Brady's Out....Who's Next

It comes with no surprise that coach Matt Brady is out after his 4 years as Marist head coach. Brady left the Foxes after another disappointing MAAC Tournament exit for James Madison University, where he is expected to see around $300,000 a year.

While Brady saw some success in his tenure with the Red Foxes, his legacy will ultimately be one of disappointment. In his time as head coach Brady failed to get the Red Foxes to a MAAC Championship game (baffling with the talent he had last year) and failed to keep his word. It was no secret that Brady used his position as Red Fox coach to annually shop himself for a new job but after his 4 year contract extension last year you would at least think he would honor his words of:
"I'm excited to have the extension and to be part of the community for the next four years.''

After watching the Red Foxes get bounced again from the MACC Tournament before the championship game this year, one could not help wonder if Brady was so angry because the team lost or because it would give him less leverage for his new job.

Reports say that if Brady had taken his team to the championship game this season he would have received an offer at Providence, a big time D-1 program. Instead Brady settled for JMU which is not much of a step up from the MAAC.

Perhaps the biggest blow of the Brady departure comes with next years recruiting situation as well as the freshman guards Brady brought in last year, most notably Jay Gavin. Brady recruits are now in question if they will come to Marist and Gavin who had a breakout rookie season is in doubt if he will stay of transfer.

If one of the Red Fox assistant coaches is promoted then he may be able to save Gavin and some of the recruits. However, it is unlikely that Tim Murray would hand over the Red Fox coaching reigns to a MAAC assistant coach, even if they are the best fit.

Of the coaching replacements swirling around campus, my first choice would be Steve Masiello, who served as Rick Pitino's right hand man at Louisville. Masiello is familiar with the MAAC after spending 4 years with Manhattan in the early 2000's, helping them reach the NCAA Tournament two times and the NIT once.

Masiello played for Pitino at UK as a walk on freshmen in 1996-97 but his relationship goes well beyond that. Masiello's father and Pitino are old friends and Steve was even a ball boy for the Knicks in the late 80's when Pitino was head coach.

The relationship with Masiello and Pitino would be great for the Red Foxes as it will bring a coach who has learned from one of the best in college basketball and also bring instant creditability to the program, further strengthening recruiting.

Whatever happens you hope that the next head coach is one who appreciates the Marist position, is true to his word and lives up to his promises.....something Brady did not.

March to Albany

Saturday is the big one, MAAC Tournament time as the Red Foxes will face off against last years MAAC Champ Niagara at the Times Union Center in Albany NY. The game is at 10pm and will be broadcast on MSG.

Must Win Tonight

I first would like to apologize for the lack of blog posts over the past couple weeks....midterms have hit hard and I have been very busy. With that, lets get back to business.

Tonight the struggling Red Foxes take on Iona at McCann in what is a desperation game for Marist. Losers 6 of their last 7, the Red Foxes are mired in a 3 game losing skid that includes a heartbreaking double overtime loss against Fairfield and an embarrassing Bracketbuster loss to Clevland State.

However, the Red Foxes return home to some good news. Louie McCroskey, the Foxes scoring-minded shooting guard will return tonight from a fractured right foot which has sidelined him since January 17 against Loyola.

Without McCroskey, the Red Foxes have lacked a go-to scorer and have had trouble filling his offensive void. Since going down, the Red Foxes MAAC dreams have as well, as they have gone 4-6 and have dropped in the standings from 1st to 6th.

McCroskey, since transferring from 'Cuse has been a bit of a disappointment. The highly talented senior guard has missed significant time this season with injury's and eligibility issues. However, his return is more then welcomed for the Foxes, as their MAAC tournament hopes hinge on his ability to be the consistent scoring threat he can be (see Holiday tournament at the Garden) and help rejuvenate a lifeless Marist team.

With two game left (Iona tonight and Loyola for Sunday's Senior Day) the 6th place Foxes need to win both. At the moment they are only 2/12 games out of first in the crowded MAAC, and while a first place finish is impossible, if the Red Foxes can win out they could end up with a 4 or 5 seed heading into the tournament.

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Under Review

Yeah its old news...but February 19 double overtime loss to was filled with terrible calls, including one that cost the Red Foxes the game. With 2.6 left and the game tied at 72, a Fairfield player called for what was an obvious time out and the official blew his whistle. The only problem was that Fairfield had no more time outs, and instead of the ref calling a technical foul, Chris Webber style, he decided to meet up with his fellow refs and come up with an alternate reason to why he blew the whistle...and he did, sending the game into OT.

If the right call is made on that play, the Red Foxes almost certainly win the game on a couple foul shots(like James Smith last season) which would have given then an all important MAAC win and certainly a boost of confidence which they have been lacking down the stretch of the season.

Also, the clocks stopped on a play in the final moments of the game, giving the Stags more time to score. On a another play, a foul was called agaisnt Stilfphen on a Han 3-point shot...the only problem was Stilf was the one who came away with a bloody nose.....Conspiracy anyone?

Marist Crushed

It was hard to believe that Friday's Red Fox team was the same one we have seen all season. But this was no case of mistaken identity, as the Red Foxes got crushed against a Manhattan team that was 3-11 this season in the MAAC. The 83-62 beat down was the worst conference loss and perhaps the worst timed loss of the season. As the Red Foxes are battling to stay at the top tier of the conference with only 3 games and an ESPNU Bracketbuster game left, every game is vital at this point.

The good news is that over the weekend both Rider and Siena lost, leaving room for the Red Foxes who are 2 games back, to make a late season run.

