Nov. 20, 2003
Lafayette at Rutgers Game Notes in PDF Format
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THE STORY LINE: The Lafayette men's basketball team opens the 2003-04 campaign on Saturday at Rutgers. The game caps off a busy day for Lafayette athletics on the Rutgers campus, as the Lafayette men's soccer team plays Rutgers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 4 p.m.
Beyond the traditional four weeks of practice, the men's basketball team has had two preseason scrimmages, traveling to Monmouth and most recently Saint Joseph's on Tuesday.
BREAKING THE SEAL: The Lafayette basketball program is 60-33 all-time in season openers, including a 20-20 mark in season opening games on the road. Since Fran O'Hanlon's arrival on College Hill in 1995-96, Lafayette has begun every season on the road. The Leopards have won four out of their last five season-opening games with wins over Dartmouth in 1998-99, Columbia in 1999-00, Cornell in 2000-01, Albany in 2001-02 and a loss to Binghamton last season.
THE STARTING FIVE: Four seniors have installed themselves into the starting lineup following the 2002-03 season. Justin DeBerry and Winston Davis will fill two of the starting spots in a three-guard offense. Mike Farrell and Rob Dill will re-take the floor at the forwards. Who will occupy the point guard slot is still to be determined with sophomore Pat Betley and freshman Marcus Harley vying for time.
ON THE SIDELINE: Head coach Fran O'Hanlon (Villanova, 1970) is in his ninth season as the Leopards' mentor. He has twice been named Patriot League Coach of the Year as head of Lafayette's non-scholarship program and lists two NCAA Tournament appearances and three Patriot League regular-season titles among his credentials. O'Hanlon's career record stands at 123-107, a mark that includes two 20-win seasons.
COMING UP: Lafayette opens up its Kirby Sports Center slate on Monday, when the Leopards host St. Peter's at 7 p.m. The Leopards will then have four days off from game competition before welcoming La Salle on Nov. 29.
ABOUT RUTGERS: Rutgers enters the season coming off a 12-16 mark in 2002-03 and a seventh place finish in the West Division of the Big East.
Three players have already penciled their names into the starting lineup for 2003-04. Junior Ricky Shields returns as the team's top scorer, having averaged 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. The other guard spot is a question where either junior Juel Wiggan, (4.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) who is coming off an ankle injury, or freshman Marquis Webb will break into the starting five.
In the frontcourt, seniors Herve Lamizana and Sean Axani will occupy the starting forward positions. Lamizana averaged 10.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season. Axani, who started 15 of 28 games last season, contributed 4.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg as a junior. A sophomore, Adrian Hill, is expected to hold down the center spot. He played in 20 games, averaging 3.2 ppg and 2.4 rpg last season.
Rutgers is coached by Gary Waters (Ferris State '75) who is in his third season at the helm of the Rutgers program. Waters has posted a 30-29 record at Rutgers and a 122-89 mark overall. He is assisted by Garland Mance, Kevin Heck and Larry DeSimpelare.
THE LAST TIME THEY PLAYED: Rutgers 72, Lafayette 65
NOV. 21, 2000 - The RAC
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) - Rutgers' Todd Billet tied a school record with eight 3-pointers and scored a career-high 36 points as the Big East's Scarlet Knights beat Lafayette 72-65. Billet's biggest points came in the final 1:07 when he hit a 3-pointer and scored four other points as Rutgers (2-0) held off Lafayette (1-1) down the stretch. Billet shot 10 of 20, including 8 of 15 from three-point range. He was also 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. Reggie Guy had a career-high 16 and Brian Burke added 14 and seven assists for Lafayette, which went out to a 7-0 lead to begin the game. Frank Barr hit a shot a made two free throws to pull Lafayette within five with less than a minute to play before Billet hit two foul shots and a basket to seal the game for Rutgers.
GUNNING FOR A GRAND: Senior Justin DeBerry needs 37 points to become the 33rd player in Lafayette history to reach the 1,000 point plateau. DeBerry scored 157 points as a freshman, 332 as a sophomore and 474 as a junior for 963 career points. Based on his per game scoring average from last season (16.3 ppg), DeBerry should reach the mark by Lafayette's third game of the season vs. La Salle on Nov. 29.
