Wednesday's Plays

[Double Two]

10-13-1(Best Bets)
42-39-2 Overall

3-0 on Tuesday Playing these tonight:

St. Joseph's +3(Best Bet)
William & Mary +2
VCU -3.5
So. Illinois -5
Iona -7.5

St. Joseph's-St. Joe won both meetings between these teams last year and they have played well on the road this season(lone loss @ Pacific). Beat a good B.C. team in Boston so home court means little here. Difference in this game is defense(St. Joe's plays it while St. Bonnie does not). Take the 3 points in a game that St. Joe's should win straight-up.

William & Mary-These teams split their 2 games last year with each one winning @ home. However, Bill & Mary won the battle of the boards in both games. The Tribe will be going for their 6 win in a row while the Blue Hens will be playing their 4th straight game on the road. I'll take the home team and points in this one.

VCU-Again both teams won @ home last year but VCU out-rebounded Drexel in both meetings. Things will be rocking at The Siegal Center tonight where the Rams are 7-1. Drexel playing their 9th road game of the season(only 2 @ home) and are just 2-5 their last 7 games. Look for VCU to cover this small number @ home.

So. Illinois-Won both games last year(W by 10 pts. @ Evansville) and have won 7 out of the last 8 meetings between these schools(W the last 3 @ Evansville). Evansville has trouble scoring points against good defensive teams(So. Ill. qualifies) and scored just 58 points in a 18 point loss to Murry State in their last home game. So. Ill. much the better team and should win by DD's.

Iona-Canisius lost their leading scorer & rebounder(Hodari Mallory) last Saturday and it could not have come at a worse time as they have dropped 4 straight. Iona won both games last year and are tough at home. Without Mallory I can not see Canisius staying close in this one. Iona by DD's.

As Always, GLTA!!!

 

[spang]

Have you heard if Iona's Jenkins is playing tonight??

If he can play Iona has great value tonight.

 

[IE]

Spang, i read this very early this morning...not sure if it is any help to you...

======

Siena freshman forward Michael Haddix has been getting a lot of attention following his fast start (averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds), but another Saints' newcomer quietly is making just as big a contribution.

Guard Antoine Jordan is averaging 9.5 points and, going into Tuesday's game at Manhattan, had scored 16 points in each of his past three games, all wins (against Loyola Marymount, Montana State and Providence).

He was named to the All-Tournament team after Siena won the post-Christmas Montana State Holiday tourney.

Not a bad performance from a guy who did not play a game last winter.

Following his four years at Randallstown High School in Baltimore, Jordan attended Celestine Prep in Philadelphia but the school closed for financial reasons, leaving Jordan with no place to play. He went back to Randallstown but had no more playing eligibility, so he spent most of last winter practicing with his former high school team and playing pickup games against former college players.

"It was a little boring not playing," Jordan said. "It was the first time I didn't play a season. I did the best I could."

"Of course that was a concern, him not playing last year," Siena coach Rob Lanier said. "But he has gotten comfortable at this level and he does a lot of things very well. He is always around the ball and he is a scorer. He has the opportunity to become a complete player here."

Jordan, like Haddix, is keeping the early games of his career in perspective.

"This isn't about individual things," Jordan said. "I came here to work hard and, hopefully, by the time my senior year is all said and done with we will have brought home another two or three championships. Maybe four."

Iona may lose Jenkins: Greg Jenkins, a 6-foot-9 junior forward at Iona, could be lost for the season after injuring his shoulder in the Gaels' fifth game.

It looks as though Jenkins will sit out the rest of the season, take a redshirt and then have two full years of eligibility remaining. If he plays in one more game this season, he will not be eligible to redshirt.

"We were 4-1 with him and we're hanging in there without him," coach Jeff Ruland said of the Gaels (7-5).

Jenkins was averaging 13.4 points before getting hurt against Wagner. Canisius hurting, too: Before the season started, Canisius was without senior Toby Foster (the leading 3-point shooter in school history) and junior Dewitt Doss (who averaged 8.7 points per game last year). Both are out with left-foot stress fractures.

Doss announced he will redshirt this season, Foster is expected to do the same.

Now, coach Mike MacDonald has another wounded player to deal with. Hodari Mallory, the Griffs' leading scorer (17.4) and rebounder (6.5), has a sprained left knee. He won't play tonight at Iona and probably will miss Friday's game at Marist.

MacDonald said he hopes to have him back next week, Canisius plays host to Fairfield Tuesday on and Siena on Thursday.

"We have to find another guy who will give us something," MacDonald said. "With our injuries, we have gone from a veteran team to a team with two seniors. Some games we have looked very good and we have had some games when we've not been so good. I hope we can get Hodari back for next week."

 

[superbook]

From what I understand Jenkins is done, but Fields has done a good job stepping it up.

- Jon

 

[spang]

Great feedback, thanks very much!!