The BU Zoo Blog

Usually Tuesdays are Monday-less sucky cousin but today I feel very happy to get back into the flow of things.  A lot of work to do, but its not the end of the world.

• Pipe Dream: “If you read the statement looking for anything like an administrative apology, you would have been extremely disappointed. In fact, the review was barely mentioned. The only quote DeFleur included to sum up the 99-page report, which implicated her and key University administrators as playing main roles in the scandal, was Judge Judith Kaye’s comment that BU was “one of the nation’s premier public universities” – one of DeFleur’s favorite phrases, and hardly Kaye’s own words.  We’re pretty sure that’s not the message Kaye’s team of lawyers was trying to send.  This kind of evasion seemed to be the real, and only, purpose of the statement. Instead of accepting the blame that so obviously lies at their feet, DeFleur and Swain made a mockery of themselves and the University by throwing around hollow rhetoric of honesty and commitment to values; we’ve all seen that their actions indicate otherwise. Honor and integrity are nowhere to be seen in this mess.”
• Pipe Dream: “The Bearcats’ star junior Greer Wright had an off game, converting on only one of eight shots for seven points while also turning the ball over four times. However, junior forward Mahamoud Jabbi, who has been hot of late, and freshman guard Dylan Talley picked up the slack and then some for the Bearcats. Jabbi and Talley scored 20 and 25 points, respectively – both career highs for the first-year Division I players. Jabbi also grabbed 11 rebounds in the game while Talley dished out five assists to only two turnovers. ‘We were just hitting on all cylinders today,’ Macon said.  Leading by just eight points, 20-12 with 11 minutes to play, the Bearcats caught fire and pushed out to a 46-29 halftime lead. Jabbi had 14 points and five rebounds in the first half.  Binghamton tallied a total of 18 assists, its highest output of the season. ‘I had them doing things in practice where I wouldn’t let them shoot the ball,’ said Binghamton interim head coach Mark Macon. ‘It showed today with how they shared the ball.’”
• Press & Sun Bulletin: “‘We wanted Judge (Judith) Kaye to lead the review and investigation, we wanted to begin immediately and contracting through the state takes a long time, and we did not want tuition or taxpayer dollars used,’ SUNY spokesman David Henahan said in an e-mail Monday.An Albany news Web site Monday raised questions about whether SUNY should have used a competitive-bidding process instead of directly hiring the law firm that employs retired New York Court of Appeals Chief Judge Judith Kaye, who headed the investigation. The probe cost $913,381, which is to be split between SUNY and BU.”
• WBNG (Video): “Noticeably absent on the Bearcat bench Sunday was assistant coach Mark Hsu.  He was prominently featured in retired Judge Judith Kaye’s 99-page audit of the program, named for assisting former player Malik Alvin pay his court fees after being arrested for stealing condoms at Wal-mart, and then again for helping Alvin fix a plagiarized school assignment.  Hsu did not travel with the team on their recent road trips, and after the game interim head coach Mark Macon was asked about his future with the program. Macon would only  say that he could not answer those questions.  Following that press conference, the university released a statement. ‘After consultation with America East commissioner Patrick Nero, interim director of athletics Jim Norris has determined that assistant coach Marc Hsu will not be coaching in practice or games until further notice.’”

Congrats to the Saints and how that everyone had a Super Sunday.  My girlfriend’s parents came into the city to celebrate her mom’s birthday.  We took a little trip to the Museum of the City of New York.  It was small but had a couple really interesting exhibits including a multimedia exhibit on how New York has changed over time made by some of the folks that did the New York documentary for Ric Burns and PBS.

On the basketball front, Binghamton lost to Maine on Saturday to start a four game road trip.  The game was a lot closer at the end than the score reflects, but you still have to give Maine a lot of props.  There defense was nasty all game.  They found a way to shut down Greer Wright at least for a half.  They shot the ball better, out rebounded us, and got to the line more.  You usually don’t win games where that happens.  I wouldn’t want to play Maine in the tourney.

• Maine Campus: “The 12-point win would seem to indicate that McNally’s confidence produced an easy win for the Black Bears. What the final score does not show is the Binghamton Bearcats were within two points of the lead with possession of the ball 2:06 in the second half.  On Binghamton’s possession, they got the ball to their leading scorer, Greer Wright, who got fouled on a lay-in attempt but failed to convert on both of his free throws. Junior forward Troy Barnies ripped down the big rebound and got the ball into the hands of point guard Junior Bernal. Bernal quickly got the ball up the court and found Gerald McLemore (nine points) wide open for a three in the corner. The sharp-shooting sophomore had made just seven of his last 29 from beyond the arc, but he found his groove at the right time at the end of the game. ‘It was a big shot. I wasn’t making them all, but I kept shooting,’ McLemore said. ‘I mean, what am I going to do, sit outside and not shoot it? If I’m open, I have to shoot it ­— and luckily it went in and it was a big boost to our team.’”
• Press & Sun Bulletin: “Binghamton trailed by 10 with 4 1/2 minutes of the second half elapsed but drew within 50-49 when Greer Wright made a steal near midcourt and charged in for a layup. However, the Black Bears scored the final 11 points of the afternoon, including 6-for-8 from the free throw line. Mahamoud Jabbi had 12 points and nine rebounds for Binghamton, which shot 18-for-53 from the field and was outrebounded, 39-35. ‘They played tough, they pounded the ball inside and they rebounded,” interim BU coach Mark Macon said. ‘When you look at the rebounds and the fouls, it doesn’t look like a disparity. But from a coaching standpoint, a foul under the basket is different from a foul in the middle of the court.’  Binghamton (11-4) is 6-4 in conference play, one game behind third-place Maine. The Bearcats play their next three away from home. Next comes a 7 p.m. game Thursday at New Hampshire.”

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.”

Obviously, I watched the State of the Union address last night.  I’m not going to get into my politics, but I think the State of the Union is the one political speech that everyone should watch.  The speech got a little spicy this year as Obama called out the Supreme Court that recently made a decision that could pave the way for corporation (including foreign-owned) to spend whatever they want on political campaigns.

While the State of the Union is a little shaky, the State of the Bearcats is actually pretty strong.  With Dylan Talley back from injury and providing a legit second scoring option, Greer Wright has become a legit First-Team All-America East type of player.  Last night, the Bearcats had a very convincing victory over UMBC  80-63.  Just like the Vermont game, Bearcats were able to win because they were able to get to the free-throw line (and make them!)

• Press & Sun Bulletin: “‘We just want to win one game at a time, and not try to jump the gun,’ Macon said. ‘Our conference has a lot of parity, so I just want us to play at a high level, play to our strengths and just worry about what we can do.’  Among the pleasing things on the stat sheet for Macon was his team’s 21-for-25 performance from the free-throw line. BU entered Wednesday’s game eighth out of nine teams in the America East Conference in free-throw shooting percentage (.642). Believe me, I looked at that,’ Macon said of his team’s free-throw numbers. ‘I think that was great. We’ve been working very hard at that, and we finally hit free throws. They can  ‘win or lose games for you.’  BU also enjoyed a 39-27 advantage on the boards. Jabbi’s 13 rebounds were a career-high and the junior transfer from SUNY-Oswego is averaging nine rebounds over his last seven games.”
• AP: “Dylan Talley scored 22 points to lead four Binghamton players in double figures as the Bearcats defeated Maryland-Baltimore County 80-63 on Wednesday night.  Binghamton (9-13, 4-3 America East Conference), which entered the game averaging 59.0 points per game, had a season-high point total in winning its second straight game. The Bearcats also snapped a five-game losing streak to the Retrievers in Baltimore while sending UMBC (1-20, 0-8) to its 11th loss in a row.”

4000 people showed up on Sunday to see the Bearcats take on rival Vermont in Marques Blakely final college game at the Event Center.  Everyone knows how good Marques Blakely is.  The Bearcats showed this with double and triple-teams.  However, it was the emergence of another star that have the Bearcats entrenched in the America East title race.  His name is Greer Wright and he torn the Catamounts up for 30 points and led Binghamton to a 73-67 victory.

• Press & Sun Bulletin: “With Greer Wright scoring 30 points — including a 3-pointer with just over two minutes remaining that gave BU the lead for good — the Bearcats held off the University of Vermont, 73-69, in an America East Conference men’s basketball game in front of 3,928 spectators at the Events Center.  Mahomoud Jabbi and Moussa Camara added 14 points each for BU (8-13, 3-3 America East), which would have fallen into a sixth-place tie in the conference and three games out of first place with a loss but now remains firmly entrenched in a wide-open America East title chase.  Unlike Thursday’s 64-63 loss at Hartford, in which BU squandered a 10-point lead in the last five minutes, the Bearcats finished strong Sunday.  It started with Wright, who was magnificent on a day in which he also tallied 10 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.”
• Burlington Free Press: “The University of Vermont men’s basketball team relinquished first place with its second consecutive loss.  Greer Wright racked up 30 points to guide Binghamton to a 73-67 victory over UVM Sunday afternoon at the Events Center, which yanked the Catamounts into fourth place in the America East Conference….Three days after missing a dozen free throws in a 65-60 loss to Stony Brook, Vermont went 20-for-31 from the foul line against Binghamton.  ‘I don’t think we came out ready to play and turned it over a lot early and they jumped out to a good lead,’ Lonergan said. ‘Turnovers and missed free throws I felt cost us the game….’  ‘They took advantage of being at home and out-played us,’ Lonergan said about Binghamton. ‘I give them credit. They play hard, crashed the boards and are very talented offensively.’
• Pipe Dream: “With the Catamounts holding a 62-60 lead with just 2:01 left, Wright hit a 3-pointer to regain the lead. He followed with two free throws to give BU a three-point lead with 1:33 to go. Jabbi hit a pair from the line with 1:07 left and Wright grabbed a defensive rebound and hit two more free throws to put BU up 69-62 with 57 seconds left to seal it.  ‘Today we closed our game out,’ Binghamton head coach Marc Macon said. ‘The guys wanted to perform for the students.’  Coming into the game, the Bearcats were the worst free-throw shooting team in the America East, but tonight they made 10 of 12 down the stretch to close the game.  Wright opened the game with stellar shooting; he hit 10-15 from the field and 5-6 from 3-point range. He had BU’s first eight points and propelled his team to a 28-20 lead at the break. The Catamounts were plagued early by sloppy play, including two turnovers to start the game that led to early BU fast-break points.”

Really interesting couple of national articles on the Bearcats from ESPN and USA Today on how the Bearcats are overcoming the adversities of this season.  Dana O’Neil of ESPN also suggests that Kevin Broadus might be back as head coach if Judith Kaye’s audit clears him of wrong doing.  Here is a little excerpt from one of her chats:

Chris (Binghamton, NY): Dana, loved your piece on coach Mark Macon and my Bearcats. With the news of University president Lois DeFleur’s retirement, do you project Macon as the long-term solution for Binghamton? Have you heard any other coaches’ names surface?

Dana O’Neil (1:27 PM): Chris: I don’t think he’ll be the long-term solution. In fact, there’s a decent chance Kevin Broadus will be back. Unless the audit reveals a cause to fire him, they owe him an awful lot of $$$ to buy him out

A lot of what ifs in all of these scenarios.  Binghamton basketball fans just need the Kaye report to come out ASAP, so we can stop thinking about what ifs and start think about finally putting this mess behind us.

• ESPN: “Macon, Temple’s all-time leading scorer, could just be the best man for this crazily messy job. He is a disciple of John Chaney, a man who never saw a mountain he couldn’t scale or impossible odds he couldn’t beat. Chaney made a career out of fashioning his teams piecemeal out of players no one else thought much of.  Not long after he was given the interim job, Macon reached out to his mentor, not so much for basketball advice but just for life advice. The wise old Owl delivered.  ‘He said just keep it simple and be a voice,’ Macon said. ‘I’m not a screamer by nature, but he told me I had to have a voice.’  His voice appears to be resonating. A talented player who also played with the sort of work ethic Chaney demanded, Macon is rubbing off on his team.”
• USA Today: “Binghamton is last in the league in scoring (58.0 points), free throw shooting (63.2%), three-point shooting (27.6%) and turnover margin (-3.6). But Macon has molded these Bearcats in the defensive image of John Chaney, his coach at Temple. They’re second in the league in blocked shots, have held their own on the boards and are 4-3 at home.  The starters usually include Wright (a junior college transfer), Mahamoud Jabbi (a walk-on from Division III Oswego) and Chretien Lukusa and Moussa Camara, who had a total of 19 starts last season.  Freshmen Dylan Talley and Pina Guillaume have been thrown into the fire, as has Turkish transfer Umur Peten.  ‘Most everyone I talk with thinks Coach Macon is doing a great job,’ Cheriyan said. ‘ A lot of the players are walk-ons. Students don’t blame them for what’s happened.’  Students will be back on campus when Binghamton hosts league-leading Vermont on Sunday. Almost 600 students have confirmed via Facebook that they will attend, and a crowd of 4,000 is expected.  ‘Everyone knows we’re not where we were last year,” Cheriyan said. “But we still support these guys, and we still support the program.’”

