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LOCATION: Niagara University, NY
CONFERENCE: Metro Atlantic Athletic (MAAC)
LAST SEASON: 17-12 (.586)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 13-5 (1st)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 4/1
NICKNAME: Purple Eagles
COLORS: Purple & White
HOMECOURT: Gallagher Arena (3,200)
COACH: Joe Mihalich (La Salle '78)
record at school 17-12 (1 year)
career record 17-12 (1 year)
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ASSISTANTS: Tom Parrotta (Fordham '88)
Kandia Milton (Niagara '94)
John Coffino (Iona '90)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 5-13-11-14-17
RPI (last 5 years) 273-193-217-128-127
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference semifinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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In 1999-2000, the scoring attack at Niagara will be in need of serious Viagra. The reason? Four starters, including 1999 NCAA Division I scoring champ Alvin Young (26.1 ppg) are gone. Led by the 6-foot-3 Young, Niagara was the MAAC's Cinderella story last year, going 17-12 and winning its first-ever piece of a MAAC regular-season title. Niagara second-year coach Joe Mihalich knows that things won't be the same without Young. But he isn't complaining. Life goes on and Mihalich thinks it won't be as bad as some people think. "Even though we lost four starters, we are excited about our veteran players," Mihalich said. "We think our perimeter players will be the strength of the team. The key will be how quickly our post players will be able to help the team. How well our post players do will determine how well we do." The backcourt will certainly miss Young (the 1998-99 MAAC Player of the Year) and underrated point guard Jeremiah Johnson (who is the school's second all-time assists guy). The opening game starters figure to be someone not-so old (6-0 sophomore point guard Daryl Greene) and someone not-completely new (junior shooting guard Demond Stewart, a Mercyhurst transfer who practiced with the team last year). Greene (4.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 41 assists, 21 steals) was voted the team's rookie of the year last season. He was more than capable caddie to Johnson last year, thanks in large part to the quality coaching he received in high school from the legendary DeMatha High coach Morgan Wootten. Greene is a steady ballhandler who possesses the ability to get into the lane and either score or set up teammate. Plus, he can knock down perimeter shots, if left alone. Don't believe us? Then, just ask St. Peter's. Greene scored 20 points against the Peacocks in Niagara's 106-103 double-overtime loss to them last year. His running mate in the backcourt figures to be Stewart, who averaged 20.3 points and 8.0 rebounds as a sophomore at Mercyhurst. Stewart was matched up every day in practice last year against the high-scoring Young and he figures that he learned a trick or two from him. Mihalich said that Stewart plays with a lot of emotion and is an equal opportunity scorer meaning that he's equally comfortable scoring off the dribble or with the deep ball.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C+ BENCH/DEPTH C+
FRONTCOURT C- INTANGIBLES C
Niagara was the feel-good story in the MAAC last year with a first-year coach, an up-tempo style and the nation's top scorer. It all added up to a magical 17-12 season and a piece of the MAAC title. Well, Alvin Young and his 26.1 points per game have walked out the door. Ditto his underrated backcourt mate Jeremiah Johnson (15.5 ppg) as well as the Golden Eagles' opening day starter at center and power forward a year ago. In other words, look for a serious sophomore jinx for Niagara's second-year coach Joe Mihalich. His backcourt has talent, but his projected starting two-guard is a Division II transfer and his point guard will be starting his first college game in November. And there are serious questions at the two power spots where Mihalich hopes he has hit it big in the foreign import business (four of his five big men possibilities are from outside the United States). That's way too many ifs for a repeat of last year. All signs point to a second-division for the Purple Eagles. In fact, the question isn't if, but instead how far, Niagara falls this year. Our guess, maybe as far as seven places in the MAAC pecking order. |
