Earlier this season, the Niagara men?s basketball team was not greater than the sum of its parts. Not one player had more assists than turnovers through the first nine games, a remarkable statistic for a team that regularly plays five guards.
In their last three outings, however, the Purple Eagles have assisted on 50 of their 86 baskets and only turned the ball over 34 times. The result was three decisive wins by an average of 16.7 points ? albeit over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference bottom-feeders Saint Peter?s, Marist and Canisius.
The challenge will be greater today (2 p.m., WWKB 1520) when Niagara (9-11, 4-4 MAAC) plays Manhattan (13-7, 6-2), the top defensive team in the MAAC during conference games.
The Purple Eagles offense has taken flight as their assist-turnover ratio has risen to become the second-best in the MAAC.
?We?ve got a lot of real good guards and there?s a lot of us on the floor at times,? said sophomore sharpshooter Marvin Jordan. ?So when we?re penetrating, we?re looking for each other to get shots. If I don?t have one, another player has a better one.?
Point guard Juan?ya Green set out on an early pace to challenge Calvin Murphy?s all-time Niagara scoring record, and is now gaining ground on the school?s career asssists leader Anthony Nelson.
Green has averaged 7.7 assists over his last four games and has totaled 20 in the last two wins. The second-highest scoring freshman in the country at an even 18 points per game, Green has scored just 14 in the last two games.
?I think the team is playing better when I?m in a distributor mode. I like to get my team going before I get going,? said Green who coach Joe Mihalich has taken to calling ?The Maestro.?
Of late, that?s lead to some impressive performances.
In their last three outings, however, the Purple Eagles have assisted on 50 of their 86 baskets and only turned the ball over 34 times. The result was three decisive wins by an average of 16.7 points ? albeit over Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference bottom-feeders Saint Peter?s, Marist and Canisius.
The challenge will be greater today (2 p.m., WWKB 1520) when Niagara (9-11, 4-4 MAAC) plays Manhattan (13-7, 6-2), the top defensive team in the MAAC during conference games.
The Purple Eagles offense has taken flight as their assist-turnover ratio has risen to become the second-best in the MAAC.
?We?ve got a lot of real good guards and there?s a lot of us on the floor at times,? said sophomore sharpshooter Marvin Jordan. ?So when we?re penetrating, we?re looking for each other to get shots. If I don?t have one, another player has a better one.?
Point guard Juan?ya Green set out on an early pace to challenge Calvin Murphy?s all-time Niagara scoring record, and is now gaining ground on the school?s career asssists leader Anthony Nelson.
Green has averaged 7.7 assists over his last four games and has totaled 20 in the last two wins. The second-highest scoring freshman in the country at an even 18 points per game, Green has scored just 14 in the last two games.
?I think the team is playing better when I?m in a distributor mode. I like to get my team going before I get going,? said Green who coach Joe Mihalich has taken to calling ?The Maestro.?
Of late, that?s lead to some impressive performances.
