The BU Zoo Blog

Not much news on the Binghamton basketball front but some interesting quotes from the aftermath of the victory over Albany.  Mark Macon sings during a press conference and Will Brown thinks Greer Wright should be POY!

On a side note, NYC Binghamton fans note that the Stony Brook-Binghamton game is on Saturday Feb. 13.  You can take the LIRR to Stony Brook.  The train station is within walking distance of both the reception and the game.

• Albany Times Union: “This was a first for me covering college basketball. After Binghamton beat UAlbany 78-73 on Wednesday night, Bearcats interim coach Mark Macon opened his news conference by breaking into a song at the podium. Nobody seemed to recognize the tune, so Macon explained.  ‘You all know that song,” Macon said. ‘It’s about somebody asking somebody to dance who already has a partner. He’s not there with her. He just wants to borrow for a couple of minutes, for a couple of songs. Maybe her partner wouldn’t mind.’ Um, OK. All I can say about Macon as a singer is that he was a fine basketball player. And a pretty fair coach, too, since Binghamton is tied for third after being picked last in the preseason.”   You HAVE to love Mark Macon.
• BU Pipe Dream: “‘I don’t think anyone knew where the heck Jabbi and [Umur] Peten came from,’ Brown said. “And they’re good players; I didn’t know who they were. Jabbi killed us [in Albany] and he killed us here.’  Brown had a lot of praise for the surprising Binghamton team that is tied for third place in the conference standings.  ‘They got guys that can play one on one and get in the lane and make plays,’ Brown said. ‘They’re long and big and good and I think everybody needs to admit it. They’re gonna win a lot more games.’  Brown also praised Wright’s individual talents saying they are a key to the Bearcats’ success.  ‘Greer Wright is a first team all-league player, he’s the leading scorer in the league,’ he said. ‘I think he might be the player in the league right now, though I’m sure Blakely will win it.’”  That has to be the most praise I have ever seen Will Brown give Binghamton.

Every victory has shown something special about our Bearcats.  The victory last night against Albany was no different.  The man of the night was Mahamoud Jabbi.  The walk-on from NYC and SUNY Oswego had his third double-double in four games.  His jump shot may look ugly but he has been making it the second half of the season.  Macon during the postgame interview admitted that stop trying to change his technique.  As long as it goes in that all that matters.  Without Jabbi’s performance in the first half with Greer Wright in foul trouble (again), Bearcats probably lose this game.

Also felt really good to sweep Albany this year  (even in a down year).  Bearcats are down just one game out of first place in the loss column and are heading on a monster 4 game road trip to Maine,UNH, BU and Stony Brook.  I will be heading out to Stony Brook for the game.

• Press & Sun Bulletin: “BU assured itself the win when Talley converted a free throw, Albany missed a 3-point try and subsequent follow-up attempt, and Wright extended the lead to 78-71 on a fast-break dunk with 15 seconds remaining.  ‘They got to most of the loose balls, the 50-50 balls; that was the difference in the game,’ Brown said. ‘… We didn’t get stops when we needed them most, and they got to the 50-50 balls.’  Talley finished with 17 points, Jabbi 12 to go with a game-high 10 rebounds, and Umur Peten nine points for BU.  Binghamton finished  with 16 assists and five turnovers — a ratio Macon will gleefully accept any night against any opponent.  ‘I saw that and I almost passed out, but I had enough water in my system not to,” he said. “It’s because they played zone. It slowed the game down and we got a chance to see things. When the game is played slow, you have less mistakes.’”
• Albany Times-Union: “‘Somehow, we always a find a way to give up a segment in the game where we get down nine, 10 (points), and that kills us,’ said UAlbany freshman guard Logan Aronhalt (16 points).  The Bearcats began that run when freshman guard Dylan Talley sank a 24-foot 3-pointer from the top of the circle at the halftime buzzer to give Binghamton a 34-31 lead and rouse the crowd of 3,991 at the Events Center.  Binghamton (11-13, 6-3) then scored the first two baskets of the second half on Moussa Camara’s layup and 3-pointer to build a 39-31 lead that UAlbany could never completely overcome.  ‘First three or four minutes of the second half, there it was right there,’ coach Wil Brown said.’That’s where I thought we lost the game, or allowed them to get the momentum and get the crowd back in the game.’”
• WICZ (Video):”‘It was a tremendous game played by two up-and-coming teams,” interim head coach Mark Macon said. ‘It was a game of runs and we had the last one. I’m very proud of our guys. They stayed together and are growing up.’  The Bearcats had to manage with their top player, Wright, saddled with foul trouble throughout the game. Wright, who leads the conference in scoring (20.0 ppg. in AE play), was whistled for three fouls in the first half and played just 24 minutes in the game. He still managed to score a game-high 19 points.  ‘We have a bunch of stars on our team and they all can shine,’ Macon said of his team’s perseverance without Wright in the game. ‘One star got taken away and the other guys stepped up and made plays.’”\
• AP:“Greer Wright scored 19 points and Dylan Talley added 17, including three free throws in the final 49 seconds, to lead Binghamton in a 78-73 win over Albany (N.Y.) on Wednesday night.  Leading just 64-60 with 3:29 left, Talley finished a three-point play that sparked Binghamton’s 9-2 run. He then hit a pair of foul shots to put the Bearcats up 75-65 and, after Albany cut the lead with a pair of 3s, Talley knocked down a free throw with 27 seconds left to push the Binghamton lead to five.”

It’s 2010, and I’m back blogging for the new year.  After a family vacation to Disney World, getting situated with school again, and some family medical problems, I am very happy to be back.

I was able to take in New Year’s with my family at Epcot.  The fireworks and presentation was amazing.  Disney is definitely Florida’s Time Square.  It was packed, crowded, and the beer prices were a bit expensive.  The only things that angered me (and usually I’m a lot more angry) was the quality of the food and that Yuengling, America’s oldest brewery, was served not in the American pavilion but at the Chinese one.

Returning to my classroom on Monday, I pleasantly found that my hardwood floors had been redone over break.  Now I just need a basketball hoop for the front of my room!

The Bearcats have also been ringing the New Year in style.  After losing two games on the left coast against St. Mary’s and Stephen F. Austin, Bearcats won at home against A10 member LaSalle 66-61 and opened up conference play with a victory at Albany last night 62-57.  Lukusa was a point away from a double-double and Camara exploded for 24 points, including 5 Threes.  Broadus has recruited some talent even at the bottom of his roster, and it looks like Macon is doing a good job in the interim.  It will be interesting to see how everything plays out in conference play and in the aftermath of the Kaye report this season.

Albany Recaps:

Albany Times Union:

• Albany Times-Union: “The Binghamton basketball team, plagued by turmoil in the off-season, wasn’t the group that left SEFCU Arena with serious questions about itself on Thursday night.  It was UAlbany doing the soul-searching with doubts about its own leadership and toughness after losing to the Bearcats 62-57 in the America East Conference opener for both teams before a crowd of 2,458.”
• AP: “Moussa Camara scored a career-high 24 points and Greer Wright had 11 points and 11 rebounds as Binghamton held off Albany (N.Y.) 62-57 in the America East Conference opener for both teams Thursday night.  Binghamton (6-10) took control with a 26-4 run in the first half, keyed by four 3-pointers by Camara, and led 36-25 at halftime.”
• Troy Record: “Despite losing six players and their head coach after an offseason of turmoil, the defending league champion Bearcats (1-0, 6-10) proved that they would not just roll over.  ‘We’re the champs,’ said Binghamton junior Moussa Camara. ‘That’s how we play and that’s the way we think.’  Despite being the defending champions, the Bearcats were picked to finish last in the nine-team conference.  ‘I haven’t talked to these guys, but I think that they take that to heart,’ said Binghamton interim coach Mark Macon said. ‘We have a great bunch of character guys. Nobody likes to be spat on or stepped on, that’s any creature.’”
• Press & Sun Bulletin: “Camara was unstoppable early against Albany. He made his first five shots, four from 3-point range, scoring 14 points in a 26-4 first-half run that turned a 7-2 deficit into a 28-11 BU lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the first half. His final 3-pointer came midway through the second half, capping an 11-3 run to put BU up, 51-36, after Albany had drawn within seven midway through the half.  ‘It was bad, my confidence was not there,’ Camara said of his recent shooting struggles. ‘But I told myself, this was a fresh start. It’s conference time, a new beginning.’”

Parent-Teacher Conferences are the worst day of the year for me.  It’s nice to put a face with a name, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to pull a 12-hour day today and then teach tomorrow as well.  None of the parents that you want to show up and want to talk to show up (Kind of like Binghamton at AE media day).

• Mark McGuire gets a little media self-righteous with his article in the Times Union on the Binghamton absence from America East media day.  If McGuire doesn’t think Binghamton isn’t being held accountable, then he needs to open his eyes.  When Judith Kaye’s report comes out, I think you are going to see the Athletic Department clean house and possibly De Fleur forced out.  Binghamton is bad publicity for the America East Conference and Albany as long as this investigation is going on.  Mark, your article made me throw up in my mouth.  Just a little bit.
• Binghamton’s men and women were voted last and third respectively at AE media day.  I don’t think anyone was surprised with this vote.
• Rush the Court is ranking all DI teams.  Binghamton is ranked #308.  At least we are ranked above NJIT.  The surprise in the ranking is that Hartford is ranked #316.

I’m officially on H1N1 watch.  My girlfriend returned from Germany and immediately got sick.  She definitely has some type of flu.  I got the regular flu shot in the summer, so if we both get sick, its probably H1N1.

• Binghamton Men’s Basketball is not showing up to America East media day to be held this afternoon.  It’s probably the right move for the conference.  There are 17 other basketball teams that deserve attention at media day.  If you would like to watch media day, check out AmericaEast.tv.  The show starts at 11 am.
• Kevin Broadus’ coaching contract pays him extra for winning, not for success in the classroom.  Article compares Broadus’ contract to Will Brown’s contract at Albany.  Brown makes some nice money when his team does well in the classroom.
• Director of Basketball Operations Don Anderson will not be rehired this August.  No word on Macon, Hsu, or Allen yet.