Dec. 26, 2003
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THE STORY LINE: Winners of eight straight, Lafayette (8-1) travels to California to play two non-conference tilts, facing USC on Sunday and Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. The Leopards enter the trip fresh off a quality road win over Princeton on Dec. 22 when they took their first lead of the defensive struggle with 3:21 left and notched a 47-44 win.
STRONG START: The Leopards are off to their best start in program history, equalling the 8-1 mark that Tom Davis' 1971-72 squad set. In the 94 seasons of Lafayette basketball, no team has ever won nine of its first 10, but six teams have begun a season with an 8-2 record.
KNITTER NAMED PLAYER OF WEEK: Junior center Sean Knitter has been named the Patriot League Player of the Week for Dec. 22. Knitter scored a career-high 24 points against Cornell (Dec. 20) and grabbed seven boards in 26 minutes off the bench. Knitter is averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds while playing 15.7 minutes per game.
EARLY RPI RETURNS: With Lafayette's strong start and respectable strength of schedule, the Leopards were last (Dec. 22) ranked 27th out of 324 Division I schools in the RPI according to CollegeRPI.com. That ranks the Leopards ahead of such schools as Florida, Oklahoma and Ohio State.
RECEIVING VOTES: Lafayette has received a vote in each of the last two Associated Press Top 25 polls (Dec. 15, 22). The last time Lafayette received a vote prior to that was Nov. 6, 2000 in the AP Preseason Poll. Prior to that in the 1999-2000, Lafayette received multiple votes in several of the final weeks of the season, last earning votes March 13, 2000. In a related note, Lafayette was ranked 25th in the latest (Dec.22) Mid-Major Top 25 Poll from Collegeinsider.com.
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 131-108, a mark that includes two 20-win seasons.
COMING UP: When the Leopards return to the East Coast, they will continue on with two more games in a four-game road swing. The Leopards will open the new year in New York City, facing Columbia on Jan. 3. The mini Ivy League swing will continue when they travel to the Palestra in Philadelphia to face Penn.
ABOUT USC: USC enters Sunday's game with a 4-4 record. The Trojans last played Dec. 22 when they lost a 93-78 decision to Cal Poly. In that game, senior guard Desmon Farmer scored 29 points to lead the Trojans. Farmer is the team's go-to player, averaging a team-high 17.9 points per game. Joining him in the backcourt are junior Errick Craven (10.1 ppg) and freshman Rodrick Stewart (4.4 ppg). Craven's twin brother, Derrick, and Stewart's twin brother, Lodrick, are also key bench contributors. Junior forward Jeff McMillan and junior center Rory O'Neil occupy the starting frontcourt spots. McMillan leads the team in rebounding with 9.5 per game while also contributing 13.3 points per game. O'Neil is also managing double figures in scoring (10.3 ppg). USC has notched wins over Cal State Northridge, St. Mary's, Cal State Fullerton and Fresno State, while the squad's losses came at the hands of Western Michigan, UNLV, BYU and Cal Poly. The Trojans have played three overtime games this season, posting a 2-1 record. Henry Bibby (UCLA, '72) is in his eighth season at the helm of the USC program. He has posted a 120-98 record at USC and has guided the Trojans to four postseason berths (3 NCAA, 1 NIT), including an Elite 8 appearance in 2001. Bibby has the distinction of being the only person ever to play ever play for an NCAA, NBA and CBA championship team.
ABOUT CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE: Cal State Northridge held a 3-4 record as of Dec. 26. The Matadors, however, traveled to Montana to finish off a home-and-home series on Dec. 27 prior to hosting Lafayette on Dec. 30. This season, Northridge's wins came over Menlo College, Montana and Portland State, while its losses came to Loyola Marymount, USC (75-69), San Jose State and Utah. The Matadors feature a very balanced scoring attack, as five players are hitting for double figures on the season. Leading the way offensively is junior forward Chris Davis who is averaging 14.3 ppg. Junior college transfer Etoagwara Onyenegecha provided an immediate boost in the frontcourt when he became eligible after missing the first six games. He dropped in 14 points in his debut against Portland State. Freshman Thomas Shewmake (10.0 ppg) has started four games at center. In the backcourt, Northridge features a deep lineup led by juniors Ian Boylan (10.6 ppg), Joseph Frazier (9.4 ppg) and Davin White (12.1 ppg) and senior Michael Scott (2.7 ppg). Boylan, Frazier and Scott are expected to fill spots in the starting lineup. Boylan will also spend time at the forward spot. Bobby Braswell is in his eighth season at the helm of the Cal State Northridge program. He has posted a 114-98 record.
PULLING IT OUT: Lafayette has won three games by three points or less this season. The Leopards notched a three-point victory over St. Peter's (74-71), a one-point win at Drexel (69-68) and a three-point triumph at Princeton (47-44).
TAKING BETTER CARE OF THE BALL: If you asked head coach Fran O'Hanlon about the Leopards' lone loss at Rutgers, he would immediately point to the team's 25 turnovers. Limiting turnovers has been a focus for Lafayette since, and the Leopards' have sliced their per game average to 15.1 over the eight subsequent games. The Leopards season low of nine turnovers came against Binghamton on Dec. 7.
THEY'RE GONNA SCORE: Lafayette has had nine or more players score at least one point in each of its last seven games.