Right now I’m doing my first year in the America East forum’s fantasy basketball league.  I was able to go from the bottom of the pack to third place last week thanks to my insertion of Moussa Camara for the injured Hartford Hawk Andres Torres.  Torres injury hurts me in the categories that I need the most: assists and steals.  Hopefully, Moussa remains hot.  I might have to risk looking like a real homer by putting in Jabbi to go along with Camara and Lukusa as the other Bearcats that start because Brett Gifford of Albany is doing a whole lot of nothing.

• NPR: “The sorrow is that college sports have the capacity to soil almost anyone who is enticed by them. Lois DeFleur was the president of Binghamton University for 19 years. She did an amazing job for Binghamton, academic division. But when Binghamton tried to go big-time basketball, it ended up in a scandal, and President DeFleur was tarnished. The other day, she said she was stepping down for personal reasons. The ones who are hurt by sports and leave always say that, just like the coaches who jump and leave their old teams in the lurch always proclaim that it’s a new challenge.”

The fact that the Bearcats have done so well this season is probably the biggest surprise of the America East season so far.  This has to be credited to the job and efforty by Mark Macon and the players to compensate for some severe competitive disadvantages.  You also have to give Kevin Broadus his due for recruiting players (even walk-ons like Jabbi) that could compete in the America East from top to bottom.

What what happens next?  That tidbit of foresight is still in the hands of former judge Judith Kaye.  All the success in the world won’t mean anything until after Kaye’s report.  When will that be?  Nancy Zimpher ain’t telling anyone.

• Ithaca Journal: “SUNY’s top educator Monday vowed ‘full disclosure’ related to spending on the investigation of Binghamton University’s troubled athletics program.  But more than three months into the $520-an-hour probe, it remains anyone’s guess as to when the public will know the cost — or if they’ll wind up footing the bill.  ‘I’m not unpacking the gradual development of this case,’ Chancellor Nancy Zimpher said in a brief interview at SUNY Delhi, where she was attending a strategic planning event.  Zimpher said she’s ‘hopeful and optimistic’ the probe can be completed soon. But asked when that might be, Zimpher said the process will take a long as is needed.”
• Press & Sun Bulletin: “As disappointing as Sunday’s overtime loss to Maine was, at least the Binghamton University men’s basketball team won’t have much time to dwell on it.  The Bearcats return to the court tonight when they host Stony Brook at 7 in an America East Conference game at the Events Center.  It’s the third of four games in eight days for BU (6-11, 1-1 America East), which also hosts Boston University on Thursday.  ‘We have to play better Tuesday,’ BU interim coach Mark Macon said following Sunday’s 66-61 overtime loss to Maine. ‘I know they feel bad, and they should, because I feel bad.’”

Very interesting game. This is a game that Binghamton could have won. However, most of the metrics point towards Riders favor.

The great stat to see was the Binghamton eFG of nearly 55%. The hot offense was lead surprisingly by Turkish walk-on Umur Peten, who was 6 of 8 from the field for 14 points including one from downtown. Mahamoud Jabbi was 3-3 for 6 points and 8 boards and Kyrie Sutton, who once again only played 15 points, was 6-6 for 12 points and 6 boards.

However, looking at the other three metrics of the Four Factors you can see some problems. The Bearcats turned the basketball over 19 times, include 9 from Dylan Talley. The Bearcats only drew 8 fouls while giving up 19. Finally and once again, we couldn’t keep Rider off the offensive boards. With all of those turnovers and offensive boards, Binghamton was lucky that Rider was having a bad offensive day or this could have gotten ugly.
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