22020-210 2 0 - 2 1 NNIAGARAI A G A R A UUNIVERSITYN I V E R S I T Y MMEN’SE N ’ S BBASKETBALLA S K E T B A L L GAMEG A M E NOTESN O T E S 3 NNCAACAA TTOURNAMENTOURNAMENT APPEARANCESAPPEARANCES • 1144 NNITIT AAPPEARANCESPPEARANCES • 2 MMAACAAC TTOURNAMENTOURNAMENT TITLESTITLES • 2 NNAISMITHAISMITH MMEMORIALEMORIAL HALLHALL OFOF FAMERSFAMERS SCHEDULE NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES (0-1; 0-0 MAAC) DECEMBER (0-1) VS. SAINT PETER’S PEACOCKS (2-2, 0-0 MAAC) Thu 3 at Syracuse^# L, 75-45 Fri 11 at Saint Peter’s*# 8:00 PM DECEMBER 11-12 - 8 PM • JOHN MOORE ATHLETICS CENTER • JERSEY CITY, NJ Sat 12 at Saint Peter’s*# 8:00 PM SERIES RECORD - NIAGARA LEADS 52-36 • RECENT STREAK - NIAGARA W1 FRI 18 FAIRFIELD*# TBD SAT 19 FAIRFIELD*# TBD BROADCAST: ESPN3 STREAM: WatchESPN RADIO: AM 1400 - Todd Callen JANUARY NIAGARA OPENS LEAGUE PLAY AT SAINT PETER’S Fri 1 at Iona*# 2:00 PM PURPLE EAGLES ARE 15-16 IN MAAC OPENERS Sat 2 at Iona*# 2:00 PM FRI 8 RIDER*# TBD The Niagara Purple Eagles begin their 32nd second as a member of the Metro Atlantic SAT 9 RIDER*# TBD Athletic Conference (MAAC) with a two-game series at Saint Peter’s. Fri 22 at Marist*# TBD Sat 23 at Marist*# TBD FRI 29 SIENA*# TBD SCENE SETTER SAT 30 SIENA*# TBD • Niagara will be led by second-year head coach Greg Paulus, who was the recipient of the 2019-20 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year Award which is presented annually to the top FEBRUARY Fri 5 at Quinnipiac*# TBD fi rst-year coach in NCAA Division I college basketball. Sat 6 at Quinnipiac*# TBD • The Purple Eagles are 15-16 all-time in MAAC openers, including beating Fairfi eld last season FRI 12 MONMOUTH*# TBD for their fi rst conference opening win in four seasons. SAT 13 MONMOUTH*# TBD • Niagara is 6-6 in conference openers on the road and will be looking for its fi rst win in a Fri 19 at Manhattan*# 6:00 PM Sat 20 at Manhattan*# 6:00 PM conference road opener since beating Saint Peter’s on November 20, 2014. • Niagara snapped a four-game losing streak to Saint Peter’s with a 63-54 win at the Gallagher MARCH Center on February 27, 2020. The Purple Eagles closed the fi nal minute of the game on a 7-0 FRI 5 CANISIUS*# TBD run while the then-fi rst place Peacocks were held scoreless in the fi nal three minutes. SAT 6 CANISIUS*# TBD Tue-Sat 9-13 MAAC Championships • The Purple Eagles opened their season with a 75-45 defeat at Syracuse on December 3. ________________________________________________ Marcus Hammond led NU with 10 rebounds for his second career double-digit rebound game Home Games are in BOLD CAPS Neutral Games are in italics and shared team-high honors in scoring with eight points along with Nicholas Kratholm and All times listed in Eastern Standard Nick MacDonald. * MAAC ~ Exhibition @ MAAC Championships • The MAAC will introduce a new schedule format for the 2020-21 season featuring a Friday/ ^ AM 1400 WWWS $ WGR 550 AM # ESPN Networks Saturday playing format at the same venue for both games, with 24 hours of spacing between the two contests. The men’s and women’s schedules mirror each other so that one institution’s NIAGARA VS. 2020-21 OPPONENTS program is home while the other is away, both facing the same opponent. Opponent W L Syracuse .............................................. 28 .......55 TIPOFF TIDBITS Saint Peter’s ........................................ 52 .......36 • The Purple Eagles are one of 17 NCAA Division I teams to return at least 70 percent of their Fairfi eld ...............................................43 .......35 production from the last season in each of the following categories: points (80%), rebounds Iona ..................................................... 39 .......48 (74%), assists (91%), steals (96%), and blocks (83%). Rider .................................................... 23 .......27 • Last season, the Purple Eagles ranked statistically in the top-25 in the nation in fewest turn- Marist .................................................. 29 .......23 overs per game (10.6), fewest total turnovers (338), turnover margin (3.3), and 3-point fi eld Siena .................................................... 49 .......54 goal percentage (.372), while leading the MAAC in all four categories. Niagara had the best Quinnipiac ............................................7 ........11 assist-to-turnover ratio (1.13) in the MAAC. Monmouth ...........................................5 ........11 Manhattan........................................... 33 .......56 • NU returns eight letterwinners, including four of the top fi ve leading scorers and the entire Canisius .............................................. 107 ......82 starting fi ve, from last season’s team that exceeded preseason predictions. TOTAL .......................................415 .... 