GARNERING A GRAND: With his first basket against La Salle on Nov. 29, senior Justin DeBerry became the 33rd player in Lafayette history to eclipse the 1,000 point plateau. DeBerry currently has 1,110 career points and is averaging 16.3 ppg this season.
KNOCKING IT DOWN: Lafayette has shot the ball well from the floor this season, hitting 50 percent for the year. The Leopards' best effort came against La Salle when they shot 61 percent (27-44). The Leopards' worst performance came in a defensive struggle with Princeton, when they hit 40 percent (16-40). Lafayette has shot over 50 percent in four of its nine games this season.
IS THE GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?: Rebounding was not a strength of Lafayette's squad last season, and has been a mixed bag thus far in 2003-04. The Leopards have out-rebounded five of their nine opponents, the exceptions being Drexel, Binghamton, Lycoming and Cornell (the Leopards are 4-0 in those games). The rebounding duties have been spread around, as four different players are averaging 4.0 rebounds per game or more. Mike Farrell and Winston Davis lead the way with 4.9 rebounds per game followed by Sean Knitter (4.6 rpg) and Rob Dill (4.3 rpg).
INJURY REPORT: As a team, Lafayette suffered some bumps and bruises against Cornell. The only regular contributor not available for the California swing, however, is Jamaal Hilliard who is out with an ankle injury. - Ryan Baum (Fr., G) - Doubtful, separated shoulder - Jamaal Hilliard (Fr., G) - Out four to six weeks ankle fracture
DILL ON THE BLOCK: Rob Dill has 138 career blocks, ranking second all-time behind Frank Barr '01 (160). Dill blocked 54 shots as a junior, the second-best single-season effort at Lafayette. This season, Dill has 26 blocks and swatted away a career-high seven shots in a win over St. Peter's (11/24). He ranks seventh all-time in the Patriot League in blocked shots and is currently 11th in the nation (2.9 bpg).
BOMBING AWAY: Senior Justin DeBerry is currently tied for second on the career three-point field goals list at Lafayette, with 167. He needs one more triple to take sole possession of second place also held by Tim Bieg '01. Tyson Whitfield '01, who had 271 career three-pointers, holds the all-time record. DeBerry ranks 14th all-time in the Patriot League...DeBerry's 69 three-pointers in the 2002-03 season ranked him fourth all-time at Lafayette for single-season performances.
THE REAL "IRON MIKE": Despite having to deal with the daily physical challenges posed by diabetes, senior forward Mike Farrell has never missed a game in three-plus 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. Sunday's game vs. USC marks his 96th straight game.
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 sports information directors.
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 second journal entry discusses the Zoo Crew, Justin DeBerry reaching a career mark, and the dreaded finals.
THE LONE CAPTAIN: Senior Mike Farrell is in his second season as team captain. The DeLand, Fla. native has played in 95 straight games (entering the California trip) since beginning his career at Lafayette. The only two starts he has missed in his sophomore and junior seasons were to give way to seniors on Senior Day.
ACCURATE THREATS: Lafayette's post players were extremely accurate last season and that has continued on in 2003-04. Rob Dill, who led the team and finished second in the league in field goal percentage last season, is shooting 66 percent from the floor. Mike Farrell, who ended fourth in the Patriot League last season, is currently shooting 58 percent from the floor.
DAVIS PLAYER OF WEEK (12/1): Senior guard Winston Davis was named Patriot League Player of the Week. Davis led Lafayette to a 2-0 week against St. Peter's and La Salle, when he scored 20 and 19 points, respectively. He was held to a season-low six points at Drexel, but hit two crucial free throws in the one-point win.
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 269-113 record (.704) 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, having already beaten St. Peter's (74-71), La Salle (83-63), Centenary (96-54), Binghamton (77-72), Lycoming (84-73) and Cornell (87-79) at home.
THE HALF OF IT: 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. This season, Lafayette has only led at halftime in three of its games.
THE STARTING FIVE: Four senior players installed themselves into the starting lineup following the 2002-03 season. Justin DeBerry and Winston Davis fill two of the starting spots in a three-guard offense. Mike Farrell and Rob Dill re-take the floor at the forwards. A sophomore, Pat Betley, has started the first nine games at point guard, averaging 23.8 minutes an outing.
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 was tabbed as the Patriot League Preseason player of the year by two publications, Lindy's and Basketball News.
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.
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 239 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 is averaged 7.2 three-pointers per game. This season the Leopards have averaged 7.0 three-pointers per game.
ALL-TIME AT LAFAYETTE: In the 94 seasons of men's basketball at Lafayette College, the Leopards hold an overall record of 1141-983 (.537). Lafayette's first season of basketball was in 1900-01.
HUGHES' LINE (12/2): Junior Jamie Hughes' line on the box score at Drexel would not impress the average person -- two points, six rebounds, one turnover and one block in just eight minutes. Those watching the game, however, know just how crucial he was to the win. Hughes' block came on Drexel's final attempt at the game-winning shot and his six rebounds proved crucial. What doesn't show up on the box score was the 7-0, 280-pounder's dive for a loose ball and his defense on Drexel's Sean Brooks in the final minutes.
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. Jamaal Douglas, who currently lives in Miami, Fla., originally hails from Nassau, Bahamas.
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.
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, all of 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 (615) 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 most road contests by Phil LaBella (Lafayette SID).
