Dec. 10, 2009
EASTON, Pa. -
Game Notes 
GAME 11 • December 12, 2009
Matchup: Lafayette (5-5) vs. Long Island (4-4)
Tip-off: 1 p.m.
Site: Easton, Pa.
Arena: Kirby Sports Center (3,500)
Radio: none
TV: none Internet:
LSN All-Access on GoLeopards.com
MATCH UP: The Leopards (5-5) are looking for their second win in a row when they host Long Island (LIU) on Saturday at 1 p.m. on the Kirby hardwood. Lafayette is coming off a 73-57 win against an overmatched FDU squad while Long Island (4-4) is coming off an 80-64 loss to Iona on Wednesday. Saturday marks the first meeting between the two schools.
199...AND COUNTING: Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon needs one win to reach the 200-win plateau.
O'HANLON REACHES A DIFFERENT MARK: With his 414th game at the helm of the Lafayette program, Fran O'Hanlon holds the Patriot League all-time mark for games coached. He surpassed retired Bucknell coach Pat Flannery (412) who once stomped on the sidelines of Davis Gym and Sojka Pavilion.
LAST TIME OUT: Sophomore Jim Mower scored a career-high 23 points in a 73-57 runaway win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night at Kirby Sports Center. Classmate Ryan Willen contributed 18 points and a season-high nine rebounds for the Leopards who snapped a four-game losing streak. Lafayette closed the first half with a 14-3 run and never looked back. Mower, who ended the half with 15 points, accounted for 12 points in that span.
MINTZ, FROM THE FLOOR: Junior forward Jared Mintz has been the Leopards' leading scorer from the outset of 2009-10. The Toronto, Canada native has been an efficient scorer and coming into the week was ranked 21st in the country for field goal percentage, shooting 61 percent from the floor. Mintz was held in check against FDU with three points and two rebounds after being hampered by foul trouble.
His season shooting percentage includes a 9-of-9 night at St. Francis (Pa.), an 8-of-10 stint at NJIT, a 6-of-7 performance vs. Hartford and a 5-for-7 day at Georgetown.
MAJOR MINUTES FOR MOWER: Sophomore guard Jim Mower played the first seven games of the season off the bench, but has started the last three. Mower enjoyed a breakout game vs. FDU on Wednesday night, scoring a career-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Mower also grabbed three rebounds and had an assist in 25 minutes of action.
The Harleysville, Pa. native is second on the team in scoring with 11.9 ppg in 23 minutes per game. The number that stands out the most for Mower is his assist/turnover ratio which is +3.8 (23/6).
SCOUTING LONG ISLAND: Long Island comes into Saturday's game with a 4-4 mark. The Blackbirds have beaten Navy, St. Peter's, Bryant and Central Connecticut State while losing to St. John's, Army, Seton Hall and most recently Iona on Wednesday night, 80-64.
Long Island is led by senior guard Jaytornah Wisseh who is averaging 17.3 ppg and 4.4 assists per game. Wisseh was a 2009-10 Preseason All-NEC pick. Joining him in the backcourt is junior Kyle Johnson with 9.9 ppg. Johnson is second on the team in rebounding (6.4 rpg). The third guard in the mix is junior David Hicks (9.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg).
LIU is young up front with freshmen Kenny Onyechi and Jamal Olasewere seeing significant time. Onyechi is averaging 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and is block ing 2.8 shots per game. Olasewere is the team's leading rebounder (6.5 rpg) and has added 8.9 points per game.
LIU is a solid rebounding team, outmuscling opponents by 4.6 rebounds per game. The Blackbirds have been prone to turnovers averaging nearly 16 a game.
Head coach Jim Ferry (Keene State '80) is in his eighth season at LIU where he has an 88-121 record. He was the 2004-05 NEC Coach of the Year.
NEXT UP: Lafayette breaks nine days from game action to prepare for and take final exams before returning to action at St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 22. Lafayette will then close out 2009 at Delaware on 29 at 7 p.m., the first meeting between the two teams since 1998 when they played in a tournament in Albany, N.Y.
HANDLING THE BALL: It's early in the season, but Lafayette features a positive season assist/turnover ratio for the first time since 2000-01 (+1.03 • 434/422). Lafayette is
+1.13 (141/124) this season. Lafayette had a 1:1 assist/turnover ratio in 2003-04 (429/429). In the Leopards' last outing, Lafayette had 16 assists to 9 turnovers vs. FDU.
FABULOUS FRESHMAN TO SUPER SOPHOMORE?: Sophomore forward Ryan Willen was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team in 2008-09, the seventh freshman in school history to earn the accolade.
This season, Willen is averaging 9.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and has 18 assists. Willen is coming off an 18-point game vs. FDU on Wednesday when he also contributed a career-high two blocks with a pair of assists.
In addition to his work on the court, Willen is currently enrolled in Organic Chemistry, Ethics, Introduction to Psychology, Religions in World Cultures and two labs.
PELHAM CHIMES IN: Sophomore J.D. Pelham played a career-high 14 minutes vs. Fairleigh Dickinson and responded with a solid stat line. The 6-10 center had four points, four rebounds and three blocks while shooting 2-of-2 at the line.
WHAT GARDEN STATER IS IN THAT JERSEY?: Lafayette played three New Jersey schools in its last four games: Fairleigh Dickinson, Princeton and St. Peter's. Lafayette also played NJIT on Nov. 21.
A HELPING HAND: Lafayette has dished out assists on 57 percent of its baskets in the 2009-10 season. The Leopards had 18 assists on 25 buckets at La Salle (72%) and 13 assists on 18 baskets vs. St. Peter's (72.2%), both losses. The Leopards' worst performance of the year in terms of assists per basket came in a win against Wagner (9 assists, 25 FG) when the Leopards made up for it by making 26-of-31 free throws. In Lafayette's most recent win it had 16 assists on 24 baskets.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE: Junior forward Jared Mintz has been the Leopards' go-to guy during the 2009-10 season. Mintz's hard work in the off season has led to increased scoring output and solid work on the glass. The junior already has a pair of double-doubles, contributing 20 points and 10 rebounds in the season opener vs. Wagner (11/13) and following up with 18 and 10 against Hartford (11/24). Mintz now has four double-doubles for his career. For the season, he has scored in double figures in eight games.
LEADING THE LEAGUE: Jared Mintz leads the Patriot League in field-goal percentage (61%), is third free throw percentage (85.7%), fourth in scoring (16.1 ppg) and is also seventh in rebounding (6.3 rpg). Sophomore Jim Mower ranks second in three-point percentage (45.5%) and sixth for three-pointers made (2.0 per game). Jeff Kari ranks sixth in three-point shooting percentage (40%) and seventh for three-point field goals made (2.0).
Lafayette leads the league in four categories: field goal percentage (45.9%), blocked shots (3.7 bpg), three-point field goal percentage (37%) and three-pointers made (7.4 pg). The Leopards are second in scoring offense (70.2 ppg), assists (14.1 apg), turnover margin (+1.3) and assist/turnover ratio (1.1).
FACEBOOK/TWITTER: Fans can follow Lafayette basketball on Facebook at
facebook.com/lafayette.leopard and Twitter at twitter.com/goleopards .
100 AND STILL GOING: What do North Carolina basketball and Lafayette basketball have in common other than Nike sneakers? For both teams, the 2009-10 season marks the 100th season of men's basketball. Lafayette's first season was 1900-01, but the school did not field a team from 1903-04 to 1912-13.
ON THE SIDELINE: The all-time winningest coach in Lafayette history and longest-tenured coach in the Patriot League, Fran O'Hanlon (Villanova, '70) enters his 15th season as the Leopards' head coach. A two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year recipient, O'Hanlon has twice led Lafayette's program to the NCAA Tournament and lays claim to three Patriot League regular-season titles.
With a 75-71 double-overtime victory over Lehigh on Feb. 18, 2007, O'Hanlon became the winningest coach in Lafayette history and now holds an all-time record of 199-215 on College Hill.
O'Hanlon's overall record does not necessarily tell an accurate story of the job he has done at Lafayette. The Philadelphia native inherited a 2-25 team when he took over in 1995-96 and won seven, 11, 19, 22 and 24 games over the next five seasons. From 1997-2000, Lafayette was 65-24 overall and 31-5 in the conference with two NCAA Tournament appearances. In 1996, the Patriot League, which was originally founded based on the principle of need-based financial aid only, began allowing athletic scholarships. However, it was not until 2006 that Lafayette chose to do so. By no coincidence, during that span, Lafayette posted a 79-91 mark and was 38-44 in the league.
SOLID START: The Leopards' 4-1 start was the best since 2003-04 when Lafayette began the season 6-1. Lafayette finished 18-10 that season.
FRESH IMPACT: Freshman Tony Johnson has made a positive impact on the court for the Leopards. Johnson is averaging 19.3 minutes per game and has 20 assists to 12 turnovers, solid numbers for a freshman who has been asked to handle the ball often. Johnson is also third on the team in steals and rebounding. A 6-0 native of Folsom, Calif., Johnson is the only true point guard on the team. In his last outing, Johnson was 7-for-7 from the line and finished with nine points while also adding three assists in 18 minutes.
Fellow first-year player Levi Giese has seen action in six games while averaging 1.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per game. A 6-9 forward, Giese comes from Tulsa, Okla. and brings solid perimeter skills. Giese played four minutes vs. Fairleigh Dickinson after missing the previous two games with illness.
Meet the Captains: Senior guards Jeff Kari and Mike Gruner are holding leadership roles for the 2009-10 season. Kari, who served as a co-captain last season, played in all 30 games as a junior, starting 27 and was second on the team in scoring. This season, the Lisle, Ill. native is averaging 10.0 ppg and has 22 assists. Coming out of high school, Gruner was an all-state selection at Lisle Senior High School where he set seven school records and was a two-way player on the football team (wide receiver and defensive back).
