Give it to Joe Dumars, he is not afraid to take chances.

A Disgruntled Red Sox Fan: I Hate the Tampa Bay Rays

Michael Hurley — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:27:22 -0400

I hate seeing Jason Varitek up to bat in the ninth inning.

I hate that Coco Crisp can't slide into second base properly.

I hate the A.L. MVP popping out with no outs and two men on in the eighth.

I hate Joe Maddon using five pitchers to finish an inning and not allowing one run. (Must be a first for a playoff game.)

I hate Joe Maddon's glasses.

I hate that the at-bat I will remember of J.D Drew's from 2007 was his $14 million grandslam and from 2008 was his inability to check his swing on a pitch a foot off the plate.

I hate the fact that as much as I love Jason Bay, I was waiting for Manny to come up the entire series.

I hate a New England kid getting the big hit against the Red Sox.

I hate baseball in a dome.

I hate the Tampa Bay Rays' jerseys.

I hate the Tampa fans who don't deserve this, half of them hadn't even been to a game this season.

I hate the sea of pink hat Boston fans that left Fenway before the comeback in Game Five.

I hate the fact that David Price is going to win 15 games next year.

I hate the pitch tracker, which is never relatively correct on their placement of the pitches to the strike zone.

I hate the fact that in the seventh of Game Five, I was just hoping for them to go down at least fighting and they gave me that and more and I am still disappointed.

I hate that Tampa will be competitive in the A.L. East for the next five years at least.

I hate that Dicky Vitale is a Rays fan.

I hate B.J Upton for becoming Reggie Jackson for the playoffs.

I hate that TBS had rights to the series, which they completely should be voided from after the biggest screw up ever in the first inning of Game Six, showing The Steve Harvey Show instead of the game.

I hate Mike Timlin on the playoff roster.

I hate that the Sox were a run away in Game Two from taking control of the entire series.

I hate that David Ortiz's wrists were so slow.

I hate Craig Sager's suits; they aren't funny, just awful.

I hate that Dan Wheeler didn't stay in the game longer.

I hate Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, Willy Aybar, Evan Longoria, and B.J Upton.

And I really really hate that the Yankees not making the postseason does not give me any more solace.

Mike Mussina: Do 20 Wins Make Him a Lock for the Hall?

Michael Hurley — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:45:51 -0400

One of the long standing knocks on Mike Mussina's resume has been the absence of a 20-win season. Not that he hasn't had good seasons. He won 19 twice and 18 three times. Before his 20th win, he was the only pitcher with 250 wins to have never won 20 in a single season.

Mussina does not need to worry about that anymore, though. He has added that elusive 20-win season to his resume. But does that mean that he is ready for the Hall?

Even if he retired after this year, he would still not be a lock. A Hall of Famer is defined by his dominance during the period of time playing, and the longevity of it throughout his career. That is why the absence of the 20-win milestone always hurt his Hall of Fame stature.

Proof of his lack of dominance lies with the fact that he has never won a Cy Young Award, and only once finished as runner-up. This comes down to Mussina never being "the best pitcher" in his respective league.

Additionally, Mussina has never won an ERA title. He has only broken 3.00 once in his career. If Mussina were inducted, his ERA would be the highest of any pitcher after 1950, and the third highest overall in the Hall. Mussina was known as a strikeout pitcher, but was never able to win a strikeout title.

Postseason success does not define a pitcher, but a big success can definitely help one's claim to induction into the Hall, and Mussina had little of it. He had a measly 7-8 in postseason play, and in his three World Series starts, he only managed to win one. The lack of a ring is another detriment to his chances.

It is not like Mussina would be the first of his kind to be rejected from the Hall. Take a look at Bert Blyleven's statistics. He had more wins, a better ERA, more strikeouts, and two World Series rings to go with his rejection.

When I think of the mid-to-late 1990s and the turn of the century, certain starting pitchers come to my mind—Maddux, Clemens, Martinez, Glavine, Johnson, and even Schilling. Not that all these pitchers should be, or will be in, but they defined an era more so than Mussina ever did for me.

What To Do with Derek Jeter?

Michael Hurley — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:03:13 -0400

A friend of mine and I were recently at a neighborhood watering hole, and he mentioned to me, "Derek Jeter will be moved to center field at the start of 2009." I initially laughed at the comment and told him he had enough to drink and it was time to go home.

Once I got home, I started throwing the idea around in my head. After a couple of days, I have come to the conclusion that, although I still do not believe Derek Jeter will be manning center field in the first game at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees may have a dilemma sooner than I had anticipated.

First of all, the position of shortstop is unlike any other position, except catcher, in that players are moved toward the end of their career from their natural position to a new one. These are not regular players either, these are Hall of Fame shortstops that are asked to move after many years of manning the position admirably.

Cal Ripken Jr. or Ernie Banks ring a bell? Ripken especially comes to mind because he paved the way for the "big" shortstops. (Ripken stands at 6'4" and Jeter 6'3".) The move would not be unprecedented.

