One-Bid Wonders

A three-time America East champion at Vermont, Taylor Coppenrath is playing for his fourth Spanish title.

It’s been almost two months since America East season came to an end when the Albany Great Danes were bounced from The Big Dance by top-seed Duke and the Stony Brook Seawolves took a tumble in the second round of the NIT at Iowa. But several America East alums are still chasing titles in some of the best leagues in the world.

Former America East Champions Taylor Coppenrath and Rashad Bell will be playing for their league championships this week in Spain and Hungary, respectively, while former two-time America East champ Jason Siggers is in hot pursuit of the chip in France.

From 2001-2005 Coppenrath flat-out owned the America East as the most statistically dominant player in league history. Over his four-year career at Vermont, the 6’9” 250 pound Coppenrath amassed 2,442 career points, good for third in the league’s all-time record book. After winning the 2002 Rookie of the Year award, Coppenrath won three straight Player of the Year awards (joining late, great Reggie Lewis as the only players in league history to win the award three times), leading the Catamounts to the NCAA tournament each time. His 14 Player of the Week awards are tied with former-NBA player Vin Baker for the most in America East history.

Coppenrath scored a combined 80 points in the league title game over his last two seasons at Vermont, earning championship MVP honors both years. His 43 points in the 2004 Championship Game (despite missing the previous three weeks and playing the entire game in a brace because of a broken wrist) remain an America East Championship Game record. Coppenrath, of course, would lead the Catamounts to their historic first-round upset of Syracuse University in the 2005 NCAA Tournament as a senior.

After turning pro, Coppernath went to training camp with the Boston Celtics in 2005 and Indiana Pacers in 2006, coming that close to making the league (according to several NBA insiders, if not for persistent back injuries that have nagged him throughout his career, Coppenrath would have been all but guaranteed at least a cup of coffee in the league).

Even though he came up short of his NBA dreams, Coppenrath has followed up one of the greatest college careers in America East history with one of the most successful professional careers of any AE alumn. In his eight years as a pro, Coppernath has played in the Euroleague (a trans-national league made up of the best teams from across Europe), as well as the top league’s in Greece (A1), Italy (SerieA), Spain (ACB – regarded as the top domestic league in the world outside of the NBA) as well as the second-division in Spain (LEB Oro) – all regarded as top domestic leagues.

After winning three league titles in college, as a professional, all Coppenrath has done is win. The LEB Oro (or LEB Gold) may be the second division in Spain, but it is widely regarded as a top-five league in Europe and Coppernath has entrenched himself as one of the league’s best players, guiding three different teams to the championship and a spot in the ACB the following season (the regular season and post season champions of the second division move up to the first division and the bottom two first division teams drop down to the following year).

Now Coppenrath has a chance to do it a fourth time, leading Lucentum Alicante (a team he has previously guided to a championship) through the playoffs and into a best-of-five championship series. Coppenrath’s eighth season of pro ball may have been his best, as he has averaged a team-best 14 points per game while shooting a robust 58.5 percent from the floor to go along with 5.8 rebounds (good for second on his team).

Coppenrath’s quest for his seventh championship (and fourth as a pro) tips off Friday, May 24, in a best-of-five game series.

Rashad Bell won the 2002 America East Championship at Boston University, now he’s playing for the Hungarian title.

If his career hadn’t coincided with Coppenrath’s, Bell would likely have been regarded as the premier America East power forward of his era. (more…)

Tommy Brenton’s no-look pass to Jameel Warney was the number two play on Sports Center’s Top 10.

(Amherst, MA) – It will be a long time before the pain of falling short of the NCAA Tournament fully goes away for Stony Brook (if ever). But Wednesday night went a long way towards softening the sting of heartbreak and restoring the shine to a historic season for the Seawolves.

Playing on the road against second-seed UMass in the opening round of the NIT Tournament, the Seawolves thoroughly out-hustled and out-played the Minutement to pull off a resounding 71-58 win.

“It was a great win for us,” Stony Brook coach Steve Pikeill said. “I’m real proud. This is a good basketball team.”

“We got beat by a team that was better than us this evening,” said UMass head coach Derek Kellogg.