438 • Leading the way is the tandem of Marcus Hammond and Raheem Solomon, who were both named to Preseason All-MAAC teams. Hammond, who earned All-MAAC First Team honors last season, was a unanimous selection to the fi rst team, while Solomon made the third team. • The Purple Eagles were tabbed to fi nish sixth in the Preseason MAAC poll. Niagara Head Coach ...................................Greg Paulus Purple Eagle Probables Peacock Probables Career Record ...................................12-21/2nd Season # Name Pos. 20-21 Season Stats # Name Pos. 20-21 Season Stats Record at Niagara ....................................................Same 0 Roberts .................G ................3.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg 0 Watson ..................G ................8.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg Record vs. Saint Peter’s ...............................................1-1 10 Hammond ............G ..............8.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg 5 Banks III .............. G ..............11.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg Saint Peter’s Head Coach ............... Shaheen Holloway 11 Solomon ...............G ................3.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg 15 Lee......................... G ................4.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg Career Record ....................................30-33/3rd Season 1 Nwandu .................F .................2.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg 10 Drame ....................F ...............13.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg Record at Saint Peter’s ............................................Same 34 Kratholm ...............F .................8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg 11 Ndefo ....................F ...............12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg Record vs. Niagara ......................................................3-1 MEN’S BASKETBALL CONTACT: DERICK THORNTON EMAIL: [email protected] OFFICE: 716-286-8588 CELL: 850-529-0395 2020-21 NIAGARA UNIVERSITY MEN’S BASKETBALL NIAGARA QUICK FACTS On The Court Location .......................Niagara University, N.Y. Saint Peter’s Peacocks (2-2, 0-0 MAAC) Founded ......................................................... 1856 • The Peacocks were tabbed to fi nish in a tie for third-place in the preseason poll. Enrollment ................................................... 3,950 • Reigning MAAC Defensive and Sixth Player of the Year KC Ndefo was named to the Nickname ...................................... Purple Eagles Preseason All-MAAC First Team, and teammates Daryl Banks and Doug Edert were se- Colors ......................Purple (PMS 268) & White lected to the third team. Affi liation................................ NCAA Division I • Saint Peter’s will be led by third-year head coach Shaheen Holloway, who was named Conference ....................Metro Atlantic Athletic President ....................Rev. James J. Maher, C.M. MAAC Coach of the Year for the 2019-20 season. Director of Athletics .......................Simon Gray • The Peacocks are 2-2 on the season with double-digit wins over La Salle and Stony Brook. Faculty Athletics Rep ............Dr. John Stranges • Three Peacocks are averaging double fi gures scoring - Fousseyni Drame (13.3 ppg), KC Athletic Department Phone ........716-286-8600 Ndefo (12.0 ppg), and Banks III (11.8 ppg). First Year ..................................................1905-06 Against The Peacocks (Niagara Leads 52-36) All-time Record .............................1,482-1,268-1 • 9 of the last 14 matchups between the two programs have been decided by six points or less. Arena .............................‘Taps’ Gallagher Center • The Purple Eagles halted a four-game losing streak in the series in the most recent meeting. Court ........................Frank and Barbara Layden The Purple Eagles won 63-54 on Feb. 27. Niagara has lost three straight trips to Saint Peter’s. Capacity ........................................................ 2,100 Year Opened .................................................1949 Record .......................................................446-210 Last Meeting - February 27, 2020 MAAC Record .........................................269-271 Niagara 63, Saint Peter’s 54 ATHLETICS MISSION STATEMENT NIAGARA UNIV, N.Y. – Marcus Hammond scored a game-high 21 points to help steer the We provide an environment that Purple Eagles past the fi rst-place Saint Peter’s Peacocks, 63-54, on Thursday night. inspires the holistic development of The Series .........................................................................................................Niagara Leads 52-36 student-athletes, striving for excel- Last Game .............................................................................................................February 27, 2020 lence in all phases of their lives, while .................................................................................................................Niagara 63, Saint Peter’s 54 collectively serving as a source of Last Niagara win ...................................................................................................February