Hello sports fans. I will be continuing a break from my regular blog to give you my predictions for the upcoming 2010-2011 MAAC men's basketball season. Preseason predictions don't amount to much, but I'm already bored of football season, so let the predicting begin! I will begin with an in depth prediction of the last place team, and will conclude this process with an in depth prediction of who I believe will win the MAAC this year. Unlike many magazines and online publications, I will thoroughly give perspective to each team. I will look at what they did last year, and do my best to predict where each team will finish in the league this season. Also unlike those magazines, I am not paid and have nobody to answer to but myself. However I do believe I have some credibility. I have followed the MAAC closely for the past seven years, and played in the MAAC for two years. I also served as a student assistant coach last year at Siena. So here we go folks! Here is to a always competitive and fun season. Cheers!
#10: Marist Red Foxes
Head Coach: Chuck Martin
2009-2010 Record: 1-29
2009-2010 Conference Record: 1-17
It was just a few years back when Marist seemed to be a contender in the league every year. Then Jared Jordan graduated. Then came the Matt Brady exile. Now front man Chuck Martin enters his third year with a record of eleven wins and fifty two losses. The basketball crazed town of Poughkeepsie expects wins, and you can believe that the former Memphis assistant is hungrier than anyone to bring Marist back from the basement to where they are more comfortable and content- the top half of the league. Despite a unique and ever hard to prepare for offensive scheme that Martin has carried over from Memphis, it is still hard to believe that the Red Foxes will catapult to anywhere near where they were when Jared Jordan was doing his best Steve Nash impression.
The Low Down On The Red Foxes:
Martin runs a unique offense that spreads the floor and allows his guards and wings to make decisions. This is hard to prepare for because they do not call out many plays and allow their play makers to make plays based on how the defense is playing them. The theory behind this offensive scheme is maximum penetration to make plays based on this penetration. Many may recall the way John Callipari's teams played at Memphis. Martin will depend on a mix of youth and experience to make decisions and reads that translate into buckets for the Red Foxes.
Red Shirt senior DeJuan Goodwin has been around forever and in that time has shown he can look like an all league player one game, and the next game seem average. Goodwin will need to provide nothing less than a exceptional senior season for the Red Foxes to have a chance to climb out of the basement. Guard R.J. Hall is a junior now, and after a promising rookie season he endured a sophomore slump of academic problems and injuries. However Hall does fit the pedigree of a possible play maker for himself and others. Devin Price also could fit into the playmaker role. Price had a solid freshman season and will likely be taking point guard duties to start the year. Candon Russin is another guard who will be looked upon to take his game to a new level for the Red Foxes. When left open, Russin is a accurate three point shooter. Marist also may turn to younger and unproven players in a group of Freshman guards. Don't sleep on Sophomore Sam Prescott. Prescott appeared in 18 games last year before running into academic trouble. The highly touted guard from Philadelphia averaged 7.5 PPG and showed the ability to rebound out of the guard position.
Down low Martin will rely heavily on Korey Bauer. The 6"9 senior forward has shown ability to be a force in the paint. Bauer will need to be a force every night. He will have to do every inch of the dirty work and more for Marist if they are to make a move. Versatile forward Rob Johnson will have to help Bauer on the glass. If Johnson can do that and provide consistent versatility, Marist will be become even tougher to prepare for.
The Negatives:
There may not be enough talent for Martin's offensive to beat many of the teams in the MAAC. Their guards are either young, and proven to be erratic, or veterans who have struggled to maintain consistancy. For this offensive to work you need great decision makers who can put the ball in the hole, or make a play for another. Marist committed 424 turnovers last year, while only dishing out 296 assits. Time will tell if this group of guards has taken their games to the level it has to be at for Marist.
Marist will also have to drastically improve on the glass. Something that Bauer, Johnson, and a group of freshman big men will have to take upon themselves.
Main Point: Martin's offensive scheme has proven to work in brief flashes in the league, even if it hasn't won him many games. If the Red Fox guards haven't taken steps to take there games to the next level, it may not matter if players like Bauer and Johnson rebound or not. If the Red Foxes are able to generate some excitement early in their OOC schedule the town of Poughkeepsie will be showing up in waves by the time the MAAC schedule roles around. The McCann Center has proven to be one of the toughest places to play in the MAAC when packed to capacity. Marist fans can only hope their returnees are ready to take leaps and bounds from last season, and their freshman are prepared to not play like freshman. If not, it may be another long season for the Red Foxes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment