Dec. 28, 2009
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
GAME 13 * DEC. 28, 2009
Matchup: Lafayette (7-5) at Delaware (3-8)
Tip-off: 7 p.m.
Site: Newark, Del.
Arena: Bob Carpenter Center (5,000)
Radio: WSAN-AM Fox 1470 * Dick Hammer, Phil LaBella
TV: None
Internet: GoLeopards.com * www.fox1470.com
MATCH UP: The Leopards (7-5) are on a three-game winning streak, but will need to shake off the rust before they face Delaware on Tuesday. Lafayette had six days off from game action, last playing Dec. 22 at St. Francis (N.Y.) in a five-point win. Delaware (3-8) has not played since Dec. 23 when the Blue Hens lost 97-63 to No. 8 Villanova.
A LITTLE BIT OF STREAKING: Lafayette has pieced together a pair of three-game win streaks this season, beating St. Francis (Pa.), NJIT and Hartford the first time around and Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island and St. Francis (N.Y.) in the second three-game stint.
NEXT UP: Lafayette will ring in the New Year by welcoming Penn to Kirby Sports Center on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m. It is the second to last non-conference game for the Leopards who host Columbia on Jan. 6.
DELAWARE CONNECTION: Though he is a native of Poland, Lafayette's only Delaware connection on the roster is senior center Marek Koltun. Koltun played a year (2006-07) of high school ball at Caravel Academy in Bear, Del., helping lead the squad to a 23-3 mark.
200 AND STILL GOING: Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon reached the 200-win plateau on Dec. 12 with the Leopards' victory over Long Island. He is the only Lafayette coach to win 200-plus games.
"O" REACHES P.L. LONGEVITY MARK: With his 416th 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.
ABOUT DELAWARE: Delaware comes out of Christmas break with a 3-8 mark. The Blue Hens have not played since Dec. 23 when they lost 93-67 at No. 8 Villanova. Delaware counts Penn, Hampton and Vermont among its victories with losses to Temple, Bucknell, Siena, Virginia Tech in overtime, Delaware State, Old Dominion in CAA play and Ohio.
Junior guard Jawan Carter is the Blue Hens' go-to guy. Carter, who is averaging 16.8 ppg, has led the team in scoring in seven of 11 games. The St. Joseph's transfer has hit 24 three-pointers, leads the team in assists (4.6 apg) and steals (1.5 spg) and is an 80 percent free throw shooter. He is playing 39 minutes per game.
Junior Alphonso Dawson and D.J. Boney have each spent significant time in the starting lineup at guard. Dawson (10.8 ppg) and Boney (8.0 ppg) are the team's second- and third-leading scorers and have started seven and six games, respectively.
Up front, redshirt freshman Kelvin McNeil is averaging more rebounds (6.9 rpg) than points (6.5 ppg). Freshman Jamelle Hagins (5.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and redshirt sophomore Hakim MacCullar (5.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg) have started 11 games apiece.
For the season, the Blue Hens are shooting 39 percent form the floor, 28 percent from three and 64 percent at the line.
Delaware is coached by Monte Ross (Winston Salem State '92) who is 35-70 in his fourth season.
LAST TIME OUT: Lafayette shot 70 percent from the floor in the second half and had four players score in double figures in a 74-69 win at St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 22. The Leopards made 16-of-23 shots in the final 20 minutes, but had to seal the game with eight free throws in the final minute. Jim Mower finished with a team-high 16 points, despite missing much of the first half with two fouls.
MOWER'S MAJOR MINUTES: Sophomore guard Jim Mower played the first seven games off the bench, but has started the last five. Mower enjoyed a breakout game vs. FDU (12/9), scoring 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting. He broke his own career scoring mark a game later when he scored 25 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the three-point range against LIU. That performance helped earn him his first Patriot League Player of the Week nod. In his last outing at St. Francis (N.Y.), Mower had 16 points with four three-pointers. The Harleysville, Pa. native is second on the team in scoring with 13.3 ppg in 23 minutes per game. The number that stands out the most for Mower is his assist/turnover ratio which is +3.2 (29/9).