A source close to the team said that the feeling inside Coach Brady's locker room is that the Red Foxes have to win out to have any chance this March in the MAAC Tournament. If the Red Foxes win out, they have a good chance of finishing in the top 3 of the conference, which the source said is "a must" to avoid playing one of the tougher teams in the first round.

The Red Foxes play Fairfield tonight.

This is an article on the game from Saturday's
New York Daily News...

Manhattan blasts Marist

By SEAN BRENNAN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, February 16th 2008, 4:00 AM

There wasn't a lot to gain for Manhattan heading into Friday night's MAAC contest with Marist, at least as far as their standing in the conference.

With eighth place all but locked up, meaning no first-round bye in the MAAC tournament next month in Albany, the Jaspers were looking for more intangible benefits. A boost in confidence, erasing the memory of an ugly January and a renewed sense that they, despite their 3-11 conference mark, could actually play with the more gifted teams in the conference.

Friday night Manhattan achieved all those goals as Darryl Crawford poured in a career-high 24 points off the bench and freshman guard Chris Smith posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds as Manhattan surprised Marist, 83-62, Friday night before a crowd 1,734 at Draddy Gym.

The win gives Manhattan (10-15, 4-11 in MAAC) more wins this month (the Jaspers are 2-2) than in the entire forgettable month of January, when the Jaspers limped to a 1-8 finish.

But with Denver Nuggets star J.R. Smith in the stands - he's the older brother of Manhattan's Chris Smith - the Jaspers jumped on the Red Foxes (15-11, 9-6) early in the second half and what was once a 35-31 Manhattan lead at halftime quickly grew into a 60-39 Jaspers lead with 9:21 to play.

It was a surge by the Jaspers that didn't exactly surprise Marist coach Matt Brady.

"I felt this coming," Brady said. "Manhattan clearly outplayed us and we put ourselves in a big hole. We had a hard time defending them. (Draddy Gym) is a difficult place for us to play."

But despite the sizable hole the Red Foxes found themselves in, they were down but not out. In fact, they staged a furious rally over a four-minute span as they outscored Manhattan, 17-3, to pull within 63-56 with 5:12 to play. It was a reminder to the Jaspers of their game last week when they let a 12-point second half lead against Fairfield evaporate in a game Manhattan ended up losing, 66-61.

"Once we were in the huddle, coach (Barry Rohrssen) reminded us of last week's game," said Crawford, who hit 7-of-10 from the field and 9-of-14 from the foul line. "He told us to just keep going hard and to buckle down on defense."

Which the Jaspers did, allowing Marist to score just six points in the final 5:00 while Manhattan posted 20 - including nine from Crawford - to turn what had become a nail-biter into a laugher.

"We just had to come from too far back," Brady said.

Rohrssen said it was the way the Jaspers dug in when Marist made its run that he was most impressed with.

"We brought up in the locker room about playing a 40-minute game," Rohrssen said. "We also brought up in a huddle that just one week ago in the Fairfield game we were up a dozen points (and lost). We need to grow as a team and we need to learn as a team. We asked them in the huddle 'How much did you learn in one week and how much did we grow in one week?"

Enough, it turned out, to topple a solid Marist team.

For Smith, having his NBA-star brother on hand added to the Jaspers huge win last night.

"It was crazy," Smith said. "Before the game he said score a lot of points. But I said, 'No, I just going to do what I do every game: get my teammates involved and hit the backboards."

It's the kind of win the Jaspers say can pay big dividends in the confidence department as the regular season winds down and with the MAAC tournament on the horizon.

"This is a big confidence booster," said Smith, who also logged three steals in the win. "We struggled some earlier this year but now I think we're starting to jell."

Over and Out

Two weeks, three big games, and zero wins to show. That was the story last night at McCann as the Marist Red Foxes suffered a devastating overtime loss to arch rival Siena on ESPNU. The loss was the Foxes 3rd straight (Rider, Siena, Siena) dropping them into a 4th place tie in the MAAC standings.

The Red Foxes failed to take advantage of the key part of their schedule, they began the stretch in first place and after the loss Friday, find themselves in the middle of the conference. Now at 8-5, they will have to battle through the remaining games of MAAC play to get at least the 4th seed for the tournament (I say at least because that is what they'll need to have any chance in March).

However, they HAVE been playing extremely hard and extremely well against heavily talented teams and last night's game was by far the Foxes most exciting game since they knocked off the Saints last year in Overtime Thriller Part I.

A raucous, whiteout, sellout crowd saw six ties and six lead changes at McCann, where the energy is like no other in the MAAC. The Red Foxes charged a thunderous comeback, trailing at one point 25-12 and cutting the deficit to 4 before the end of the first.

In the second, Marist could not hold on to a 7 point lead and guard Kenny Hasbrouck killed the Red Foxes down the stretch. With his game high 35 points, Hasbrouck had the game-tying bucket in the final seconds and stole the ball from Jay Gavin with 2.2 left to send it into OT. In the extra period, Hasbrouck led the way with two dagger 3's as the Saints outlasted Marist 97-88.

The crowd was electric and deafening the entire game and the 'McCann Crazys' were tough on Siena players. "There was a lot of energy," Hasbrouck told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "The fans were talking a lot."

But Hasbrouck and the Saints got the final say as Siena won for only the second time in 9 years at McCann.

The Red Foxes have come a long way since the start of the season and as of late, have been going toe-to-toe with better teams (Rider, Siena). The growth is surprising considering how young their guards are. However, while Goodwin and Gavin have played well and really helped the Foxes the last couple weeks, their turnovers have also killed them.

Last night the two had a combined 7 turnovers.....the entire Siena team only had 8 for the game. The Red Foxes for the game had 18 ... that was your ballgame, that was the difference.

