St. Francis (NY) Terriers 20 Loss Teams in Recent Memory Last Season
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The Terriers may have fielded one of the most competitive St. Francis (NY) Terriers 20 loss teams in recent memory last season. St. Francis dropped 14 games by eight points or less, including eight by five or fewer and four in overtime. The tight nature of NEC Predicted Finish: 10th 2007-08 Record: 7-22, 4-14 NEC St. Francis (NY)’s games last season also extended to the team’s victories as six of the Terriers’ seven wins came by five points or less. To refer to St. Francis (NY) as the “new look” Terriers may be some- what of a stretch, but a slew of fresh faces bring renewed optimism to the program, which missed qualifying for the NEC Tournament for just the sec- ond time in the last 18 seasons a year ago. The team’s Achilles’ heel in 2007- 08 was a combination of poor shooting from both the line and three-point range, as well as a failure to deliver the knockout blow. As a result, the Terriers dropped eight conference games (and 14 overall) by eight points or less, including three overtime setbacks over a three-week stretch in January. While St. Francis recovered somewhat down the stretch and had an opportunity to secure a playoff berth on the final day of the regular season, a home loss to local rival Long Island ended a frustrating year in Brooklyn Heights. Determined to changes the team’s fortunes in 2008-09, fourth year head coach Brian Nash’s offseason recruiting efforts reaped dividends with a seven-player bonanza. While there will be ample opportunity for the newcomers to log extensive minutes on the court, the Terriers do return a veteran leader in Jamaal Womack, along with his starting backcourt partner Ricky Cadell, who comes off a solid freshman campaign. Womack, a senior who averaged 12.1 ppg last season, is one of the fastest coast-to-coast players in the conference, and often dictates the pace of the game with his quickness and defensive tenacity. At 5’8”, he possesses a shooting guard mentality inside a point guard body. Womack hit 72 three-pointers last season, and his 163 career trifectas rank him second among active NEC players. Cadell, 6’2”, was thrust into the spotlight upon his arrival and did not disappoint, starting 26 games at the point and averaging 9.3 ppg. Displaying composure befitting an upperclassmen, he led the Terriers with 2.6 apg and also made 26 shots from downtown. Sophomore Rocco Rubino, a Jamaal Womack 6’2” guard, showed flashes of potential last season, and could settle into a role as a designated three-point marksman this coming year. With 841 career points, Womack will likely become the first Terrier player in six Up front, junior wing player Kayode Ayeni was one of the NEC’s most improved players last years to hit the 1,000-point mark. Clifford Strong was the last, having scored 1,090 season. A long, lean athletic marvel, the 6’5” Ayeni (7.7 ppg) thrives in the open court, but will points from 2000-03. Womack, who is the team’s leading returning scorer after also mix it up inside - he ranked second on the team with 5.7 rpg - and float out to three-point hitting for 12.1 ppg in 2007-08, has developed into one of the top three-point shoot- range on occasion (19 treys). Senior forward John Gooden is the most experienced member ing threats in the conference. After hitting 24 trifectas as a freshman, he sank 67 as of the Terriers along with Womack. A hard-nosed interior player, the 6’6” Gooden (2.5 ppg) a sophomore and 72 - fifth most in the conference - in his junior campaign a year is active around the hoop and adept at converting second chance opportunities. Junior ago. His 163 career three-pointers rank him second among active NEC players. Rainier Rickards gives St. Francis depth at the two and three spots. With outside shooting being a sore spot last season, Nash sought to remedy that deficiency by stocking his roster with a number of players with range, most notably 6’4” bomber Tom Ward, one of two English recruits who played their high school ball in the Canary Islands. Ward averaged 17.0 ppg and handed out 5.0 apg last season. His high school teammate, St. Francis (NY) Roster 6’9” center Richard Clark, competed for the 20-and-under English National Team last summer and contributed 13.