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. As of the latest NCAA rankings (12/20), Mintz was ranked 23rd in the country for field goal percentage, shooting 60.4 percent from the floor. Mintz scored 15 points and snatched six boards at St. Francis (N.Y.) in the Leopards' last outing and boosted his season field goal percentage to 61.9 percent. 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.
ON THE SIDELINE: The all-time winningest coach in Lafayette history and longest-tenured coach in the Patriot League, Fran O'Hanlon (Villanova, '70) is in his 15th season as the Leopards' head coach. A two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, 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 201-215 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.
NEC TITLE?: The Leopards finished a slate of six games against Northeast Conference (NEC) teams with a 5-1 record, beating Wagner, St. Francis (Pa.), Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island and St. Francis (N.Y.) with the only loss coming to Sacred Heart.
A HELPING HAND: Lafayette has dished out assists on 60 percent of its baskets in the 2009-10 season. The Leopards had 22 assists on 26 buckets at St. Francis, N.Y. (85 percent), their best mark of the season, topping the La Salle and St. Peter's efforts of 72 percent. Lafayette's 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.
HANDLING THE BALL: More than a third of the way through the season Lafayette features a positive season assist/turnover ratio for the first time since 2000-01 (+1.03 • 434/422). Lafayette is +1.16 (178/153) this season. Lafayette had a 1:1 assist/turnover ratio in 2003-04 (429/429).
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 3.3 rebounds per game and has 21 assists. Willen's last solid outing came against St. Francis (N.Y.) when he had 13 points, two rebounds and a pair of assists. In addition to his work on the court, Willen was enrolled in Organic Chemistry, Ethics, Introduction to Psychology, Religions in World Cultures and two labs for the fall semester.
LEADING THE LEAGUE: Jared Mintz leads the Patriot League in field-goal percentage (62%), is fourth in scoring (14.8 ppg) and is also sixth in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and free throw percentage (84.9%). Sophomore Jim Mower ranks first in three-point percentage (51.7%) and third for three-pointers made (2.5 per game). Jeff Kari ranks eighth in three-point field goals made (1.8). Darion Benbow and Marek Koltun are tied for sixth in blocked shots (0.8 bpg), while Michael Gruner is fourth in steals (1.5 spg) and ninth in assists (2.8 apg). Lafayette leads the league in five categories: field goal percentage (46.7%), scoring offense (71.1 ppg), blocked shots (3.8 bpg), three-point field goal percentage (39%), three-pointers made (8.0 pg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.2). The Leopards are second in assists (14.8 apg), steals (7.3 spg), and turnover margin (+1.2).
PELHAM CHIMES IN: Sophomore J.D. Pelham played a career-high 14 minutes vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (12/9) and responded with a solid stat line. The 6-10 center had four points, four rebounds and three blocks while making 2-of-2 at the line.
WHAT GARDEN STATER IS IN THAT JERSEY?: With its proximity to the Garden State (about two miles away from the border), Lafayette has played four New Jersey this season: NJIT, Fairleigh Dickinson, Princeton and St. Peter's.
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 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 has four double-doubles for his career. For the season, he has scored in double figures in 10 games.
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.
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 18.6 minutes per game and has 23 assists to 14 turnovers, solid numbers for a freshman who has been asked to handle the ball often. Johnson is also second on the team in steals (10th in the Patriot League) and fourth in assists. A 6-0 native of Folsom, Calif., Johnson is the only true point guard on the team. Johnson was 7-for-7 from the line and finished with nine points while also adding three assists in 18 minutes against FDU (12/9). Fellow first-year player Levi Giese has seen action in nine games while averaging 1.6 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. A 6-9 forward, Giese comes from Tulsa, Okla. and brings solid perimeter skills. Giese played five minutes with a field goal and a block at St. Francis (N.Y.).
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 10.2 ppg and 2.3 apg. Coming out of high school, Kari 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 7.4 ppg and leads the team with 33 assists (2.8 apg) and 18 steals (1.5 spg). 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 scored 10+ in both of those games. In games against Wagner and St. Francis (Pa.), Lafayette had four players score in double figures.
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.
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.
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.
AROUND THE WORLD: Three 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).
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.