PATRIOT PRESEASON POLL: Lafayette has been picked to finish second in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Leopards received two first-place votes in the poll voted on by the conference coaches and men's basketball sports information directors.
PRESEASON LAURELS: Senior guards Justin DeBerry and Winston Davis have both been selected to the Preseason All-Patriot League First Team as voted on by the conference coaches and SIDs. DeBerry also was tabbed as the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year by two publications, Lindy's and Basketball News.
THE LONE CAPTAIN: Mike Farrell enters his second season as team captain. The senior has played in 84 straight games since beginning his career at Lafayette. The only two starts he has missed in the last two seasons were to give way to seniors on Senior Day.
BOMBING AWAY: Senior Justin DeBerry needs 10 three-pointers to move into sole possession of third place on the career three-point field goals list at Lafayette, a spot currently occupied by Brian Ehlers '00 (162). DeBerry has 153 career trifectas and needs 15 to move into second spot held by Tim Bieg '01 with 167. Tyson Whitfield '01, who had 271 career three-pointers, holds the all-time record...DeBerry's 69 three-pointer performance in the 2002-03 season ranks him fourth all-time at Lafayette.
PATRIOT LEAGUE TOP SCORERS RETURNING: Lafayette features both of the top two returning scorers in the Patriot League. Justin DeBerry led the team and finished second in the Patriot League last season with a 16.3 ppg average. Winston Davis is the second leading returning scorer this season, having dropped in 13.8 ppg as a junior.
DILL ON THE BLOCK: Senior forward Rob Dill enters the season with 112 career blocked shots. Dill ranks second all-time in blocks behind Frank Barr '01, who is currently playing professional basketball in Syria. Dill blocked 54 shots as a junior, the second-best single-season effort at Lafayette.
LOOKING TO MAKE AN IMPACT: Junior center Sean Knitter is looking to make an impact on the Lafayette offense this season. Knitter is eligible this season after transferring from Delaware. The Philadelphia native averaged 5.2 points per game as a sophomore at Delaware in 2001-02. He brings added size to the frontcourt and is able to extend the post defense by knocking down jumpers.
THE REAL "IRON MIKE": Despite having to deal with the daily physical challenges posed by diabetes, including those which force him to constantly monitor his blood sugar level during practices and games, senior forward Mike Farrell has never missed a game in his three full seasons on College Hill. Farrell played in 28 games and started four as a freshman, played in 29 games and started 28 as a sophomore and started 28 of 29 games in his junior season. Saturday's season opener will mark the 87th straight game.
THE HALF OF IT in 2002-03: Getting a strong start from the opening tap was a key in Lafayette wins in 2002-03. Lafayette was 9-2 when leading at halftime, the only losses coming against Holy Cross (1/18/03) after holding a five-point lead at intermission and at Navy (2/27/03) after leading 41-31.
BOMBING AWAY UNDER O'HANLON: Perimeter shooting, specifically from three-point land, has been a hallmark of Fran O'Hanlon's offenses. O'Hanlon squads have hit at least one three-pointer in every one of O'Hanlon's 230 games. In his first season, Lafayette connected for 201 three-pointers, surpassing the previous team record by 54 three's. Lafayette has since eclipsed the 200-three-pointer plateau in all but one of his eight seasons. The Leopards have set three new season marks, with the top one coming in 1999-00 when Lafayette dialed up long distance 249 times. In 2002-03, Lafayette hit 209 three-pointers and averaged 7.2 three-pointers per game.
ACCURATE THREATS: Lafayette's post players were extremely accurate in 2002-03. Rob Dill led the team and finished second in the Patriot League in field goal percentage while shooting 56.7 percent. Mike Farrell ended fourth in the Patriot League, shooting 55 percent.
INJURY REPORT: As a team, Lafayette has been banged up in the preseason. Through the first three weeks of practice, just three of the 16 players on the roster had participated in every practice due to a combination of injuries and illness. The majority of the squad is healthy as the team enters its first game.