"The turnovers are bizarre to me," Brady told the Poughkeepsie Journal. It's an Achilles heel with this group. I'll give you my e-mail address, if you have an answer for it, hit me up."

Overmatched Against Rider

The Red Foxes knew that it would be a very difficult game going into Wednesday's match-up against first place Rider, who is ranked 25th in Mid-Majors.... and that was before the news broke that big man Spongy Benjamin would be out with the flu. A depleted Red Fox team struggled to keep up with Rider in what would be a 79-65 pounding at McCann, thier first home loss of the season.

Without Spongy to counter Riders star big man Jason Thompson, the MAAC's second leading scorer, Marist had a world of trouble trying to defend Thompson in the post. Shea, Stilphen, and freshman Korey Bauer (who really struggled) were the best that coach Brady could throw out there against Thompson, who finished with 20 points and 9 boards.
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Jason Thompson
The 6-11 Thompson, who has turned into one of the top rated big men in the entire NCAA, had Cleveland Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry on hand scouting him out. Thompson has been projected by some to be a late first/early second round pick in this years NBA draft.

There were some things that I loved about Thompson’s game and other areas that I felt were lacking. Overall, I felt that he may have been a little over hyped. Things to love about Thompson’s game are that he can flat-out score the basketball. He has surprising range on his jump shot and plays with fierce intensity the entire game on both ends of the floor. He is a leader both vocally and by example and has a world of potential being an athletic, near 7-foot big man.

The major thing he needs to work on is to solidify his post game. Don't get me wrong he dominated in the post, but that was against a lack luster, overmatched Red Fox frontline. Even with the soft Marist post defense, Thompson missed several open lay-ups early on. With a 6-11, 250 pound frame, Thompson should be drop stepping and dunking on inferior post players every time down the floor. However, Thompson is still learning how to play as a center. In his freshman year, he was only 6'7 (only). That means that NBA scouts love his potential, as he will continue to develop into a forceful big.

First Place Foxes..with Rider,Siena

The battle for the MAAC regular season championship is heating up as the Marist Red Foxes, following Sundays beat down of Canisius, are in a 3-way tie for 1st place along with Rider and Siena. All three teams are boasting a conference best 8-3 record at the moment, but the top should be a little less crowded by the end of next week.

There is no better time for the Red Foxes to make their case in the MAAC then right now. Facing Rider on Wednesday at McCann( where they are still unbeaten this season) and Siena for a home and home (Times Union on Monday and McCann on Friday), the Red Foxes are hitting stride for the harder portion of their schedule at the right time. Winners of 8 of their last 9, the Foxes are playing better basketball then anyone could have expected in the 'post-Jordan' era that has 9 new comers this season.

Sunday's beat down of weak Canisius saw the Red Foxes flex their muscles the way they have been during this winning streak. On the Offensive end the Foxes had 4 players score in double figures, featuring another solid performance from freshman Jay Gavin (MAAC rookie of the week, 5th time) and a breakout performance from my man Ryan Schiender (PoJo player of the game) who had a double-double off the bench. The Defense was again shut down, as the Red Foxes allowed only 44 points, their second lowest since 1985.

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Siena is Ready

The boys up in Albany say they are ready for next weeks big battle(s) between the two MAAC rivals, first at Times Union on Monday then back at McCann on Friday. Last weeks Times Union Siena hoops blog is apparently doing their homework on Red Fox Nation reporting on this writers previous entry titled "We Want Siena."

Marist students: “We want Siena!”
January 24, 2008 at 1:37 pm by Pete Iorizzo, Staff writer http://blogs.timesunion.com/collegesports/?p=564

The Marist students have spoken.

According to an item in the Poughkeepsie Journal blog, Marist students chanted “We want Siena” as the Red Foxes completed an 84-65 rout of Niagara on Monday.

The Saints enter tonight’s game against Loyola in first place in the MAAC, one game ahead of Marist and Rider.

The Saints and Red Foxes meet Feb. 4 in Albany and again Feb. 8 in Poughkeepsie, which figures to deliver one of the best college-basketball atmospheres you’ll see in the MAAC all season.

True. The energy at McCann is by far the most electric and intimidating atmosphere in the MAAC....part of the reason the Red Foxes are undefeated at home. The Feb. 8 match-up will hold true to this, it is an ESPNU game and is a "white-out McCann" game.

After being crushed and embarrassed by Loyola 85-65 the Siena Saints put up another poor performance against weak Iona, where they trailed at halftime and barley scraped away with a win. Against Loyola the Saints look flat-out out of it, shooting a season low 29 % from the field while looking undisciplined throughout.

Against Rider earlier in the season the Red Foxes came away with a thrilling one-point victory beating the Broncos 81-80 on a Ryan 'Steady' Stilphen 3-point play.

Prediction: The Red Foxes stay hot at home and win vs Rider on Wednesday in a dog fight. However, a home-and-home with Siena will be tough to sweep, and the Red Foxes will split, losing in Albany and winning yet another home game in what should be a thriller at McCann.

With Rider and Siena facing off on Saturday the picture in the MAAC should be a lot clearly come next week. Next weeks standings:
Rider 10-3 Marist 10-3 Siena 9-4

Stay Tuned....

"WE WANT SIENA!"

