Dec. 23, 2010
EASTON, Pa. -
Game Notes in PDF Format 
GAME 13 • December 29, 2010
Matchup: Lafayette (4-8) at Gonzaga (7-5)
Tip-off: 8:30 p.m. EDT (5:30 p.m. PDT)
Site: Spokane, Wash.
Arena: McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000)
TV: KHQ (Spokane); FSN NW
Internet: GoLeopards.com
Radio: WJRH-FM 104.9 (Dick Hammer and Matt Panto)
MATCH UP: Lafayette (4-8) travels to Spokane, Wash. to face Gonzaga (7-5) on Dec. 29. Including the Gonzaga game, the Leopards will have played just three games in 19 days, last playing on Dec. 22 after going 12 days without a game due to final exams.
FINE AT THE LINE: The Leopards are shooting 80 percent from the free throw line and were ranked second in the nation (as of Dec. 20). Lafayette has converted 167-of-208 from the stripe led by a 43-of-49 (88%) seasonal clip from Ryan Willen and a 59-for-70 (84%) effort from Jared Mintz. Willen is ranked 28th in the nation while Mintz rests at 97th. Lafayette shot 76 percent from the foul line last season, finishing eighth in the nation.
SCOUTING GONZAGA: Gonzaga, a perennial top 25 team, was the preseason pick to win the West Coast Conference title. The Bulldogs stand at 7-5, but the record is somewhat deceiving when considering that three of those losses have come against Top 25 teams (San Diego State, Kansas State and Illinois). Gonzaga also has losses to Notre Dame and Washington State. On the other side of the ledger, Gonzaga's notable wins have come over Marquette (Nov. 23) and most recently a three-game win streak that included victories over No. 9 Baylor (68-64 on Dec. 18) and against Xavier on Dec. 22. Senior guard Steven Gray is Gonzaga's leading scorer (15.5 ppg) and distributor of the ball (4.9 apg). Gray sat out the Xavier game with a sore back. Junior guard Demetri Goodson has started 11 games and is averaging 4.3 points and 3.3 assists per game. The Gonzaga frontcourt is a deep group led by junior center Robert Sacre (12.5 ppg , 6.8 rpg). Sophomore Elias Harris (11.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg) has started nine games while Mangisto Arop (6.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg), Kelly Olynk (7.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Mathis Moenninghoff (6.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg) have also started four games apiece. The Zags are coached by Mark Few, a 1987 Oregon alum who is in his 12th season as head coach and 20th at the university. He has guided Gonzaga to four NCAA Sweet 16 appearances.
LAST TIME OUT: For 38 minutes, Lafayette battled with one of the Atlantic 10's top teams on Dec. 22. Jim Mower's three-pointer at 2:32 tied the game, 62-62, for the sixth and final time. Rhode Island closed the deal with an 11-3 run to win 73-65. Junior forward Ryan Willen led the way for the Leopards with 21 points that included four three-pointers in the first half.
A HELPING HAND: Lafayette has dished out assists on 68 percent of its baskets in the 2010-11 season and ranks 37th in the nation with 16.1 assists per game. The Leopards had a season-best 22 assists on 26 buckets against NJIT (85%) and managed 17 assists on 24 buckets in their last outing. Lafayette's worst outing came against Long Island, dishing just 17 assists on 30 buckets (56%).
THEY'RE STILL GOING TO JARED: Senior co-captain Jared Mintz has scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games this season. He had his double-digit scoring streak snapped with nine points at Rhode Island where the Rams kept the 84 percent free throw shooter from attempting a free throw. Mintz added a season-high nine rebounds and three assists at Rhode Island. This season, Mintz scored a career-high 28 points on the way to a 72-56 victory over Great West Conference preseason favorite NJIT. Mintz was 11-for-16 from the floor and a 6-of-7 at the line.
GRAND PERFORMANCES: Senior forward Jared Mintz and junior forward Ryan Willen are moving closer to the 1000-point plateau. Mintz has 933 points and is looking to become the 36th player in Lafayette history to achieve the feat. Willen has 826 career points.
HANDLING THE BALL: A third of the way through the season Lafayette features a positive season assist/turnover ratio. The Leopards are +1.1 (193/182). Lafayette had a 1.1 assist/turnover ratio in 2009-10 (482/422). In the Leopards' last outing, Lafayette dished out 17 assists to 12 turnovers. Ben Wheeler leads the team with a 2.0 assist to turnover ratio (43/22) for the 2010-11 season.
NEXT UP: Back on the East Coast, Lafayette opens the 2011 calendar year at Fairleigh Dicksinson on Jan. 2. The Leopards will wind up non-conference action on Jan. 5, hosting Columbia before the conference opener on Jan. 8.
