Men's Basketball Begins Five-Game Homestand Monday Against Maine
11/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
University of Maine Black Bears (2-2)
Monday, November 29, 2010 - 7 p.m.
TD Bank Sports Center - Hamden, Conn.
Bobcats Begin Five-Game Homestand Against Maine Monday
The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team begins a
five-game homestand Monday, when it plays host to the University of
Maine. The Bobcats defeated Dartmouth, 69-52, Tuesday night in
Hanover, N.H., while the Black Bears fell at Notre Dame, 97-72,
last Monday night. The Black Bears have fallen to a pair of
high-major teams in Notre Dame and Maryland, while defeating Utah
Valley and NAIA member Maine-Machias. The two teams have played in
each of the last three years, with the road team winning each
contest. The Black Bears won the inaugural meeting in 2007, before
the Bobcats won in Orono each of the last two seasons.
Scouting the Maine Black Bears
The Black Bears (2-2) are led by Troy Barnies, whose 13.5
points and 6.8 rebounds per game are both team highs. Gerald
McLemore (11.3 ppg.) and Murphy Burnatowski (11.0) have also
averaged in double figures, while Raheem Singleton narrowly misses
double figures at 9.8 ppg., to go along with a team-best 4.0
assists per game. At 6-7, Burnatowski is a tough match-up, as he's
shot the three at a team-best .529 (9-17) clip. At 29.0 rebounds
per game, the Black Bears come into the game heavy underdogs on the
glass against a Bobcats team that's grabbed 41.8 rebounds per game
while outrebounding opponents by 9.5 boards per game.
Last
Time Out Against Dartmouth
Ike Azotam, James Johnson and Deontay Twyman each scored
15 points as the Bobcats earned a 69-52 road victory at Dartmouth,
Nov. 23. Azotam went a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor and added
seven rebounds. Justin Rutty had a team-high 10 rebounds. David
Rufful and Kirk Crecco had 11 points apiece to lead Dartmouth.
Last
Time Against Maine
James Johnson scored a game-high 16 points to go along
with four assists and four steals, as the Bobcats defeated Maine,
59-46, Nov. 24, 2009, at Alfond Arena. Justin Rutty chipped in 14
points, while Jeremy Baker added a double-double of 10 points and
10 rebounds. Troy Barnies led Maine with 11 points, while Sean
McNally narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and 10
rebounds.
Follow the Bobcats
Monday's game can be heard live on AM 1220 WQUN and
www.quinnipiacbobcats.com. The voice of the Bobcats, Bill
Schweizer, will have the play-by-play call, while Bill Mecca and
Bob Tipson will provide color commentary. Live video will be
available through the Quinnipiac official athletics website,
www.quinnipiacbobcats.com, for $9.95, while live stats will also be
available free of charge.
Movin' On Up
With 839 rebounds, Justin Rutty ranks sixth all-time at QU
and 10th all-time in the Northeast Conference. Rutty passed Frank
Lisnow '67 (809) and Lester Ayala '92 (815) on the QU list with 10
rebounds against Hartford on Nov. 16, while moving past Wagner's
Nigel Wyatte (834), LIU's Freddie Burton (836) and Marist's Alan
Tomidy (838) with 10 rebounds Nov. 23 at Dartmouth.
Rutty Moves Up QU Career Scoring List
With 1,208 career points, Rutty now ranks 18th on the
Quinnipiac career scoring list and fourth on the Quinnipiac
Division I scoring list. With 19 points against Yale, Nov. 13,
Rutty leapfrogged Ed Skwara '69 (1,159), Art Leary '70 (1,159),
Mike Buscetto '93 (1,165), Rashaun Banjo '04 (1,166) and Jim Freund
'81 (1,166).
A
Lot To Like With Ike
Ike Azotam went 7-for-7 from the floor for 15 points to go
along with seven rebounds, Nov. 23, at Dartmouth. With the outing,
Azotam now leads the Northeast Conference at .800 from the floor
for the season. The 100 percent performance was the first of five
or more attempts for the Bobcats since Karl Anderson '08 went
5-for-5 at Monmouth on Feb. 21, 2008.
Jump
and Run
The Bobcats have begun each of their four games on a run.
They scored the game's first nine points against Yale, before
scoring seven straight against Hartford. Quinnipiac scored five
straight to open the game against Vermont, before scoring the first
four points and 15 of the first 17 at Dartmouth.
What
Can Brown Do For Q?
Lance Brown was granted a waiver by the NCAA, Nov. 23, to
become immediately eligible for play after transferring from
Fordham this past Spring. Brown scored seven points and added four
rebounds in 13 minutes in his Bobcats debut at Dartmouth.