With the game winding down and the Marist Red Foxes seconds away from defeating MAAC powerhouse Niagara, a loud roar of "We Want Siena" echoed throughout the packed bleachers of McCann. The 84-65 blow out win, moved the Red Foxes into sole possession of second place in the conference (12-7 overall; 6-2 MAAC) , trailing only the surging Saints of Siena for MAAC supremacy

With such a dominating win, that included a lock down defense and an offense that shot 50% from the field, I think its time that we change some of the low pre-season predictions for this Marist team and raise the bar of where they stand in this conference.... say right at the top with Siena? Yes, I know that it is only one win on one night, but it is important to look at who they beat and how they beat them.

Last Nights 'D'
Leading by as many as 21 and controlling the game the entire second half, the Red Foxes made Niagara look flat out inferior, similar to the beatings the Marist women's team hands out on a nightly basis. The Foxes held the nations second- leading scorer Charron Fisher (that's right, the entire nation) to a hard fought 17 points, on a terrible 4-21 shooting. It was the first time all season he was held to under 20 points for a game. In fact, as a team the Purple Eagles were held to a mere 27% shooting from the field.

Last Nights 'O'
With Louie McCroskey most likely done for the season (will get to that later) the Red Foxes wasted no time picking up the slack for their fallen teammate. As a tribute to how deep and how balanced this Red Fox team really is, Brady went with a 10 man rotation last night and it paid off big time. The Red Foxes had 5 double digit scores (led by a break out performance from Dejuan Goodwin who had 14 points on 5-6 shooting) and two others scored 9 point. One of the 9 point performances went to Ryan Schneider, who finally got out of Brady's doghouse and showed what he can really do. Schneider hit a couple of pure 3's that had all of Red Fox Nation thinking 'Will the Thrill' was back for another year. Sidenote: See "Play Ryan Schneider" a few blogs down and I'll say I told you so.

Putting last nights big time win aside, it is important to note the tear the Red Foxes have been on in recent weeks. Winners of 6 of their last 7, Marist has come together and 'rebuilt' faster then anyone has expected while continuing their dominance at home where they are undefeated for the this year. With the exception of a hard fought loss to MAAC rival Loyola, the Red Foxes in recent weeks have proven that they are legit contenders and are ready to take on SienaMAAC crown. The only problem of course is....they don't play the Saints until next month. So until then, it is important for the Foxes to continue taking care of business in the MAAC, starting with Thursday's match up with Iona.

Siena Saints
Winners of 4 straight Siena is atop of the MAAC and improved to 7-1 after last nights beating of Canisius. Siena has a very deep team and usually works with a 10 man rotation. Led by guard Kenny Hasbrouck (who lit up Marist last year in the MAAC tourney), the Saints have some serious talent that has already gotten national exposure this season. The Saints have played some top notch teams such as Memphis, Standford (who they upset) and Syracuse (who they almost upset) and are the hands down favorites to come out of the MAAC for the NCAA Tournament.

But if Marist continues to click and play the way they have been play in recent weeks, there is no telling what can happen. Remember there is still a long way to go....and come March ANYTHING can happen....ask Jared, Will and Smith.
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McCroskey Done For the Year?

That's the report that is slowly coming out of coach Brady's locker room. The red-shirt senior star is said to have fractured a bone in his right ankle and is out for 4-6 weeks. It is still unknown if he will be ready for the MAAC tournament, but signs did not look good last night as McCroskey sat on the bench in his familiar street clothes.

Since joining the Red Foxes last year by way of Syracuse, McCroskey has been a bit of a disappointment. Having sat out all of last year, he missed the first 3 games of the season with an undisclosed eligibility problem and will likely miss the remainder of them. At times, the Bronx product has shown his potential (see Holiday Tournament at the Garden) but unfortunately it has all come too little too late for him. Having used up all of his eligibility, McCroskey is a senior and this is his final season in the NCAA.

At this time details are sketchy to how the injury happened and how serious it is....but for Red Fox Nation this is a serious blow...not all games will go as smoothly as last nights.

2008 Starting off Great

Happy New Year everyone (a little late I know, but I have been on vacation). The Marist Red Foxes have begun the New Year on fire and are winners of 3 straight heading into tomorrows match-up against MAAC rival St.Peters from McCann, where the Red Foxes are 4-0 this season.

Since being mired in a 3 game losing streak that included a hard fought loss to St. Johns at the Garden, the Red Foxes have played some of their best and most exciting basketball of the season.

Starting with a well balanced win against Hoftstra in MSG's Consolation game, which the potential of Louie McCroskey dominance( All-Tournament Team) had to excite fans, the Red Foxes have won a thriller against Rider and had a convincing victory over Manhattan.

While one standout performer of this win streak has been senior forward Ryan Stilphen who scored his 1,000th point (25 player in Marist history to do so) against Rider, the same game he also had a game-winning 3-point play to put the Red Foxes ahead 81-80 in the final seconds....the real standout performer has been freshman guard Jay Gavin,who at the beginning of the season Brady said could eventually become the best player in the MAAC.

Gavin who was name MAAC Rookie of the week for the third time, had monster games of 21 points against Rider and 23 points against Manhattan, a career high.

"Jay, to me, is the epitome of a gym rat," Brady told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "If you look that word up, there's his picture. He's taking 500 to 1,000 shots a day. He told me his New Year's resolution is to do that every day from now until the end of the season. I'm sure he'll double that when the offseason comes."

Gavin is averaging 17.3 points per game in Marist's last three contests. On the season, he is second on the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game, and is also second on the squad with 24 three-pointers made.
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Marist will take part in the Take A Kid To The Game initiative on Friday, as all children ages 14 and under will get into the game free with a paid adult admission. The first 300 kids that enter the McCann Center will receive a mini-leather "Rock" basketball courtesy of Anaconda Sports

Red Foxes Set To 'Storm' MSG

With Marist set to take on St. Johns tomorrow night from the Worlds Most Famous Arena, it is important for head coach Matt Brady and his team to close out 2007 on a strong note.