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 16th season as the Leopards' head coach. A three-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 217-231 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.
TOP OF THEIR LEAGUES: Lafayette faces three teams this season that have been picked to win their conference titles. The Leopards lost to Ivy League favorite Princeton 82-64 on Nov. 30, but beat Great West preseason favorite NJIT, 72-56 on Dec. 8. They end their swing on Dec. 29 against West Coast Conference pick Gonzaga.
ALL-AROUND CONTRIBUTOR: When you think point guard, you think "pass first" and that is certainly the case with sophomore Tony Johnson. Johnson is second on the team with 3.3 assists per game. Rebounding has also been a strength, as he is hauling in 4.7 per game (second on the team) and had a career-high 10 boards against Delaware on Nov. 27. In the scoring column, Johnson is contributing 6.5 ppg, coming off a nine-point game at Rhode Island. He grabbed three boards and dished three assists off the bench.
DELANEY's MINUTES: With his play of late, Rob Delaney, has certainly strengthened his push for playing time. Delaney, thought of primarily as a defensive spark off the bench, has stepped in for an injured Tony Johnson and made the most of five starts. He reached a career-high 16 points on four three's vs. Sacred Heart. Over the last five games, Delaney has averaged 8.2 points and 28 minutes per game (second only to Jared Mintz in terms of playing time) while dishing out 16 assists to five turnovers.
MOWER MOVING UP: Junior guard Jim Mower has moved into ninth place for career three-point field goals at Lafayette. Mower has 136 after starting the year with a 108 in a tie for 14th place.
NATIONAL LEADER: According to the latest NCAA report of Division I institutions, Lafayette College ranks third in the nation in student-athlete graduation success rate (GSR). The Leopards post an impressive 97 percent GSR, ranking well above the national GSR for Division I student-athletes of 79 percent.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE?: Senior forward Jared Mintz fell a rebound shy of his first double-double of the season and sixth of his career when he posted 10 points and nine boards vs. Sacred Heart (12/6) and just missed again with nine points and nine rebounds at Rhode Island on Dec. 22. His last double-double occurred Jan. 20, 010 vs. Bucknell when he had 17 points and hauled in 11 rebounds.
FIVE IN DOUBLE FIGURES: For two straight games, Lafayette featured five players in double figures. Against Susquehanna on Dec. 1, Jared Mintz, Ryan Willen and Nick Petkovich had 14 points apiece while Rob Delaney and Levi Giese each contributed 10. Five days later, Jim Mower led the way with 16 points, while Delaney (15), Willen (12), Ben Wheeler (11) and Mintz (10) added to the point total against Sacred Heart.
BACK HOME: Lafayette's five-game homestand was the longest since 2007-08. It was just the second time during Fran O'Hanlon's 16 seasons that Lafayette has played five straight at home and the fifth time playing four or more. The Leopards were 13-3 at home in 2009-10, including two wins in the Patriot League Tournament to advance to the conference championship game.
ALL-AROUND EFFORT: Despite playing limited minutes in a runaway game vs. Susquehanna, Jared Mintz led the team in points (14), rebounds (6) and assists (5). The last person to do that in a game was Ryan Willen who had 26 points, eight boards and five assists at Navy on Jan. 16, 2010.
REBOUNDING IS A TEAM EFFORT: Against Susquehanna, 12 Lafayette players had a rebound and six players had three or more. For the season, Jared Mintz (5.6 rpg), Tony Johnson (4.7 rpg), and Ryan Willen (4.3 rpg) lead the team on the glass. On average, however, the Leopards are being out-rebounded by 4.1 boards per game.
BENBOW's BACK: Senior forward Darion Benbow missed the first four games of the season with a broken thumb. He made his season debut at Penn and Fran O'Hanlon wasn't hesitant to use him, especially after his defensive contributions. Benbow has started the last seven games, playing 18 minutes per outing. He chipped in with seven points at Rhode Island.
Meet the SENIOR CO-Captains: Jared Mintz, a preseason All-Patriot League selection, and Ben Wheeler are holding the leadership reins for the 2010-11 season. Mintz is the team's leading scorer (16.2 ppg) and rebounder (5.6 rpg). Wheeler averages 5.3 points, 3.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game this season. Wheeler had a break-out game against Sacred Heart, scoring a career-high 11 points and dishing out six assists for the second time this season.
NATIONALLY RANKED FOES: Lafayette faced nationally-ranked Villanova (No. 6/7) on Nov. 20. The last time Lafayette beat a nationally ranked opponent was Dec. 2, 1978, a 77-70 victory over Rutgers. The last conference game that pitted Lafayette against a ranked opponent was Feb. 15, 2006, a 69-49 loss to Bucknell.