- Grant Gibson (Fr.,G) - Out, lower back - Nick Nolan (Fr.,G) - Questionable, wrist - Chris Saunders (Sr.,G) - Probable, hip
ALL-TIME AT LAFAYETTE: In the 94 seasons of men's basketball at Lafayette College, the Leopards hold an overall record of 1133-982 (.536). Lafayette's first season of basketball was in 1900-01.
IN THE HOUSE THAT THE KIRBYS BUILT: Lafayette has enjoyed plenty of success in Kirby Sports Center. Since the building's inaugural season in 1973-74, the Leopards have posted a 263-113 record in 30 seasons. Twenty-three of those seasons have been winning campaigns. Last season, Lafayette finished 9-5 at home. In 2003-04, Lafayette will play 13 home games.
CoSIDA HONORS FARRELL: Senior Mike Farrell was named to the 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-District II Men's Basketball Team, one of just five student-athletes selected. Farrell maintains a 3.29 GPA while majoring in American Studies. Nominees for the award must have a minimum GPA of 3.20 and be a starter or key reserve. The All-District II team is selected by a vote CoSIDA membership in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington D.C.
INTERNATIONAL FEEL: Lafayette has two players who hail from foreign countries on the roster. Senior Rob Dill is a native of Isernhagen, Germany. Sophomore Andrei Capusan comes from Bucharest, Romania, home country of former Patriot League Player of the Year Stefan Ciosici '00 who was from Timisoara, Romania. Capusan spent the 2001-02 academic year attending a school in the United States as Dill had two years prior.
FARRELL ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: For the second straight season, Mike Farrell will be writing a weekly journal for Lafayette's official athletics website www.GoLeopards.com. Farrell runs down the season and gives insight into the life of a student-athlete. His first journal entry discusses the preseason.
LAFAYETTE vs. THE BIG EAST: Lafayette has played 207 games against the 14 current members of the Big East Conference, and has a 78-129 (.382) record in those contests. Under Coach O'Hanlon, the Leopards are 0-7 versus the Big East. Tonight's game is Lafayette's only regular-season game versus a Big East foe in 2002-03. Lafayette has played at least one Big East opponent in all but two of Fran O'Hanlon's nine seasons.
Boston College 0-1; Notre Dame 1-5; St. John's 6-4; Virginia Tech 0-0; Connecticut 0-3; Pittsburgh 6-14; Seton Hall 9-9; West Virginia 2-1; Georgetown 5-8; Providence 0-3; Syracuse 0-8; Miami 1-3; Rutgers 47-66; Villanova 1-5
LAFAYETTE ATHLETICS ON THE WEB: The quickest and most comprehensive source for information on Lafayette athletics is the world wide web. Go to www.lafayette.edu and click on "Sports." The athletics site is continuously updated with gameday press releases, schedules and results, rosters, statistics, player features, photos and more. On gameday, you can listen to the radio broadcast of all of Lafayette's men's basketball games and watch a live stats feed of home games.
LAFAYETTE ON TELEVISION: For the seventh-straight season, Lafayette features the most expansive television package in the Patriot League. The Leopards will have a minimum of 14 games televised with the possible addition of three more television contests in the Patriot League Tournament. The Lafayette Sports Network will air 13 games to more than 9.1 million viewers in the Lehigh Valley, Pocono region and Philadelphia, central New Jersey, New York City and Boston. Locally the telecasts can be seen on RCN Cable channels 4 and 60, Service Electric Cable channel 51, Blue Ridge Cable channel 5 and broadcast channel 60. Several of Lafayette's games that appear on the Lafayette Sports Network will also be picked up by Empire Sports Network which reaches more than 17.5 million viewers in Upstate and Western New York as well as more than 59.5 million potential viewers on DIRECTV (626) and Dish Network (432). Lafayette will have two games televised on the Patriot League Television Network on Jan. 23 vs. Lehigh and Feb. 6 at Colgate which will be available on DIRECTV and will be carried locally by WFMZ-69.
ON THE RADIO: Today's game can be heard live on WEST-AM 1400, the 66th year of broadcasting Lafayette Athletics. Dick Hammer is in his 36th year of calling the play-by-play for Lafayette men's basketball. Hammer is joined by Carl Schumacher at home games and select road contests by Phil LaBella (Lafayette SID).