Having lost their last two games to UMass and MAAC defending champion Niagara on Christmas Eve,Eve... the Red Foxes could very well find themselves in a 4-game skid heading into 2008.

With tough match-ups against the Red Storm and either Hoftstra or V-Tech in the Aeropostale Holiday Tournament at the Garden, the Red Foxes are faced with their toughest competition since they were swept in the O'Reilly Auto-Parts tourney in November.

However, the Red Foxes have come a long way since being overwhelmed in Puerto Rico and have put together very impressive wins against Richmond, Bucknell, Wright State and Canisius...with the key to those wins being a swarming defense and a well balanced scoring attack.

In the last two games the Red Foxes (6-5) have gotten away from this winning formula and been sloppy with the ball and have shown their inexperience; not being able to sustain runs, take care of the ball, keep leads to close out games or score late in the game.

Against Niagara, Marist blew a 12 point second half lead because of turnovers and the inability to score down the stretch. 8 combined turnovers from Devezin and Goodwin( 4 in only 15 minutes), hurt the Red Foxes as a 7 minute scoring drought down the stretch killed them.

With Marist set for the big stage of Broadway, Coach Brady can ill-afford to have his inexperience hurt the team again.

The Solution......Play Ryan Schneider

Schneider a Red Shirt Junior, played for two seasons at the University of Vermont proving to be a staple in their success. He has the kind of big game experience the the Red Foxes deeply need, especially down the stretch. Schneider can rebound and shoot the lights out from downtown, and he has the big game experience that Goodwin does not have.

At Vermont Schneider recorded 10 double-doubles, with his leadership and ability to hit the big 3 driving Vermont to a American East Conference championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament, where they knocked off Syracuse.

If the Red Foxes are to have any chance at the Garden this weekend, they need to stop the second half melt-downs, they need to protect the ball, they need to score down the stretch, they need experienced players in the game....they need what Schneider brings to the table, and most of all... they need Coach Brady to realize that.

Ex-Fox Lane Player Joins Marist Hoops Beat

By JOE LOMBARDI THE JOURNAL NEWS
Original publication: December 25, 2007

The Fox Lane boys basketball team's unlikely run to the state semifinals in Glens Falls in 2004 was an unforgettable
journey for Jon White.
It also proved to be an educational one.

"It was kind of surreal," said White, who was a starting guard and the team's top defensive player. "It was an amazing thing to get caught up in that run.

"Looking back, it wasn't just our team or school. The whole community rallied around it. Every game was sold out. If you walked into a deli, people were talking about it."

Now a junior in college, White is immersed in another community that has a strong bond to its local basketball team whose nickname is Foxes: Marist College.

Though not a member of the men's team at Marist, White is closely identified with it. And when the Red Foxes play in the Holiday Festival this Friday and Saturday at Madison Square Garden, White will share his thoughts on their efforts with members of the team's loyal following.

White is the author of a blog on Marist men's basketball that appears on the Poughkeepsie Journal's Web site. In addition, he co-hosts a weekly two-hour sports-talk show on WMAR 1630, the student radio station, and writes for the student newspaper, The Circle.
"It's good that I'm doing all of them," said White, a Bedford resident.

The sports communication major said he's still getting acclimated to the blogosphere.
"The whole blog thing, I don't really get," he said. "I'm not crazy about the format. It's too informal for me. I pretend it's a sports column."

White's adjustment to broadcasting was much easier - and aided by the fact that the first show he co-hosted in September 2005 was alongside a former Fox Lane teammate, Dustin Aglietti. The two are now roommates.

"At the first meeting for the radio station freshman year, we said, 'Let's do this show together,' " Aglietti said. "It helped us adapt pretty quickly. We kind of got out there and talked about things we were comfortable with - like in Jon's case, the Yankees - and some NFL, too."

Though they now work with different co-hosts on their respective shows, much of the content revolves around Marist basketball - both men's and women's. Aglietti, who handles the Poughkeepsie Journal's Marist women's blog, works with former Lakeland star Ryan Schneider. Though a member of Marist's men's team, Schneider, a transfer from Vermont, still finds time to do play-by-play of women's games as well as the weekly show with Aglietti.

"Jon and Ryan both have very good voices for radio," Aglietti said.

For the Foxes' sectional championship team his junior season, White routinely was assigned to guard the opponent's top scoring weapon - unless it was a post player, in which case 6-foot-8 Taj Finger, now a senior playing at Stanford, got the call. It was often a grueling role because Fox Lane's starters seldom came out of the game.

"My role was to bring defensive intensity to the team," White said.
He said watching Finger, a big-time scorer in high school, bring the defensive intensity for Stanford has been enjoyable.

"I'm very happy for him and proud of him," White said. "He learned how to play defense when we all did. Now he's taken what we did as a team to a higher level of basketball."

Though White is a natural in the broadcast booth, he's not sure if that will be the career path he pursues. He interned this past summer on the sports sales team of National Cable Communications, selling commercial advertising time for networks.

One thing is certain. His development as a writer and broadcaster will help him in whatever line of work he pursues.

"I had a big presentation for a business class the other day, and I noticed I was really speaking well and projecting," he said. "It really gives you more confidence."

Reach Joe Lombardi at jlombard@lohud.com or 914-696-8239. For an archive of stories in this series, visit lohud.com/catchingup.

Sloppy Play Ends Win Streak

The Marist Red Foxes had an unlucky night at the Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday, falling to UMass 83-68 and ending their win streak at 5. The Red Foxes had trouble taking care of the ball and effectively running the offense all night, as they marked a season high in turnovers with 22.