Takeaway 'Tay
Deontay Twyman leads the Bobcats with eight steals through
four games this season, including three against Hartford.
Rutty Eyes Exclusive 1,000-1,000 Club
Justin Rutty currently stands at 1,208 points and 839
rebounds in his career. With at least 25 more games left in Rutty's
career, his career 8.8 rebounds per game average would leave him at
1,060 boards, while his three-year average of 10.38 boards per game
would put him at 1,098 rebounds. Just two prior Quinnipiac players
have reached both 1,000 points and rebounds.
Johnson's Elite Company
James Johnson's consecutive starts streak now stands at 68
games to begin his career. Johnson became just the eighth freshman
in QU Division I history to start his collegiate debut, and started
all 31 of Quinnipiac's games in 2008-09, joining just 19 other
freshmen in the nation to start every game their team played. Each
player to start his first game and complete four years at QU has
scored over 1,000 points. Rob Monroe, Bill Romano, Justin Rutty and
Jared Grasso started their first games and rank first, second,
fourth and seventh, on the Bobcats scoring list. The 68-game streak
currently ranks second in program history to begin a career and
fourth among all QU D-I starts streaks.
Langston Huge
Dominique Langston has emerged as a solid contributor off
the bench, averaging 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per
game over two games against Hartford and Vermont.
Johnson Steals Milestone
With five steals Nov. 20 against Vermont, James Johnson
became the 12th Quinnipiac player all-time and fourth at Division I
to compile 100 career steals. Ironically, the five steals tied
Johnson's career-high, originally set Dec. 21, 2008, against the
same Vermont team on the same Lender Court before a regional
television audience on NESN.
Bo
Knows Scoring
James Johnson scored a game-high 23 points Nov. 16 against
Hartford. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three
assists.
More
Exclusive Company For Rutty
Justin Rutty connected on his 500th career field goal
against Yale, Nov. 13, becoming one of just three Quinnipiac
players at the Division I level to achieve the feat. Rutty joins
Bill Romano '02 (599) and Rob Monroe '05 (523).
Sweet 16's
Deontay Twyman tied his career-high with 16 points against
Yale at the Connecticut 6 Classic, Nov. 13. James Johnson matched
Twyman's 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting and 4-for-4 from the
line.
Gabriel's Impressive QU Debut
Mike Gabriel was impressive in his Quinnipiac debut
against Yale, Nov. 13, scoring 10 points in just 13 minutes off the
bench. He was very efficient, making 3-of-4 field-goal attempts and
4-of-6 free throw attempts.
Dom
From Trey
Dominique Langston made both of his three-point attempts
in his collegiate debut against Yale, Nov. 13, to account for his
six points.
Moore of the Same
Head Coach Tom Moore has won the season opener in each of
his four years at QU, the first three coming against Hartford,
while the most recent came this season against Yale. Prior to
Moore's arrival to Hamden, no Quinnipiac team had won its first
game of the season during the school's Division I era. Teams that
have had Moore serving on the coaching staff have won 11
consecutive season openers. The last time one of Moore's teams
didn't win its first game was Nov. 11, 1999, when defending
National Champion and top-ranked UConn was upset by Iowa in the
Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic. None of Quinnipiac's other five
coaches all-time won their first three season openers, and only
Burt Kahn won as many as four straight at any point. Kahn won six
straight from 1967-68 through 1972-73.
Bonding Overseas
The Bobcats took a 10-day trip to The Netherlands, Belgium
and France this past August. In four games, Quinnipiac went
3-1.
Everybody's Favorite
The Northeast Conference's coaches selected the Bobcats as
the league's first unanimous favorite since 1997-98 (Long Island).
In addition, The Sporting News, Athlon, Lindy's and the Blue Ribbon
College Basketball Report also picked the Bobcats as the NEC
favorite.
QU
Picked Second In CT6 Poll
Quinnipiac was picked second in the Preseason Connecticut
6 Coaches' Poll. Fairfield claimed the top spot, while Central
Connecticut immediately followed the Bobcats in third. Sacred
Heart, Yale and Hartford rounded out the poll.
Eight Is Enough
Quinnipiac returns eight players from the 2009-10 squad,
and also welcomes eight new players in 2010-11. Five of the eight
new players are currently available for play (Azotam, Brown,
Gabriel, Harrison, Langston), while Tevin Baskin is slated to be
eligible beginning second semester (Dec. 22 at Niagara). Austin
Alecxih and Garvey Young must sit the year out due to NCAA transfer
rules.