"Demond has a work ethic second to none," Mihalich said. "He's already shown some great leadership qualities." But two guys alone won't replace Young and Johnson and the 41.6 points they took out the door with them. Mihalich figures that he'll use as many as five or six guys in the backcourt in 1999-2000. Backing up Greene will be 5-10 freshman Rhossi Carron, who averaged 10 points and five assists at Lincoln High School in Port Arthur, Texas (the same school that produced former University of Texas star B.J. Tyler). Garron helped lead his team to a 29-6 mark and the Texas Class 4A state final last year. Garron scored 16 points in a state semifinal and a team-high 15 points in the state final. "Rhossi is an excellent transition player," Mihalich said. "He is a pure point guard who makes the other four players on the court better. He makes good decisions and really ought to flourish in our system." Senior combo guard Luke Dobrich (3.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 25 assists, 12 steals) will back up Stewart at the two-guard and could see occasional minutes at the point as well. Dobrich's forte is shooting the long ball. After a dreadful 2 for 21 start from behind the three-point line last season, Dobrich hit 13 of 24 (.542) from long distance over the last 14 games. Another plus is the fact that he sported a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Rounding out the guard line is little-used senior walk-on Mike Byrne (0.7 ppg, 0.0 rpg). He appeared in just six games last year and totaled four points. The small forward spot appears to be in good hands as three experienced players are back in the fold, led by 6-7 senior Terry Edwards. Because of an injury to center Kevin Jobity last year, Edwards (9.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 34 assists, 26 blocks) was asked to start 23 games at the power-forward slot. Edwards didn't complain; he just did his job. Now back at his more natural position, Edwards will be able to use his tremendous athletic skills. He scored 20 or more points four different times last season and is a great finisher on the fast break, has a trusty outside shot and also hits most of his free throws (.738 FT in 1998-99). He'll be backed up by 1998-99 starting small forward Danny Amponsah (1.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 16 assists) and Niagara's sixth man last season, 6-4 senior Nate Berosky (6.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 25 assists, 21 steals). As his scoring numbers indicate, Amponsah (25 starts in 1998-99) isn't the next Dr. J, but he is the team's top on-the-ball defender. Bernosky made great strides last season, boosting his scoring average from a scant 1.7 ppg to 6.0 ppg last year. He made 19 of 49 three-point tries and led the Purple Eagles in field-goal percentage (.510 in 1998-99). "The small forward position is probably our most experienced position," Mihalich said. "Terry Edwards is coming off a solid year, Nate Bernosky is the epitome of a veteran player and Danny Amponsah played a vital role last season." The graduation of 6-10 starting center Kevin Jobity and 6-9 starting power forward Mike Piwerka means that minutes are up for grabs at those two spots. A pair of returnees, 6-8 senior Peter Strobl and 6-9 Christos DeFoudis, will battle three new faces for the starting nods close to the basket. Strobl (2.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg) is the top returnee down low. Strobl wears his socks at full-mast and is a human black-and-blue mark, hurling his body after loose balls and throwing his weight around underneath. DeFoudis (2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg), a Greek import, played roughly 10 minutes per night as a frosh and displayed a nice touch from 10-12 feet as well as a willingness to bang some under the boards. Just because they were here first doesn't mean that they'll necessarily get the starting nod. The reason? Mihalich has gotten into the foreign import business in a big, bad way. His three new big men all come from outside the United States. Luis Villafone, a 6-9, 215-pound freshman, is from San Juan, Puerto Rico. He played in the Puerto Rico Athletic Alliance last year where he averaged 16.0 points, 10.0 boards and 9.0 blocks. Villafone is also a member of Puerto Rico's 19-and-under team. Villafone has post skills, but needs directions to weight room immediately. The stronger he gets, the better he'll get. Shey Cohen from Jersualem is another new banger. The burly 6-6, 230-pound Cohen played one year of junior college basketball at the Hill College in Hillsboro, Texas where he averaged 14 points and nine boards for a team that won 19 games. Cohen has three years of college eligibility left. The final piece in the power-players-by-committee approach will be 6-10, 225-pound freshman Paul de Wet from Bloemfontein, South Africa. De Wet , a track man growing up, is still only getting his feet "de Wet" in this sport, but he has a terrific upside. He was the MVP of the South African under-18 team in 1997. "Paul runs the floor well and has real good leaping ability," Mihalich said. "He loves to play the game of basketball. The more he plays against American competition, the better he will be." The same could be said for Mihalich's three other international men of mystery. If they blossom, then Niagara could surprise again. If not, Niagara falls in the standings.
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