To add insult to injury, they shot an embarrassing 8 for 18 from the free throw line and played an undisciplined game defensively; excessively fouling the Minute Men who took advantage of their 37 free throw attempts (23-37) .... 27 attempts coming in the second half.

Perhaps the major turning point came late in the game when Marist Head Coach Matt Brady was hit with a Technical Foul for arguing with an official. The tech seemly changed the momentum of the game and could have hurt the Foxes comeback efforts....In Brady's defense, their were a lot of "unusual" calls in what was an overall poor officiating job.

Despite poor play and lack of execution, the effort was there for the Red Foxes (6-4) as this was a game they could have and probably should have won. One highlight was the continued emergence of guard Louie McCroskey who filled up the stat sheet with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals.

The Red Foxes will have a long break (if Finals Exams are considered a break) before facing MAAC rival Niagara on the road 3 days before Christmas. That game is followed by the much anticipated match-up with St. Johns at The Garden on the 28th.

High 5

The Marist Red Foxes continued their winning ways in Buffalo Wednesday defeating Canisius 63-53, marking their 5th straight victory in what was Matt Brady's 100th game as head coach(69-31). The Red Foxes started MAAC play on a strong note, knocking off their conference rivals (in a game that was closer then it should have been) and moving to 1-0 in the MAAC and 6-3 overall.

Marist starter off hot right from the opening tip, scoring the games first 11 points and never looking back. However, the Red Foxes at one point were mired in a 6 minute 40 second scoring drought, allowing Canisius to climb back and tie the game. The Red Foxes also struggled from the free throw line for much of the game shooting 3-12 before 3 clutch free throws by Senior guard Ben Farmer set the tone for Gavin, Goodwin and McCroskey who all iced their foul shots down the stretch, sealing the deal for the Red Foxes.

This victory was all about the Defense, which has been the key for the Red Foxes all season. Showing a more athletic core then last years group, the Red Foxes in this game and throughout this winning streak have played excellent half court defense, clamping down on the oppositions biggest scoring threats. Their high energy man with effective switches to zone have proven to be too much to handle for many teams and despite some troubles on the offensive end, the D on this night was way too much to handle for winless Canisius.
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Jordan to Play in Lithuania
Former Marist star Jared Jordan is back in the pros...but this time he will have to travel across the world to play in Lithuania, signing on with BC Lietuvos Rytas.

Jordan, who was drafted 45th in last years NBA draft by the LA Clippers was traded to the troubled New York Knicks over the summer and cut from their guard filled roster before the season.

Jordan, led the nation in assists in both his junior and senior year and was the first Marist player to be play in the NBA since Rik Smits. He is Marist's all- time assist leader with 813 and 6th in scoring with 1,583 points.

An undisclosed source has said that Jordan is set to make $125,000 a year.
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Catch a Ride to Mohegan Sun
Hit the road with the Red Foxes this Saturday as they travel to the Mohegan Sun to face UMass.
The College Activities Office, in conjunction with the Athletics Department, will be providing a bus for students that would like to go. The cost is $5 per student and includes bus transportation along with a ticket to the game. The bus will leave the McCann Center parking lot at 3:30 p.m. and return after the game.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

McCroskey Pushes Foxes 4-ward

Bronx product Louie McCroskey led the Marist Red Foxes to their 4th straight win Saturday, putting up career highs in what was a 79-64 thumping of Wright State. The red-shirt guard by way of Syracuse had a break out performance scoring 24 points on 10-19 shooting while grabbing 8 boards and going 3-3 from downtown.

However, it was a total team effort in front of a packed crowd at the McCann Center, with 10 Marist players cracking the scoring column. Jay Gavin (10 pts), Spongy Benjamin (9 redounds), David Devezin(8 pts, 7 assists), and Shea McNamara( 8pts, 5 rebounds) all had solid games leading to what coach Matt Brady called a "great team victory."

With the win the Red Foxes move to 5-3 and avenge what was a disappointing loss to Wright State last season.

The success of this 4 game win streak has been the result of the Red Foxes intense and at times dominate defensive effort, which during this strech, has seen the Red Foxes give up their lowest point total since 1985. However, as seen on Saturday, the Red Foxes are also starting to click on the offensive end, with players up and down this deep roster contrbuting to the scoring effort.

"Everyone who got into the game played really hard, played really really well, played smart," Coach Matt Brady told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "This is really what I think our team can do, (have a high-scoring offense)...I think we can get into the high 70s."

After a slow start to the season highlighted by a 3 game losing streak in San Juan, the Red Foxes have come together over the past couple weeks and have shown their potential in this 'post-Jordan' era. With a new wave of athletic talent to complement Brady's winning system, the Red Foxes finally seem to be meshing and are becoming more confident and unitied as a team. The 4 game win streak, if anything, has proven that the Red Foxes are not rebuilding and when playing together, can be a real threat in the conference.

But they have yet to play a conference game and Wednesday's match-up against MAAC rival Canisius will be an important and telling test for the Red Foxes to see where they stand in the MAAC.

Foxes "D"-estroy Bucknell

It was all about the Defense for the Marist Red Foxes Wednesday as they shut down and dominated Bucknell in a 55-40 win, their 3rd straight.

The Red Foxes locked down Bucknell in both halves, holding them to a mere 19 points in the first and 21 in the second half, snapping the Bison's 10 game win streak at home.

In fact, the Red Foxes defensive effort was so impressive it marked Marist's fewest points allowed since 1985. The Red Fox 'D' overwhelmed the Bisons, as their uptempo man and intense zone defensive looks held all Bucknell players under double digits.