LEAGUE HISTORY: Jared Mintz was the first player in conference history to lead the Patriot League in free throw and field goal percentage in the same season. Mintz shot a Patriot League-best 54.2 percent from the floor and 87.3 percent (131-150) from the line.
30+ CLUB: Junior Jim Mower scored 31 points against Rider, going 8-for-11 from three-point range. Andrew Brown '09 was the last Leopard to reach 30 points when he scored 31 points against Robert Morris on Dec. 17, 2008. THE PRESEASON POLL: Lafayette was selected third in the Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Leopards, who received two first-place votes and 73 points overall, were picked behind American (seven first-place votes, 79 points) and Bucknell (three first-place votes, 76 points) but ahead of Holy Cross (two first-place votes, 70 points), Lehigh (two first-place votes, 69 points), Navy (35 points), Colgate (31 points) and Army (15 points). The poll is voted on by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.
IN THE RANKS: Nine of Lafayette's non-conference opponents were selected to finish within the top five of their respective leagues in the preseason polls. Three teams were tabbed as their conference's preseason favorite: NJIT, Princeton and Gonzaga. Lafayette will tip off against five opponents from the Northeast Conference -- the most of any one conference on the schedule.
THE FRESHMEN: Head coach Fran O'Hanlon added three players to the Lafayette roster this season. Center Jake Kreuser (Mendota Heights, Minn./Sibley) checks in at 7-0, 225 pounds. Kreuser has played in 10 games, averaging 5.7 minutes per game. Les Smith (Cotati, Calif./Marin Catholic/Kimball Union Academy) is a 6-0 guard who can play multiple positions. Smith has seen time in 11 games, primarily spelling Tony Johnson at the point. Jack Detmer (Scarsdale, N.Y./Scarsdale/Hill School) has played in five games. His brother, Ted '08, was a four-year letterwinner for the Leopards.
LAFAYETTE ON TELEVISION: Lafayette will lead the Patriot League with at least 11 of its regular-season games televised during the 2010-11 season. The Leopards will also lead the Patriot League with at least nine 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 for the third straight season. Emmy-nominated local sports broadcaster Gary Laubach will handle all of Lafayette's play-by-play duties for the 14th straight season. Former Lafayette men's basketball coach John Leone will provide color analysis for the 12th season.
BASKETBALL IQ: Lafayette placed six student-athletes on the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll during the 2009-10 season. The distinction recognizes those individuals who have earned a varsity letter and maintained a 3.2 GPA during the spring semester. Michael Gruner '10, senior Deirunas Visockas, juniors Rob Delaney, Jim Mower, Ryan Willen and Alex Orchowski (transferred to Tufts) were honored.
2009-10 NCAA INDIVUDAL RANKINGS: In 2009-10, Jim Mower ranked third nationally for three-point field goal percentage (47.5%) and 32nd in three-point field goals per game (2.9). Jared Mintz was 23rd in the country in free throw percentage (87.3%). As a team, Lafayette finished fifth in free-throw percentage (76.4).
TOPS IN THE NATION (LAST SEASON): The Leopards made all 19 of their free throws against Colgate (2/10/10), the best mark in the nation in 2009-10. It topped Kentucky's mark of 18-of-18 on Dec. 19, 2009.
PATRIOT HONORS: In 2009-10, Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon was named Patriot League Men's Basketball Coach of the Year and two of his student-athletes earned All-Patriot League recognition with forward Jared Mintz earning first-team honors and forward Ryan Willen collecting second-team laurels. O'Hanlon received his third Patriot League Coach of the Year award, and first since claiming back-to-back honors in 1997-98 and 1998-99, the first Patriot League coach to win the award consecutively. Mintz was likely the most-improved player in the conference and was the first Lafayette player to earn first-team honors since Winston Davis and Justin DeBerry in 2003-04. Willen was an All-Rookie pick in 2008-09 before securing second-team honors. He averaged 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game overall and 13.9 ppg and 4.9 rpg in conference action.
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.
FACEBOOK/TWITTER: Fans can follow Lafayette basketball on Facebook at facebook.com/lafayette.leopard and Twitter at twitter.com/goleopards .
ON THE RADIO: All of the 2010-11 Lafayette men's basketball regular season and each of the Leopards' postseason games will air WJRH-FM 104.9. In his 44th season as the radio voice of Lafayette Athletics, Dick Hammer will continue to call the play-by-play action. Joining Hammer courtside for road contests will be Lafayette Sports Information Director Philip LaBella to provide color analysis.