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg as a senior, while also displaying a sweet No Player Pos Ht Wt Yr Hometown/High School/Previous College stroke from long distance. The Terriers will feature eight New York City born players 1 Rainier Rickards G 6-5 195 Jr Corona, NY/Florida Prep 3 Jamaal Womack* G 5-8 170 Sr Bronx, NY/Our Saviour Lutheran on the roster this season, including a pair of local recruits. Junior forward/center 11 Ricky Cadell* G 6-2 180 So New York, NY/The Patterson School (NC) Nigel Byam played at Edward R. Murrow in Brooklyn, then earned all-conference 32 Kayode Ayeni G/F 6-5 180 Jr Brooklyn, NY/Laurinburg Prep (NC) honors after averaging 14.3 ppg and 8.6 rpg while competing at Carl Albert 44 John Gooden F/C 6-6 220 Sr Bronx, NY/Cardinal Hayes (Gunnery Prep (CT)) State College in Poteau, OK last season. An inside-outside threat, the 6’7” 45 Rocco Rubino G 6-2 165 So Brooklyn, NY/Archbishop Molloy Byam will add to the team’s athleticism and give the Terriers another gazelle Newcomers on the break. A combo guard who led Poly Prep to a 25-1 record last 5 Tom Ward G 6-4 185 Fr Brighton East Sussex, England/Centroa de season, Justin Newton will likely spell both Womack and Cadell. A 6- Ensenanzas de Canarias (Canary Islands) footer, Newton tallied 17.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 4.0 apg en-route to all- 10 Justin Newton G 6-0 190 Fr Brooklyn, NY/Poly Prep Country Day State honors. Junior forward/center Nigel Lee and his 6’6”, 250 lb. 15 Stefan Perunicic F 6-6 195 Fr Belgrade, Serbia/Dimitrije Tucovic frame will add some bulk to the lineup. A Glendale, MD native, 20 Richard Clark C 6-9 215 Fr Berkshire, England/Centroa de Ensenanzas Lee played for Frederick CC last season, recording 10.7 ppg de Canarias (Canary Islands) 21 Nigel Byam F/C 6-7 210 Jr Brooklyn, NY/Edward R. Murrow and 6.5 rpg. The final piece of the recruiting puzzle is 6’7” 23 Herman Wrice F 6-7 210 Jr Philadelphia, PA/Riverside (Monroe CC) forward Herman Wrice. The Philadelphia product 50 Nigel Lee F 6-7 260 Jr Glenndale, MD/Bowie (Frederick CC) played high school ball in Riverside, NJ, then trav- elled even further north to compete for Key Losses Monroe (NY) CC, where he was 5 Marcus Williams# G 6-3 220 10 Sami Pekkola F 6-7 220 tabbed second team all-region 12 Robert Hines# F 6-5 250 last season. 20 Bass Yessoufou# C 6-9 218 * Starter Returning # Starter Lost 52 08 • NEC men’s basketball guide • 09 Before Nash was hired as the 16th coach in St. Fran- Brian Nash Alma Mater: Keene State ‘92 cis basketball history in March, 2005, he already had somewhat of a history with the program. His father, Raymond, played for the Terriers from 1960-63 and Record at SFNY: 26-61/3 Years Overall Record: 26-61/3 Years is currently President of nearby Bishop Ford High School. Head Coaching Experience 2005-pres. St. Francis College, Brooklyn, NY • Led Terriers to an NEC Tournament berth in 2006-07. NASH at SFNY • Named the 16th coach in school history in March, 2005. Year Overall NEC Assistant Coaching Experience 2005-06 10-17 7-11 2006-07 9-22 7-11 2001-05 Seton Hall University, South Orange, NY 2007-08 7-22 4-14 • Pirates reached second round of NCAA Tournament in 2004. 2000-01 Siena College, Loudonville, NY Total 26-61 18-36 1994-00 St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY • Helped lead the Bonnies to the 2000 NCAA Tournament, as well as NIT Tournament appearances in 1995 and 1998. 1993-94 Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT Playing Experience 1988-92 Keene State, Keene, NH • Named team captain his junior and senior season. • A four year letterwinner, he scored 825 career points. Education Keene State, Keene, NH • Bachelor of Science, 1992, Economics Personal • He and his wife, Kristin, live with their son Jack in Montclair, NJ. • Served as an assistant coach for the United States All-Stars which competed in the Olympus Cup in Italy and Greece in the summer of 2001. Five Questions With: Jamaal Womack 1. Fill in the blank. In order for St. Francis to contend for the NEC title this season, we must: We must truly play like a team and have less turnovers, a better shooting percentage and continue to play aggressive defense. 2. What has been your most memorable game at St. Francis? Manhattan College. In my sophomore year, I scored a then career-high 21 points and hit my first game-winner. In that same year, I hit a career best nine three-pointers against Robert Morris and raised my career-high to 31 points. 3. Coach Nash added a whole host of newcomers in the offseason. Is there one player, or perhaps a group of players who have already impressed you? Well, honestly I believe all of incoming players will impact the game in some way.