With the win the Marist Red Foxes improve to 4-3 on the young season and are over .500 for the first time since the opener.

"It was an outstanding defensive effort,"Marist head coach Matt Brady told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "For the most part, we really made them work hard."

On offense, it was a balanced attack for the Red Foxes with eight players scoring and as a team shooting 43 percent from the field. But in the end the defence was the driving force to the victory, something the Red Foxes have excelled at during this 3-game win streak.

"We won the game playing defense, obviously," Ryan Stilphen told the Journal.

Marist will next face Wright State at home Saturday where they have dominated winning 14 of their last 15 games dating back to last season.

Back on Track

Going into tomorrows match-up against Bucknell the Marist Red Foxes (3-3) find themselves back at sea level. After a 3 game skid in Puerto Rico, the Red Foxes have stormed back in the last two games with a thrilling last second win against Colgate and a thunderous 17-point comeback victory against Richmond on Saturday.

Against Richmond at home, the Red Foxes overcame their first half woes and stormed back in the second rallying from 17 behind to capture a 64-62 victory against the Spiders. In front of 2,373 at McCann, the Red Foxes continued to dominate on their home floor where they have gone 21-2 since the new '6th-man' bleachers were installed 2 years ago.

The Red Foxes had a big second half performance from senior captain Ben Farmer. Farmer headed the Foxes comeback with 14 second half points, including three big 3-pointers, all in front of former teammates Jared Jordan and Will Whittington who were on hand for the game. Foul shooting, which hurt the Red Foxes in losses early in the season, was perfect as Marist shot a lights out 10-10 (Farmer alone went 5-5).

"Everybody played much better in the second half," Brady told the Poughkeepsie Journal, who also highlighted a three-point basket made by Louie McCroskey that made it 57-53. "Other than playing four guards and kind of matching up with them, I thought our kids played with a lot of character."

That character certainly showed with Marist's second half effort. On defense, after letting 6'9 forward Dan Geriot explode for 17 first half points, the Red Foxes clamped down and held him to only 4 points in the second half. On the offensive end, the Red Foxes outscored Richmond 42-39 in what was a nail-biting comeback. With Farmer on fire, Marist got huge baskets late in the game from McCroskey and Spongy which gave the Red Foxes the lead for the first time since early in the first.. and they never looked back.

Other big performances came from freshman guard Jay Gavin (MAAC co-rookie of the week) who chipped in 7 points with his career-high 7 assists and Spongy who had 12 points and 7 bounds. Marist dug- in and came together in the second half getting contributions from key players who were able to step up and made the big play when in mattered...something that seemed unlikely only a week ago.

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Marist Student's Memorial Tournament

Tomorrow night (Wednesday 11/28) Marist College will hold its 3rd annual Faculty vs Student Basketball Game in memory of Caitlin Boyle. The event will be at 7:00 at the McCann Center and have free food and prizes. All proceeds will go to the Meningitis Foundation.

Spongy, Foxes '1-Up' Colgate

A last second tip- in by Spongy Benjamin snapped the Red Foxes losing streak at 3, topping undefeated Colgate 61-60 in a thriller in Hamilton NY. The Benjamin putback came with 7.2 seconds left in the game, giving the Red Foxes what they so desperately needed, a big play with the game on the line.

The win gave Marist, who has struggled closing out games all season, some much needed second- half confidence.

"In my four years here, this is one of our best wins," Coach Matt Brady told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "It was a big-time play by Spongy to get that rebound."

Senior captain Ryan Stilphen led the way for the Red Foxes with a double-double performance of 17 points and 11 boards.

Tied 31-31 at the half, Marist came out firing with a 3-pointer by emerging star David Devezin, who had 12 points and a team high 5 assists. As a team, Marist shot 7-11 from downtown, with 6 different players connecting from deep.

The game was close the whole way, having 10 lead changes and 11 ties.

Foxes Swept in San Juan

To say that the Red Foxes are happy to be leaving Purto Rico would be a vast understatement. On the long road trip Marist lost 3 straight games, dropped their record to 1-3 on the season, are 2 games under .500 for the first time in two years and to top it off... finished dead last in the ESPNU O'Reilly Auto Parts Tournament.
But all-in-all it wasn't that bad.

The Good News
Looking at it rationally, the Red Foxes had a tough earned 0-3 in San Juan; they faced some legit competition in majors Miami and Temple and played hard (for the most part) in what was a tournament they probably were not ready for. For a team that is still coming together, this was an early challenge that simply proved they are not ready for the big stage yet. But make no mistake, tough losses built character and if that is the case, the Red Foxes should have plenty of it heading into Colgate on Wednesday.

After being outclassed by Miami on Thursday, the Red Foxes lost two straight games that could have gone either way to Houston and Temple in overtime. In each successive game, the Red Foxes vastly improved, especially on Defense and showed a lot resilience and fight. With Brady changing defensive schemes using Man, Zone and even a Box-and-One at times, the Red Foxes threw off the competition with their versatility and ability to change at any time. In fact, against Temple the Red Foxes "D" held the Owls without a field goal for 12 minutes in the second half, sparking a big Red Fox run.

Another positive was the Red Foxes finally had their talented guard from Syracuse Louie McCroskey eligible, and he did not disappoint Sunday. McCroskey showed off his promise by leading the team with 18 points on 6-17 shooting (but turned the ball over 4 times).

