American, Navy within a game of first place
In his book, “The Last Amateurs,” John Feinstein extols the virtues of Patriot League basketball, where grade-point averages are as important as those for points, rebounds and assists.
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But there is another reason, at least this year, to spread the gospel of the Patriot League. It might be the most balanced basketball conference in the country. Imagine a league where the team predicted to finish in first place (Holy Cross) is tied for last, and the team predicted to finish in last place (Lafayette) is tied for first.
But at the halfway point of conference play, that’s how the league has shaken out, and no one seems to know why.
“Most years everybody gets it wrong. But we’ve never been as wrong as we turned out to be this year,” said American coach Jeff Jones of the coaches’ preseason projections. “In a league where there’s a small number of teams, the coaches are all familiar with each other, there’s a round-robin format, the games are very, very competitive and a lot can happen.”
Five of the eight teams in the Patriot League are within a game of first place. Lehigh (14-8, 5-2) and Lafayette (14-8, 5-2) lead Bucknell (9-14, 4-3) and local schools American (7-15, 4-3) and Navy (10-12, 4-3).
“I’m sure our league office is hoping three or four teams separate themselves, so they don’t have the headache of trying to figure out tie-breakers on the last day of the regular season for our playoff format,” quipped Navy coach Billy Lange.
AU, the two-time defending champion, had a rugged start as it struggled to break in a new starting five, then incorporate 6-foot-9 Vlad Moldoveanu when the George Mason transfer became eligible in December. But with three straight wins, AU has rallied behind its strong frontcourt.
The Eagles knocked Lafayette out of sole possession of first place with a 76-66 victory Saturday in Easton, Pa. as Moldoveanu (21 points, 6 rebounds) and 6-8 sophomore Stephen Lumpkins (13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) hit a combined 13 of 20 shots from the floor.
“Mentally, I don’t think our kids have a lot of expectations,” said Jones. “I just think our kids are just going out and playing as hard as they can. They’re not worried about the big picture. They’re just looking at the next opportunity.”
That comes Saturday, weather permitting, as AU tries to extend its 20-game home winning streak against Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks are one team the Patriot League coaches accurately pegged, expecting them to finish second.
Dynamic freshman guard C.J. McCollum (16.3 ppg) has joined preseason conference player of the year, senior point guard Marquis Hall (10.4 ppg, 5.8 apg), and 6-7 senior Zahir Carrington (10.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) to form the league’s most well-rounded trio. In addition, scrappy 6-9 freshman Gabe Knutson is playing an increased role, scoring a career-high 31 points in a win over Holy Cross six days ago.
It’s a balanced attack, which mirrors the league.
“It makes it interesting,” said Jones of the conference. “It puts a premium on being ready every time out.”