Stony Brook guards Anthony Jackson and Dave Coley scored 20 points a piece to pace the Seawolves and lead all scorers, shooting a combined 16-of-25 from the floor. Sensational freshman center Jameel Warney added 16 points on 8-of-15 shooting – among them several rim-rattling dunks – and two blocks.

Playing in what could have been the final game of his career, senior point-forward Tommy Brenton added seven assists, six rebounds, six points and four steals, but his impact was far larger than his raw production. The player responsible for changing the trajectory of Stony Brook basketball did what he has always done in his career: Brenton threw jaw-dropping passes and elbows, took charges, mixed-it-up in the scrum, aggravated and instigated against the bigger Minutement and was the engine that powered the Seawolves to the win.

“I like hitting people and I like being hit. Physicality is part of my game,” said Brenton in perhaps the understatement of the century.

Stony Brook got back to their program staples: Dominating the low-blocks and defending every inch of the hardwood. The Seawolves shot 51.8 percent from the floor (29-of-56) and 41.7 percent from behind the arc while suffocating the Minutement into just 36.7 (22-of-60) and 23.1 percent (6-of-26), respectively.

Stony Brook forced 19 UMass turnovers, turning them into 23 points (compared to UMass’ 10 points off turnovers). The Seawolves also dictated the pace of the game, while flat-out playing harder than the Minutemen.

“They executed their game plan very well,” said Kellogg. “They seemed more energized and quicker to the ball. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t have a little more scrap and toughness and fight.” (more…)

Albany head coach Will Brown and the Great Danes left it all on the court Sunday, and lived to fight (and coach) another day (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Albany, New York) – Three minutes into the first half of the second semifinal of the America East Tournament, Stony Brook enforcer Tommy Brenton – the America East Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and all-around baddest-mother-shut-your-mouth – lowered his shoulder into Albany forward Sam Rowley, sending the 6’6” 240 pound Australian sprawling to the hardwood.

“Sam! He’s not Tougher than you! There’s no way he’s tougher than you!” boomed Albany head coach Will Brown, his voice rising over the deafening din of the capacity crowd. “He is not out-toughing you! He is not tougher than you – not tonight!” Brown commanded, his voice raising another decibel level.

10 Months earlier, Brown was a lame duck coach playing out the string on the end of his career – in the eyes of most, at least – after his top two scorers, Gerardo Suero, a slashing wing and once in a decade athletic talent, and Logan Aronhalt, a big time shooter, unexpectedly abandoned the program (losing Aronhalt to Maryland and Suero on an ill-advised attempt to start a pro career). A month earlier, Brown was being torn to shreds, his accomplishments (among them the massive overhaul of the Great Danes during his tenure, capped by back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths) thrown on the scrapheap by the local media. And minutes earlier, before the opening tip, Albany was already all but declared the loser and Stony Brook anointed the league champion.

Two and a half hours later, Brown, the man with a quote – response, retort, witticism, joke, jibe, and hilarious comeback – for any and every scenario, was speechless, struggling to find the words after the Great Danes shocked the mighty Seawolves 61-59, to punch their ticket to the championship game.

The silence spoke volumes.

“That was a gutsy win; I have tough, tough kids,” said Brown, composing himself after coming to the brink of tears following the Great Danes win.

With 7.3 seconds remaining, and the score tied at 59, senior point guard Mike Black had stood at the top of the key, staring down highly-touted Seawolves freshman Carson Puriefoy. It seemed to be the tailor-made situation for a symbolic changing of the guard – from Black to Puriefoy as premier America East point guard and Albany to Stony Brook as the premier SUNY program.

Except it didn’t play out like that.

Just as he had almost exactly four months earlier in the Great Danes upset over Washington – the programs first ever win over a true-BCS school and arguably the biggest regular season win in program history – Black blew by his man off a crossover dribble, drove right through the lane, and finished in traffic at the rim, kissing the final of his 16 points off the glass for the win. (more…)

Stony Brook senior Tommy Brenton pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, but scored just six points on 2-of-6 shooting while dishing out only one assists, and the top-seeded Seawolves were upset 61-59 by Albany in the semifinals of the America East Tournament (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Albany, New York) – Tommy Brenton said it all – and likely far more than the Stony Brook’s senior forward and the America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year meant to imply.

Two and a half hours earlier, the Seawolves had already all but been anointed America East Champions — Stony Brook was not simply the number one seed in the conference tournament, but The Number One Seed: the most dominant team to come through the league since the 2005 Cinderella Vermont Catamounts, the Seawolves’ semifinal matchup against the University Albany was a mere formality and an America East Championship and NCAA Tournament berth a foregone conclusion.

Now, Brenton was being asked – more precisely baited – by a Long Island reporter, if Albany’s hosting the tournament – and playing what was in essence a home game against the highest seed – put added pressure on the Seawolves and played a role in the Great Danes’ 61-59 last-second shocker.

“It’s no added pressure for us: we’ve won on the road all year long,” said Brenton, the Seawolves’ senior captain, heart, soul and emotional center, before adding “it was just another game.”

Without intending it, Brenton hit the cause of the Seawolves’ heartbreaking fall right on the head: While Albany amped-up its energy and ratcheted up its intensity to match the magnitude of the moment, Stony Brook played as if it was just another game.

When Stony Brook took the floor 30 minutes prior to tip-off, there wasn’t any of cocky swagger that has been a Stony Brook staple all season long, or the electric our season comes down to this game and we’ll be damned if we’re going home energy that has defined the post season runs of previous America East Tournament Champions (most notably 2005 Vermont, 2002 BU, 2006 Albany and 2008 UMBC).

From the opening tip until just under three minutes remained in the game, the top-seed Seawolves played like they had nothing to lose — in the worst possible way: without passion, purpose, or a sense of urgency. By the time the Seawolves returned to coherence, realizing their NCAA Tournament-or-bust season was on the brink, rattling off a 17-7 run, it was too late.

With 7.3 seconds remaining, Albany point guard Mike Black refused a ball screen at the top of the key, crossed over from his left to his right and beat Stony Brook freshman Carson Puriefoy off the dribble to the hoop, kissing his right hand floater off the glass and in with 2.3 seconds left, for the win. (more…)

(Albany, New York) — If one sequence encapsulates the experience of both teams in Saturday’s quarterfinal between No. 1 Stony Brook and No. 8 Binghamton, it would be from a play that occurred just after the under-12 minute media timeout in the first half. Stony Brook reset its offense after a Jameel Warney offensive rebound of a missed Tommy Brenton free throw. Brenton, upon receiving the ball in the high post, immediately throws a bounce pass to Warney, whose zone defender had stepped up toward Brenton.

At the last second, Binghamton freshman Jordan Reed begins to scramble across the lane toward Warney, but from the moment Warney begins to elevate off the ground it is clear that any attempt to contest the upcoming dunk will only serve to enhance a poster. With Reed far underneath him, Warney throws down a powerful slam with both hands, holding tight to the rim, his feet swinging out toward the far low block as momentum continues to carry his lower body across the lane. The score capped an early 9-0 run for the Seawolves, one of several runs that quickly rendered the 1 vs. 8 quarterfinal non-competitive.

The crowd’s focus immediately before and after the dunk was on Warney, a physical specimen blessed with size, athleticism, and the ability to make even the most difficult plays look simple and straightforward. But no analysis of this play, or of the game that lends it context, would be complete without an equal focus on Reed, exerting maximum effort on help defense to contest a play whose outcome was already written in stone before Reed took his first step. (more…)

We have lead-ins for the other Player of the Year awards, but you probably already know who this one is, right? Right? Okay, good, let’s get to it.

Tommy Brenton, R-Sr., F, Stony Brook
Brenton ranked among the league leaders in defensive rebounds and steals and was the best defender on possibly the best defense in America East history, but numbers and statistics don’t do him justice: The Maryland native’s impact on the defensive end of the court was incalculable. Big, strong, fast, relentless, intimidating, and incredibly physical, Brenton literally did it all.

A lock-down defender, Brenton was capable of shutting down the best opposing scorer regardless of position. Bruising bull forwards, sharpshooting snipers, blazing point guards, he covered – and neutralized – them all. He also excelled as a roving free-safety of sorts in the Seawolves’ modified zone defense, wreaking havoc in the half-court. If there were accurate stats for charges taken, he would have led the league by a wide margin.

Brenton’s impact as an intimidator and an instigator also can not be over-stated, as the fifth-year senior used every trick in the book – and several outlawed by it – to get into opponent’s heads and take them out of their games.

By Matt Whitrock and Sam Perkins

Sent Packing! Stony Brook freshman Jameel Warney rejects Vermont guard Josh Elbaum in the first half of the Seawolves 65-48 win on Friday (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Stony Brook, NY) – Jameel Warney is a force in America East unlike anything we’ve seen in years.

After turning down scholarships from the likes of Iowa, Penn State and Charlotte, the 6’8” 250 pound bruiser from Plainfield, New Jersey had amassed a hype even larger than his massive frame.

“He’s the best big man that will ever play here, absolutely,” Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said at the time.

Over the course of his first season of college ball, Warney has not only lived up to the lofty expectations, but exceeded them.

Through 25 games, Warney currently ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding at 7.6 boards per game, 10th in scoring at 12 points per game, while leading the league in field goal percentage (62.4 percent) and blocked shots (1.6 per game). In conference play, Warney has been even better, averaging 12.6 points per game (8th), 8.3 rebounds (4th) and 1.6 blocks (1st), while shooting an insane 65.9 percent from the floor.

“It’s unbelievable; he has the best hands I’ve ever seen,” raved fifth-year senior Tommy Brenton, the team’s captain and emotional leader. “He makes me look good, honestly, I’ll just throw it up there sometimes [and] he catches it.”

His raw numbers become all the more impressive when considering the defensive attention already being paid to the Seawolves workhorse.

“In high school he would have five guys on him,” said Steve Pikiell following the Seawolves dominating 65-48 win over conference rival Vermont. Warney shrugged off double and triple teams to post 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting to go with 10 rebounds to help the Seawolves secure a resounding win and two game cushion in the conference standings.

Simply put, Warney is already the runaway Rookie of the Year. But he’s more – much more – and much better than his raw numbers. When looking at his advanced statistics, Warney is not only the most efficient offensive player in the conference, but the most impactful rookie to come through the America East in more than half a decade. (more…)

Stony Brook forwards Tommy Brenton (24) and Eric McAlister box out Vermont center Ben Crenca in the Seawolves 65-48 win Friday night (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Stony Brook, NY) – Only time will tell if this was the “Statement Win” that has long eluded Stony Brook Men’s basketball in its quest for America East supremacy, but the Seawolves sure made a statement Friday night, stomping Vermont.

Squaring off against their bitter-rival – and the team that dashed their NCAA tournament dreams a year ago – before a packed house partisan fans, Stony Brook rose to the occasion, crushing the Catamounts 65-48 in a game no where near as close as the final score. In doing so the Seawolves grabbed a stranglehold of first place in the standings, entrenching themselves on the inside track in the race for a regular season title and the coveted top-seed in the conference tournament.

“We played a real good basketball team in Vermont and we played really well,” said Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell.

“They out toughed us; they out-played us; they out-shot us; they kicked us all over,” said Vermont head coach John Becker.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and against a Catamount squad that had bested them in three straight games – including last year’s Championship Game – the Seawolves did just that, holding Vermont to an icy 36.7 percent shooting from the floor (18-of-49) and 26.3 percent from behind the arc (5-of-19). Stony Brook forced 13 Catamounts’ turnovers, turning them into 26 points, and held Vermont to a season-low in scoring.

“Defensively they gave up their bodies,” said Pikiell of his team. “We swarmed today, this was the kind of defense we need to play.”

On offense, the Seawolves used a first-half three-point barrage to space the floor and open up a lead in the first half, before bulldozing the Catamounts in the paint after the intermission.

Freshman center Jameel Warney shrugged off double – and many times, triple – teams in the post to notch a double-double, scoring 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting to go with 10 rebounds. Warney scored all but two of his points after the intermission and poured in eight points in the opening five minutes of the second half to turn a six point lead into a 14 point runaway.

“Give credit to Vermont in the first half for playing tough defense: They wouldn’t let me get the ball. But you start to see chances open up, and we knew we had to attack,” said Warney, who added a blocked shot and altered several more on the defensive end.

While Warney finished off the Catamounts, it was reserve guard Marcus Rouse who started the romp, scoring a team high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. Rouse took advantage of the defensive attention being paid to Warney in the paint to drill 4-of-5 shots from the perimeter. (more…)

(Lowell, Massachusetts) – Sometime soon – maybe in as little as a few hours, maybe as long as a couple of days – it will be officially announced that the University of Massachusetts Lowell is making the jump from Division II to Division I Athletics and will be joining the America East as a full conference member.

You hear that? It’s the sound of the deafening silence that has enveloped the America East ever since Northeastern ditched the league for the Colonial Athletic Association in 2005 being shattered by a solitary golf-clap.

In all seriousness, I’m happy to hear the news – dare I say, downright excited. (more…)

Sponsored by John Templeton and Big Apple Buckets: Big Apple Buckets covers mid-major basketball in and around New York City with an analytical slant. You can also check out their Mid-Major Podcast on iTunes.

Hartford sophomore forward Mark Nwakamma poured in 23 points in the Hawks 60-55 win over first place Stony Brook on Sunday. It was Nwakamma’s third straight game of 20 or more points (Photo by Sam Perkins)

(West Hartford, CT) – The saying goes, it’s better to be lucky than good. On Sunday, the University of Hartford Hawks were both.

The Hawks executed their game plan to perfection down the stretch, sophomore forward Mark Nwakamma played a near perfect game and Hartford got an assist from the perfect storm to knock off the first place Stony Brook 60-55. The Hawks rode blistering shooting, relentless effort, stifling defense, and their horse in Nwakamma, to erase a nine-point second half deficit and end a nine game losing streak against the Seawolves.

“It’s just a great quality win and speaks to the strides these players have been committed to since they’ve gotten here,” said Hartford head coach John Gallagher.

“Give credit to Hartford; they played well for 40 minutes tonight. They made shots, and we didn’t play enough defense or make our free throws tonight,” said Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell. “They played better for 40 minutes, and they deserved to win.”

Nwakamma poured in a game-high 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, his third straight game of 22 or more points, to go with six rebounds and two assists. The 6’6” sophomore put the Hawks on his back, blowing past double teams while carrying his team in the clutch. After a 5-0 Stony Brook run put the Seawolves up 45-44 with just under eight minutes remaining, Nwakamma responded seven straight points, staking Hartford to a 51-46 lead they would not relinquish.

Hartford shot 51.1 percent from the floor (23-of-45) and 43.5 percent from downtown (10-of-23), while holding Stony Brook to 44 percent from the floor (22-of-50) and just 18.2 percent from three (2-of-11). Hartford weathered the Seawolves storm in the first half, with Stony Brook shooting a blistering 53.8 percent (14-of-26) to go into the locker room leading 33-27. Hartford regrouped and held Stony Brook to just 33.3-percent from the floor (8-of-24) after the intermission, while shooting an unconscious 60 percent from the field (12-of-20) including a ridiculous 63.6 percent from downtown (7-of-11).

The Hawks were out-rebounded 32-25, and beaten badly on second chance points (16-4) and points in the paint (40-16). But the Hawks turned the tide on the defensive end, turning15 Seawolves turnovers into 18 points. Hartford also outscored Stony Brook 22-8 in bench points.

Freshman point guard Evan Cooper came off the bench to score 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-6 from downtown, for Hartford, to go along with two assists and two steals. Sophomore forward Nate Sikma added nine points, hitting 3-of-6 treys. Sophomore guard Yolonzo Moore II and graduate-transfer forward John Peterson added six points apiece.

Stony Brook was led by sensational freshman center Jameel Warney, who continues to look the part of not simply the Rookie of the Year, but quite possibly the conference Player of the Year. Warney shrugged off constant double-teams to pour in 21 points while ripping down a game-high nine rebounds. The 6’8” 250 pound center has emerged as the best America East freshman big since the legendary Taylor Coppenrath and on Sunday was completely unstoppable whenever he got the ball in his hands, hitting 9-of-11 shots while committing a lone turnover. (more…)