The Bad News
The major problems on offense cannot be overlooked. Minus a couple of big runs here and there, overall the Red Foxes were extremely sloppy with the basketball. Too many possessions were wasted on broken plays, fouls and careless turnovers. They looked uncomfortable in their offensive set and could not execute plays down the stretch. Leading by 7 with 5:39 remaining against Temple Sunday, the Red Foxes offense suddenly turned anemic, only managing to score 2 points over the final 5:17 of the game, in what was an eventual overtime loss.

Time is not on the side of the Red Foxes to "adjust" because their tough out-of-conference schedule picks up where it left off later this week. As soon as they touch down back in the States they are faced with tough match-ups against Colgate on the road and Richmond at home.

In the meantime, it is important for Coach Brady to work out the 'kinks' on the offensive end and have his team cut down on mental errors and careless turnovers. And although they are still trying to figure out roles on this team, in order to win the close ones, someone is going to have to step up and make the big play late in the game...and that certainly did not happen in San Juan.

Rocked Like a Hurricane

Instead of the warm welcoming weather of Puerto Rico, the Marist Red Foxes found themselves in the eye of the storm Thursday, facing off against the Miami Hurricanes in the first round of the ESPN O'ReillyAuto Parts Tip-Off from San Juan. Miami started off the game hot with a 10-1 run and outplayed the Red Foxes on both sides of the ball en route to a 85-61 victory.

"I give all the credit in the world to Miami; they have a terrific team," Coach Matt Brady told the Associated Press. "I wasn't happy with how we played, but I think Miami played a real solid game."

The Red Foxes got off to a slow start and proved that they are a team that is still in transition. Looking a lot less comfortable in their new offense then they did against Delaware in the opener on Sunday, the new look Red Foxes looked like a team who needed more experience and time playing together. The first Marist field goal did not come until a Ben Farmer 3-pointer at the 13:06 minute mark and they continued to struggled from the field all game. After the Red Foxes staged a brief comeback attempt at the end of the first half, Miami opened up the second half strong and the Red Foxes never came closer then 17.

Lead by Senior forward Anthony King's 13 point, 4 block performance and guard Eddie Rios' 8 assists, the Hurricanes were too much to handle on both ends of the floor for the Red Foxes as they advanced to 2-0 on the season. Miami had a well balanced attack as their backcourt of Jack McClinton and fellow guard James Hurdle combined to make eight 3-point shots. Miami also out rebounded the Red Foxes 37-26, with three Hurricane players grabbing 5 boards apiece.

A bright spot for the Red Foxes came from true rookie guard Jay Gavin who had a strong second game leading Marist with 19 points. While the Red Foxes came on strong in the second half shooting 50 percent from the field, all together the Red Foxes were simply too cold shooting the basketball. Marist shot 39 percent for the game while going 7-23 from downtown. But where the Red Foxes really killed themselves was from the free throw line, shooting an embarrassing 45 percent(10-22). With the loss Marist moves to 1-1 on the young season and will face the University of Houston Friday in Puerto Rico.

NEXT GAME









WHO: Marist Red Foxes vs Houston Cougars

WHERE: ESPN O'Reilly Auto Parts, Puerto Rico

WHEN: Friday Nov. 16, 2007

TV:

Red Foxes Turn Hens 'Blue' in Season Opener

Sunday's season opener for the Marist Red Foxes saw a new look, unfamiliar Red Fox team produce a very familiar result; a win at home. In a 89-78 victory over the Delaware Blue Hens, the Red Foxes continued their dominance at the McCann Center, where they have won 14 of their last 15 games dating back to last season. Before the game, the Red Foxes lifted their 2006-07 MACC Championship and NIT Tournament banners to the rafters and the 'post-Jordan era' officially began

In front of 2,517, the 'new look Foxes' excelled past pre-season expectations, looking comfortable in their new up-tempo style on both sides of the ball. Led by senior center Spongy Benjamin's monster 21 point, 17 rebound (MAAC Player of the Week) performance, the Red Foxes had no problem filling the void left by number 23. A big reason for that was Texas A&M sophomore transfer David Devezin (MAAC Rookie of the Week), who cleared up any doubt that he could be Jordan's replacement at the point, leading the Red Foxes with 6 assists while looking comfortable running the offense and chipping in 16 points.

In fact, Marist new guard trio of Devezin, along with red-shirt freshman Dejuan Goodwin and freshman Jay Gavin (who both had 13 pts) looks be a staple in the backcourt for years to come.

"I think David Devezin's got a chance to be the best point guard in the league. I think Dejuan Goodwin's got a chance to be the best rookie in the league and I think, Jay Gavin, when it's all said and done, is going to be one of the best players in the league," Coach Matt Brady told the Poughkeepsie Journal.
The promise shown by the Red Foxes triple threat freshman guards, seemed to overshadow another new guard who was missing from the lineup. Senior 2- guard Louie McCroskey, who transfered from Syracuse, was deemed ineligible to compete due to an undisclosed NCAA rule. McCroskey who was named to the pre-season MAAC Second Team, is expected to start for the Red Foxes this season but it is unknown at this point when he will be cleared to play.

Another newcomer that was left out of Sunday's lineup was Vermont transfer Ryan Schneider, who had soreness in his right shoulder. Schneider at 6'7, who is expected to come off the bench as a small forward is deadly from outside and looks to be Marist's main 3pt threat.

While Schneider is expected to be back for Thurday's match-up against Miami in Puerto Rico, McCroskey's status is up in the air, which adds to the importance of the depth on this Red Fox roster.

NEXT GAME









WHO : Marist Red Foxes vs Miami Hurricanes

WHERE : O'Reilly Auto Parts, Puerto Rico

WHEN : Thursday Nov. 15, 2007

TV: