Iona +3.5 over Canisius
I've got the number at pick'im or Iona -1.So I'm taking the younger,quicker,more athletic Gaels.I have been winning with the Griffs.Dux after watching Riders's Johnson on TV last nite vs Marist is the best pt gd in the MAAC.Mallory is a stud that can score and shoot.Downey can score but their inside game with 300 pound "whopper" Spruill could be in trouble vs the quicker Iona team.
Ruland has 6 gds that can play.Problem is 4 are freshmen.But Burtt is playing like his father and boy his father was some player.Smith is avg 16 pts.McCullough is 3 yrs could be the MAAC player of the yr.Solivar,Woffard,etc and a few others all can go to the hoop.Ruland must have these kids playing defense because he has some much offensive talent.
Fields is there 6'8 kid who is a scorer.Since Jenkins went down he has had to post up.But he can stick a 3 from the corner all day.
Iona's weakness is post defense.Good teams will bang the ball inside.But the Griffs don't really have a good post offense.
Iona has so much speed.I think just enough to keep them in this game.Don't let Mallory get open looks and help defense on Dux.
Manhattan-Niagara
The jaspers are going to lose one of these 2 games in the Buffalo area this week.The question is which one.Niagara has the best chance in matchups.
Niagara has now won 3 in a row.A 5-3 MAAC record.The one and only advantage the Purple have besides playing at home is Mendez and Reaves.These 2 guys lead the MAAC in rebounding.They are better then Holmes and Benton.Mendez is shooting an amazing 61%.Inside he just uses his body and is only a soph.Reaves is a 6'8 bruiser.Athletic with a 8 foot jumper.
Cruz is a good pt gd who is on top of the MAAC in assits and can shoot the 3.Darden is the strong gd who can score and drive.He is one of the top 5 or 6 players in the MAAC.
The problem with Niagara is they play 5 or 6 guys.They have no bench.None.Mihalich is a great coach.No body gets more out of his kids.
But in comes the Jaspers.They have now won 11 in a row.Are 15-3.Knocked off the Hall by 4 the other nite w/o using 6 players.
Holmes,benton,Johnson,Kono..h are all playing great.Bobby G has his kids on a level superier to anyone.Defensive pressure,fast breaking,hitting open shots,rebounding,etc.
And a superstar in Flores.He is unstoppable.Nobody has slowed him down.He hit 29 the other nite vs the hall.Vs Fairfield 44.Hitting over 90% FT's.Shooting 3's, penetrating and dishing off.
How can anyone go against the jaspers with someone like that playing at another level.And if you try to stop him he just makes someone else look good with an assit.
Jaspers have lost up there in the past.But they have never had a player like this since Larry Lembo.[my hero growing up]
The line is 4 pts.For a small play I'll take the Purple and the pts.
But Flores alone can change this outcome.If Niagara can stay out of foul trouble they have a chance.Bobby G knows there thin so he will pressure them all day until they tire.But maybe Darden has just enough energy to keep this under the line.
Brown -3 over Cornell
Last Sat I watched Cornell-Columbia on TV.Both teams looked so baaaad.Cornell was killing them in the 1st half.I swear I had HS teams that would beat Columbia.I turned off the game at halftime because of the blowout.A few hours later I see Columbia came back to only lose by 2.How in gods name did they score.
Brown tonite with Forte,Hunt and Nuualiitia should blow out the Big Red.Cornell looked so bad killing Columbia.But then they must of played worse to let the Lions back in.
Cornell has no one to stop Nuu.. inside.I think K'ron barnes the Cornell gd hit a lady in row 6 with an errant pass.
Brown can score.They can't play defense.But you don't have to if Cornell can't score.
Yale -11 over Columbia
Ditto to everything I said about the Lions above.Yale did lose to Army which I still cannot believe.But Yale does have Draughan and TJ.
If New Haven HS played Columbia tonite it would be a close game.Cannot see the Yalies not blowing out the Lions.