For anyone who has seen Jeter's defense this year on a regular basis, it is easy to see that he has definitely lost a step. He was one of the best I have seen going to his right. SportsCenter's Top 10 would routinely contain a Jeter highlight of him, "going to his right, backhanding the ball, and jumping mid-air on the edge of the grass and still somehow managing to get the runner out at first."

His ability to get to balls to his left and to his right has diminished since his Gold Glove days.

Jeter is basically living on his namesake for his defense. Those of you who argue against me need to take a look at the numbers. Using the Bill James set of statistics, which are arguably the only ones that can gauge players defensively, he has declined in every category since his Gold Glove years.

His range factor, (A+PO)/GP, has declined every year since his last Gold Glove and is actually lower than the league average. The same is true with his range factor per nine innings, {9*(A+PO)/innings played}. These stats may seem foreign to the day-to-day fan, but they are used across the league's front offices to determine a player's worth, defensively.

Now that we have come to the conclusion his skills defensively have deteriorated to the point a position change is inevitable, whereto?

Third base would seem to be the easiest switch, but with another former shortstop signed to play there for almost another decade, it's out. Ernie Banks was moved to first base and former All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra mans it for the Dodgers now, but Jeter does not have the power with his bat to play the position in the A.L.

Left and right field also are deemed power-hitting positions for an A.L. team, so they would be tough for Jeter to fill the role of with his bat. Center field seems to be a possibility. Analysts around baseball constantly refer to him as one of the best infielders at tracking down popfly's.

His routes are always direct to the ball, and he covers a lot of ground. His headfirst dive into the stands in 2004 was most impressive because of the amount of ground he tracked in so little time.

This position also presents a problem, with hot prospect Austin Jackson only a year or two away. Second base is the only position left, excluding the obvious nix on catcher and pitcher. Why not make a switch?

Cano has one of the strongest arms in the league for the position and covers a lot of ground. A lot of his errors are attributed to him playing too lax, which maybe would force him to change at the ever-busy shortstop position. It is one of the positions that power with the bat is not a prerequisite.

Would Girardi ever do it? Doubtful. Torre is the only manager in baseball with enough clout in New York to even suggest such a move, and he is on the wrong coast to be making such decisions.

Girardi will be in his second year next year and will not need the questions from a Jeter position-switch along with all the other pressure he will face. It is hardly the most-pressing issue this offseason.

It will have to be Mr. Jeter himself to make the switch. Or else we will experience our first couple years at the New Yankee Stadium with a barely average defensive shortstop.

The AL MVP: Quentin or Rodriguez? What About Pedroia?

Michael Hurley — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 11:09:07 -0400

The AL MVP argument seems to have come down to two choices, Carlos Quentin, or Francisco Rodriguez. I implore you to add a third into the discussion, Dustin Pedroia. He may not be as popular a pick as your regular power hitter who rakes in the Home Runs and RBI's, but let us look at the numbers without the voter's tendency to favor the traditional power hitters.

Pedroia leads the league in Batting average .333, Hits 191, and Runs 110. If he holds to win each of these titles he will be the first player since 1977 to lead the AL in all three. The last player to do it was Rod Carew and he happened to win the AL MVP that year.

Pedroia is tied for second in doubles with 44. He is also tied for third in the AL in total bases behind only Aubrey Huff and Josh Hamilton. He is the third hardest to strike out in the league with one strikeout every 12.1 at bats.

His traditional power stats are also not too shabby, 17 HRs and 76 RBI, for someone who batted in the two hole for a majority of this season. He has done all of this while playing Gold Glove defense in the field.

Pedroia has filled in admirably when injuries have decimated the Red Sox. They have lost Ortiz, Youkillis, Drew, Lowell, and Lugo for extended periods of time. They traded away arguably their best hitter, Manny Ramirez.

Through all of this Pedroia has been their most consistent hitter in a lineup that has had names of Cora, Lowrie, Bailey, Moss, and Cash sprinkled throughout the past couple of weeks.

Facing all of these injuries Terry Francona put Pedroia in the cleanup spot where, in the five games since he has still batted .643 with 12 hits, 7 RBI, 7 runs, and 2 Home Runs.

After the deadline deal where the Red Sox dealt Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers many felt that the Red Sox had gotten the bad end of the deal, but since then they have went 21-9. The Dodgers on the other hand have went 14-16. Pedroia is a huge reason for this. He has morphed into the power hitter that the voters seem to love. In the last month with Drew, Lowell, Lugo and Youkillis going down, Pedroia has managed to bat .400, with 44 hits, 32 runs, a .700 slugging percentage, and 27 RBI, all of which he is in the top three in the league.

There is no question on this Sox team the reason they are still in the position they are in because of the little guy. The scrappy, play your heart out style of Dustin Pedroia has spread to the rest of the team and has them on the way into the playoffs despite all of the injuries. If that is not the definition of what an MVP does, than I do not know what is.