Posts Tagged ‘Javon Ralling’

2012 America East Tournament in Microcosm — Moment 3, 3/3/12: Walking-Tall

Saturday, March 10th, 2012

Photo Courtesy of America East Athletic Communications

(West Hartford, CT) — Third-year Binghamton head coach Mark Macon’s press conferences are already the stuff of legend: The outspoken coach has been known to offer thoughts, insights, jokes, commentary, and stream-of-conscious detours about any and all topics related to the game played, the sport of basketball, and life in general.

Needless to say, when Macon talks, you fasten your seat-belt and enjoy the ride.

Following the two-win Bearcats all-heart, near-herculean effort in a narrow loss to top-seeded Stony Brook in the quarterfinals of the America East Tournament, Macon was effusive in his praise of his team’s effort and guts. He also spent time praising the tremendous talents of freshman forward Ben Dickinson – a potential star in the making — who followed up a 21 point performance in Binghamton’s win over UMBC on the opening night of the America East tournament with 20 points in the near-upset.

But it was the smallest – and perhaps the least known — player on the Bearcats roster who drew the biggest praise, and most airtime, from Macon: walk-on Mike Horn. Macon spent more time talking about the scrappy and diminutive guard than any other topic in the entire press conference.

After praising the Bearcats’ collective group of walk-ons — Javon Ralling, Jabrille Williams, Jimmy Gray (who earned a partial scholarship this year) and Horn — for their impressive contributions during the season.

“They just give you everyting, said Macon. “They fight for this family, and I can’t be more proud of those guys They do yeoman’s work.

Macon singled out Horn specifically for his contributions.

“Let me tell you a story about Mike,” said Macon. “He is THE hardest worker on that floor every night and every practice – he gives you everything he’s got.”

That Mike Horn ever set foot on the floor at the division I level is perhaps equal parts fate and luck; cosmic karma and random chance; persistence and perseverance; and one kid’s immense love for the game of basketball. (more…)

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: Ugly play-in game was all that is good about the America East

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

On Thursday night, two teams boasting a combined record of five wins and 53 loses met in an empty, echo-filled arena in West Hartford. In the shadows on the outskirts of the State capital, the two lowest ranked teams in one of the lowest ranked conferences in the country faced off in front of the deserted chair backs and barren bleachers in the play-in game of the America East tournament.

The game featured air-balls and missed free-throws, blown dunks, blown leads and flagrant fouls.

The match-up between eight-seeded UMBC and ninth-seeded Binghamton was some of the ugliest basketball imaginable.

It was beautiful.

UMBC forward Jake Wasco battles Ben Dickinson and Jabrille Williams for a rebound (courtesy of America East Athletic Communications)

Thursday night’s game was all that remains good in the America East Conference – one of the last bastions of true amateurism in the increasingly dark and seedy world of college basketball. Two teams with seemingly nothing left to play for, refusing to let their seasons end. Powered by guts and heart, the Retrievers and Bearcats left everything they had on the floor, for just one more day toiling in basketball obscurity.

When the dust cleared, the Bearcats, who had crawled through a 1-28 record in the regular season, celebrated their 73 to 67 overtime win as if they had just won the league title.

Jake Wasco, a senior forward for UMBC who lost 94 games in his career, and tasted victory just 13 times during his final three-seasons, left the floor with tears in his eyes. He didn’t want it to end.

None of them did.

“It’s about winning one game and buying another,” remarked Binghamton head coach Mark Macon after the game. “To come in there where they could have put their heads down and walked away… it’s about the team and not myself.” (more…)

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OBW 2011-12 All-”Walking Tall” Walk-ons

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

The role of a walk-on is often a thankless one: From summer workouts, pre-dawn runs and lifts to sprints, suicides and late-night shooting sessions, they trudge through all of the muck of college athletics without any of the glamor: No scholarship, no accolades, and no time in the limelight. They run the scout team and serve as practice dummies, and spend their game days waving towels from the end of the bench.

Walk-ons can often be the heart and soul of programs; lead-by-example types who never get the recognition they deserve, so we’re giving it to them here:

Ryan Cook, Jr., G, UMBC: A first-year walk-on, Cook is by all accounts a terrific kid who has done everything within his power to pull together a team enduring yet another disastrous season. Like any ideal walk-on, he does everything with a ton of energy and positivity. Unlike most walk-ons, he not only started, but flat out produced, finishing 13th in overall scoring at 12.4 PPG, 16th in conference scoring at 12 PPG, and fourth in free-throw percentage at .854 (70-of-82). He also threw down some high-flying dunks that were beyond uncharacteristic for a 6’2” (maybe) walk-on. Cook dropped a career-high 28 points against Albany.

Mike Horn, Jr., G, Binghamton: Horn is the ultimate walk-on: Having hung up his sneakers after high school, he attended a hastily thrown together open tryout following the 2009 scandal and implosion of the Bearcats and made the team. After a year glued to the end of the bench, he left the team to focus on his academics, before returning this season. Horn didn’t put up much in the way of numbers, but he played, and did a very solid job on the defensive end while bringing constant energy. The 5’8” guard played 30 minutes against UMBC, and in 13 minutes against Vermont played a crucial defensive role in the Bearcats’ upset of the Catamounts.

Quinton Jones, Soph., G, UMBC: According to teammates, Jones is a tireless worker and great all-around guy. For the first half of the season, he started at point guard and did an admirable job, making numerous hustle-plays sacrificing his body for the team. The 5’10” guard posted career-highs of 14 points and eight rebounds earlier this season against CCSU.

Javon Ralling, Jr., F, Binghamton: One of the best stories in the conference – one which has gotten almost no coverage – has been that of Ralling. Like Horn, he made the team out of the 2009 open-tryout, but years of hard work have allowed Ralling to improve from a practice dummy to a useable America East rotation player and part-time starter. The 6’4” forward scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting in 39 minutes against Hartford.

Clancy Rugg, Soph., F, Vermont: The native Vermonter isn’t simply a walk-on, good practice player and energy guy, or “feel good story” about a native son staying in the Green Mountain State (he is all of those things): Rugg has become an integral part of the second-place Catamounts, providing tremendous energy, solid defense, and a nice scoring touch off the bench. Rugg averaged 5.1 points and 13.3 minutes for the Catamounts, scoring a career-high 18 points against Binghamton.

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Both sides of the same coin: positives and negatives from last night’s Battle of the BUs

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

It was a glass half-full, glass half-empty kind of game for both Boston University and Binghamton Wednesday night at the Agganis Arena.

Darryl Partin scored 20 points and John Holland added 16, including six key free throws during the Terriers comeback, to lead Boston University to a 71-66 win. Mahamoud Jabbi was brilliant in defeat, scoring 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, four blocks, two assists and a steal.

The game had a “Twilight Zone” feel, tipping off at 9:30, as the second part of a men’s/women’s double-header, inside a nearly empty state-of-the art arena as a snowstorm raged outside. (more…)

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