PatriotMBB Notebook 11.16.21 (.PDF)
THIS WEEK IN PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL (AND HOW/WHERE TO WATCH)
The 10 Patriot League men’s basketball programs continue non-League play with a combined 24 games through Sunday, including nine games on ESPN+ during the week. Three more games will be televised, including Tuesday’s meeting between Boston University and Northeastern airing on NESN (7 p.m.) and American at Georgetown playing in front of a national audience on FS2 at 8:30 p.m. On Friday, Lafayette takes on No. 7/9 Duke on the ACC Network at 8 p.m. Saturday’s game between Colgate and Syracuse will be available on ACC Network Extra, with Holy Cross’s weekend games available on FloHoops.com.
NAVY KNOCKS OFF RANKED VIRGINIA
Senior guard John Carter Jr. connected on five 3-pointers to finish with a team-high 19 points to lead Navy to a 66-58 victory over No. 25 Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. on Nov. 9. It was the Mids’ first victory over a ranked opponent since David Robinson led the team to a win over Syracuse in the second round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament.
CUMMINGS SCORCHING FROM DEEP
Colgate senior guard Nelly Cummings is among the League leaders in scoring at 22.0 points per game and seventh in NCAA DI, shooting 76.9 percent from 3-point range through two games. Cummings is 10-of-13 from distance, including a 5-for-7 performance against NC State (Nov. 13). The Midland, Pa. native, connected on 5-of-6 from 3-point range in a season-opening win vs. Northeastern (Nov. 9).
NAVY AND COLGATE RECEIVING VOTES IN MID-MAJOR POLL
Navy and Colgate were both receiving votes in this week’s CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll in October. The Raiders and Midshipmen were picked to finish second and third, respectively, in the Patriot League Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll, voted on by the League’s head coaches and sports information directors. Colgate claimed the 2021 League title and their second NCAA Tournament trip in the last three seasons and returned four starters from last season’s squad. They opened the season with a win over Northeastern and a three-point loss at NC State. Navy opened the season with a 66-58 win over No. 25 Virginia and losses to Virginia Tech and Louisville.
MCCOY RECEIVES PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND MEMBER OF PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE SQUAD
Boston University senior guard Javante McCoy was selected as the 2021-22 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year in October in a vote by League coaches and men’s basketball sports information directors. McCoy, a two-time All-Patriot League selection, was a second-team honoree last season and a third-team pick and All-Tournament selection during the Terriers’ championship season in 2019-20. The Milwaukee, Wis. native is the Patriot League’s active career leader in points with 1,321 through 112 games.
TERRIERS SELECTED TO FINISH ATOP PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
Boston University collected 154 points and 11 first-place votes with McCoy and fellow preseason All-Patriot League senior forward Walter Whyte returning for Head Coach Joe Jones’s squad. Defending League champion Colgate received 153 points and nine first-place votes to finish close behind, with preseason All-League senior guard Nelly Cummings back in the fold for Head Coach Matt Langel. Navy, who earned the top seed in last season’s championship, finished third with 114 points, while Army West Point finished with 89 points and American received 79 points to rank fifth. Bucknell and Lafayette tied for sixth-place with 73 points. Loyola Maryland (65), Holy Cross (53) and Lehigh (47) complete the preseason poll.
MCCOY’ CLIMBING LEAGUE SCORING LIST
Boston University graduate student guard Javante McCoy scored 38 points in the Terriers’ first two games to give him 1,359 career points, moving inside the top-70 in Patriot League history. McCoy is the only active League men’s basketball player to have eclipsed 1,000 career points. Teammate Walter Whyte (Sr. F) is 68 points shy after scoring 13 points vs. Gordon College.
Name, School Career Points
60. Justin DeBerry, Lafayette, 1,378
61. Kahron Ross, Lehigh, 1,368
62. Dave Dudzinski, Holy Cross, 1,366
63. Tanner Plomb, Army, 1,359
63. Javante McCoy, Boston U, 1,359
WALTER WHYTE ON HENSON WATCH LIST
Boston University senior forward Walter Whyte was named to the CollegeInsider.com Lou Henson Award Watch List when it was announced in early November. Whyte, a two-time All-Patriot League selection, has averaged 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during his career in Boston and helped the Terriers to their first Patriot League Championship in 2020. Whyte is one of 50 student-athletes on the watch list for an honor annually presented to the top mid-major player in NCAA DI.
BURNS AND JAWORSKI DEBUT IN G LEAGUE
Colgate guard Jordan Burns, the 2021 Patriot League Player of the Year, and Lafayette guard Justin Jaworski, the League’s leading scorer during the 2020-21 season, have made their professional debuts in the NBA G League during the 2021-22 season. Burns is playing with the Austin Spurs, while Jaworski is with the Oklahoma City Blue. Former Patriot League star Andre Ingram of American is also back in the G League for the 2021-22 season with the South Bay Lakers.
MATHON CLIMBING CAREER REBOUNDING LIST
Boston University graduate student forward Sukhmail Mathon pulled down 25 rebounds in the Terriers’ first two games to give him 543 boards during his five-year career in Boston.
Name, School Career Rebounds
67. Chris Williams, Navy, 552
67. Sa’eed Nelson, American, 552
69. James Karnik, Lehigh, 545
70. Brian Anderson, Bucknell, 544
71. Sukhmail Mathon Boston U, 543
ALDAMA BECOMES THIRD LEAGUE PLAYER DRAFTED IN NBA FIRST ROUND
Loyola Maryland All-League forward Santi Aldama became the third Patriot League student-athlete selected in the first round of the NBA Draft when the Utah Jazz selected him with the No. 30 pick during the 2021 draft. Aldama was officially traded to the Memphis Grizzlies soon after, where he made his professional debut early in the 2021-22 NBA season. Aldama joined Colgate’s Adonal Foyle and Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum as NBA First Round selections out of the Patriot League. The Dallas Mavericks picked Bucknell’s Mike Muscala in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.