Gruner is averaging 7.5 ppg and leads the team with 24 assists and 17 steals. He was a mainstay in the lineup the past two seasons. In 2008-09, he was the team's steadiest ballhandler, dishing out 61 assists to 44 turnovers for a 1.4 assist/turnover ratio and 196 points (8.2 ppg). Gruner is also a Marquis Scholar, the college's most prestigious academic scholarship. Coming out Bethesda, Md., Gruner led his Walt Whitman high school squad to the Maryland 4A state title while earning Gazette Co-Player of the Year honors along with the NBA's 2007-08 Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant of Montrose Christian.
SIX...IS GOOD: The Leopards had six players score in double figures against Hartford on Nov. 24. Jared Mintz led the way with 18, followed by Darion Benbow (career-high 15), Michael Gruner (13), Jim Mower (13), Jeff Kari (10) and Ryan Willen (10). The last time Lafayette had six players score in double figures, including all five starters, was Nov. 28, 2007 in an 81-69 win over Penn. Gruner is the only Lafayette player to have been scored 10+ in both of those games.
In games against Wagner and St. Francis (Pa.), Lafayette had four players score in double figures.
D.C. DANDIES: Though players from 11 states and three countries are represented on Lafayette's roster, the Leopards feature three from the geographic cluster that is the D.C. Metro area. Prior to arriving on College Hill, three of Lafayette's guards attended schools within 25 miles of the nation's capital. Michael Gruner shined at Walt Whitman High School, where he led his team to a state championship. Junior Ben Wheeler played at Chantilly where he garnered first team all-district and second team all-region accolades his senior year. Sophomore Nick Petkovich is the most recent addition from the D.C. area, an All-IAC Conference First-Team selection from Bullis Prep.
FRESH FACES: Head coach Fran O'Hanlon added two new coaches to his staff this season. Pat Doherty is a familiar face to the Lafayette program, graduating from Lafayette in 2004. Doherty was an assistant coach at Williams College in 2008-09, helping lead Williams to a 17-9 overall record. In 2007-08 Doherty served as an assistant coach at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). Matt Blue holds down the final assistant coaching spot. Blue, a 2007 graduate of St. Lawrence comes to Lafayette after spending the 2008-09 season at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. He helped lead the Crusaders to an 18-8 overall mark and a 13-3 finish in the Landmark Conference.
BASKETBALL IQ: Lafayette placed a program-best three student-athletes on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll during the 2008-09 season. The distinction recognizes those individuals who have earned a varsity letter and maintained a 3.2 GPA during the spring semester. Senior Michael Gruner and sophomores Rob Delaney and Andy Moore each earned a nod.
THE PRESEASON POLL: Lafayette was chosen to finish eighth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. The poll is voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Holy Cross was picked to finish first with 13 first place votes, followed by Lehigh, Bucknell, Army, Colgate, American and Navy.
IN THE RANKS: Seven of Lafayette's non-conference opponents were picked to finish within the top five of their respective leagues in the preseason polls. At No. 2, Long Island and Princeton are the highest ranked non-conference opponents the Leopards will face. Lafayette will tip off against six opponents from the Northeast Conference -- the most of any one conference on the Leopards' schedule.
AROUND THE WORLD: Six international players are featured on the roster for tonight's matchup. Lafayette boasts three international players in Jared Mintz (Toronto, Canada), Marek Koltun (Krakow, Poland) and Deirunas Visockas (Lithuania). Long Island's roster includes Milos Nikolic (Lugano, Switzerland), Arnold Mayorga (London, Ontario) and Kyle Johnson (Ajax, Ontario).
ABOUT LAFAYETTE COLLEGE: Located in Easton, Pa. (70 miles west of New York City and 60 miles north of Philadelphia) on the banks of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, Lafayette is a small liberal arts school with a renowned engineering program. Lafayette, which has 23 Division I sports with a student body of 2,403 undergraduates, competes in the Patriot League with Army, Navy, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Colgate, American and Lehigh. Lafayette is the alma mater of Pete Carril and Tampa Bay Rays' manager Joe Maddon.
LAFAYETTE ON TV: The Leopards will have 13 of their regular-season games televised during the 2009-10 season. The Leopards will also lead the Patriot League with seven nationally-televised games, as MASN (available through both DIRECTV and DISH Network) will air Lafayette's entire slate of home league contests on a tape-delay basis. Emmy-nominated local sports broadcaster Gary Laubach will handle all of Lafayette's play-by-play duties for the 13th straight season. Former Lafayette men's basketball coach John Leone will provide color analysis for the 11th season.
ON THE RADIO: The road games of the 2009-10 Lafayette men's basketball season will air on WSAN-AM 1470 "The Fox." Entering his 43rd season as the radio voice of Lafayette athletics, Dick Hammer will continue to call the play-by-play action. Joining Hammer courtside for most contests will be Lafayette Sports Information Director Phil LaBella.