Bobcats Experience Historic 2009-10 Season
The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team
experienced a historic season of firsts in 2009-10. Jim Phelan NEC
Coach of the Year Tom Moore led the Bobcats to a program-record 23
wins, the first Northeast Conference Regular Season Championship in
team history, and a berth into the National Invitation Tournament,
the first national postseason tournament appearance in program
Division I history. Junior forward Justin Rutty was named the NEC
Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program history
earn the award. Both Rutty and senior wing James Feldeine were
named to the All-NEC First Team Moore's recognition as Coach of the
Year was also a first in program history.
Moore Wins
With 23 wins in 2009-10, including 15 NEC victories, the
Bobcats set a new program record. The marks edge the 1999-2000 QU
team (18-10, 12-6 NEC) for the most wins at D-I, and passed the
1972-73 and 1979-80 teams for the all-time program record.
C-T
State of Mind
Quinnipiac was 18-1 in games played in Connecticut,
including a 14-1 mark at home in 2009-10. In starting 14-0 at home,
the Bobcats established the best start at home in program
history.
Eighty Up
The Bobcats were 11-0 when scoring at least 80 points last
season.
Keeping Good Company
Quinnipiac was one of just four teams in the NCAA ranked
in the top 10 nationally in both rebound margin and rebounds per
game in 2009-10. The Bobcats ranked second in rebound margin and
10th in rebounds per game. Quinnipiac joined nationally-ranked
Kentucky (4th - rebound margin, 5th - rebounds per game) and Kansas
(9th - rebound margin, 7th - rebounds per game), as well as Radford
(7th - rebound margin, 1st - rebounds per game) in the exclusive
club. Quinnipiac also ranked 14th in offensive rebounds
(14.61).
Twelve In Fourteen
Justin Rutty compiled his Quinnipiac Division I record
24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th career double-doubles
in seven consecutive games, Feb. 18-Mar. 10, 2010, and had 12
double-doubles in his last 15 games of the season. Rutty began the
streak with five straight double-doubles, Jan. 24-Feb. 6. After a
two-game stretch when he missed a double-double by two rebounds
against St. Francis (N.Y.) and two points against LIU, Rutty reeled
off seven more consecutive double-doubles.
If
It's Free, It's For Me
The Bobcats enjoyed marked improvement from the free-throw
line in the latter portion of the 2009-10 season. After seeing its
season free-throw percentage dip to 65.1 percent through 15 games,
QU shot 76.7 percent (358-467) over the last 18 games to raise its
free-throw percentage to 72.1 percent.
Rutty Grabs Quinnipiac DI Rebound Record
With 11 rebounds against Wagner on Jan. 9, Justin Rutty
took over the Quinnipiac Division I Rebound lead from Bill Romano
'02 (580).
Rutty's Keeping Good Company
At 15.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, Justin Rutty
was one of just 20 players nationally to average a double-double in
2009-10.
Rutty Finds Free-Throw Stroke
Justin Rutty, a career 50.0 percent free-throw shooter,
shot 79.4 percent (54-68) from the charity stripe in the last 14
games of the 2009-10 season. Included in the mark were two separate
strings of at least 11 consecutive successful attempts. Rutty went
6-for-6 at Sacred Heart, the first 100 percent game of more than
three attempts in his career. He followed with a 4-for-4 effort
against SHU, and an 8-for-8 performance at Saint Francis (Pa.).
Bobcats, Rutty On NCAA Rebound Charts
Led by Justin Rutty's 10.9 rebounds per game (8th-NCAA),
the Bobcats ranked 10th in the nation in rebounds per game (40.4
rpg.).
If
At First You Don't Succeed...
41.2 percent of the Bobcats' rebounds in 2009-10 came on
the offensive end, fourth-most in the NCAA.
On
the Rebound
Quinnipiac was outrebounded just three times in 2009-10,
and owned a +8.5 rebounding margin, second-best in the
nation.
Quinnipiac, Rutty Grab Top Rankings
The Bobcats ranked 14th in the nation in offensive
rebounds per game (14.6) in 2009-10. Individually, Justin Rutty
ranked second nationally at 4.9 offensive boards per game, a year
after finishing second in the nation behind only Pittsburgh's
DeJuan Blair (5.6 oreb/game) with 4.6 offensive caroms per
game.
Sitting on Top of the NEC
Quinnipiac ranked in the top three in the NEC in 12 of 19
statistical categories in 2009-10. The Bobcats were first in
scoring offense (73.2), scoring margin (+6.7), field-goal
percentage (.448), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.98), rebounding
offense (40.4), rebounding defense (31.9), rebound margin (+8.5),
offensive rebounding (14.61) and defensive rebounding (25.79). QU
ranked second in assists (13.42) and free-throw percentage (.721)
and third in field-goal percentage defense (.415).
On
Deck
The Bobcats play the second of five straight home games
Wednesday, when they play host to UMass. Opening tip from the TD
Bank Sports Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