Best bet tonite
Brown,Brown
Med plays-Iona and Yale
Lean-Niagara +4
I've got the number at pick'im or Iona -1.So I'm taking the younger,quicker,more athletic Gaels.I have been winning with the Griffs.Dux after watching Riders's Johnson on TV last nite vs Marist is the best pt gd in the MAAC.Mallory is a stud that can score and shoot.Downey can score but their inside game with 300 pound "whopper" Spruill could be in trouble vs the quicker Iona team.
Ruland has 6 gds that can play.Problem is 4 are freshmen.But Burtt is playing like his father and boy his father was some player.Smith is avg 16 pts.McCullough is 3 yrs could be the MAAC player of the yr.Solivar,Woffard,etc and a few others all can go to the hoop.Ruland must have these kids playing defense because he has some much offensive talent.
Fields is there 6'8 kid who is a scorer.Since Jenkins went down he has had to post up.But he can stick a 3 from the corner all day.
Iona's weakness is post defense.Good teams will bang the ball inside.But the Griffs don't really have a good post offense.
Iona has so much speed.I think just enough to keep them in this game.Don't let Mallory get open looks and help defense on Dux.
Manhattan-Niagara
The jaspers are going to lose one of these 2 games in the Buffalo area this week.The question is which one.Niagara has the best chance in matchups.
Niagara has now won 3 in a row.A 5-3 MAAC record.The one and only advantage the Purple have besides playing at home is Mendez and Reaves.These 2 guys lead the MAAC in rebounding.They are better then Holmes and Benton.Mendez is shooting an amazing 61%.Inside he just uses his body and is only a soph.Reaves is a 6'8 bruiser.Athletic with a 8 foot jumper.
Cruz is a good pt gd who is on top of the MAAC in assits and can shoot the 3.Darden is the strong gd who can score and drive.He is one of the top 5 or 6 players in the MAAC.
The problem with Niagara is they play 5 or 6 guys.They have no bench.None.Mihalich is a great coach.No body gets more out of his kids.
But in comes the Jaspers.They have now won 11 in a row.Are 15-3.Knocked off the Hall by 4 the other nite w/o using 6 players.
Holmes,benton,Johnson,Kono..h are all playing great.Bobby G has his kids on a level superier to anyone.Defensive pressure,fast breaking,hitting open shots,rebounding,etc.
And a superstar in Flores.He is unstoppable.Nobody has slowed him down.He hit 29 the other nite vs the hall.Vs Fairfield 44.Hitting over 90% FT's.Shooting 3's, penetrating and dishing off.
How can anyone go against the jaspers with someone like that playing at another level.And if you try to stop him he just makes someone else look good with an assit.
Jaspers have lost up there in the past.But they have never had a player like this since Larry Lembo.[my hero growing up]
The line is 4 pts.For a small play I'll take the Purple and the pts.
But Flores alone can change this outcome.If Niagara can stay out of foul trouble they have a chance.Bobby G knows there thin so he will pressure them all day until they tire.But maybe Darden has just enough energy to keep this under the line.
Brown -3 over Cornell
Last Sat I watched Cornell-Columbia on TV.Both teams looked so baaaad.Cornell was killing them in the 1st half.I swear I had HS teams that would beat Columbia.I turned off the game at halftime because of the blowout.A few hours later I see Columbia came back to only lose by 2.How in gods name did they score.
Brown tonite with Forte,Hunt and Nuualiitia should blow out the Big Red.Cornell looked so bad killing Columbia.But then they must of played worse to let the Lions back in.
Cornell has no one to stop Nuu.. inside.I think K'ron barnes the Cornell gd hit a lady in row 6 with an errant pass.
Brown can score.They can't play defense.But you don't have to if Cornell can't score.
Yale -11 over Columbia
Ditto to everything I said about the Lions above.Yale did lose to Army which I still cannot believe.But Yale does have Draughan and TJ.
If New Haven HS played Columbia tonite it would be a close game.Cannot see the Yalies not blowing out the Lions.
Best bet tonite
Brown,Brown
Med plays-Iona and Yale
Lean-Niagara +4
