Central Connecticut State basketball preview!

#142 R.P.I. Central Connecticut State @ #26 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s basketball returns home after a rugged trip to (un)Happy Valley where Big-10 (slower) tempo and (oversized/physical) style of play was just not their thang.

The Hokies dropped their first L of the year to a likely post-season team of some manner or another. And now faces a two-horse team that also (same: as Northeastern) races in the Northeastern Athletic Conference. As the 4 up and 4 down and perfectly alternating W’s and L’s all year long Central Connecticut State Blues hope to leave all of the O&M faithful inside Cassell Coliseum feeling a bit blue indeed. As these 2 C.C.S.U. stars are literally two shots removed from being a shiny 6-1 in 2018. Nevertheless, what you wanna know is who is gonna win? Read on to find, out!

Central Connecticut State Head Coach: Donyell Marshall: age=, 24-44 overall and at C.C.St. Has a rep’ for: having a grate coaching first-name, recruiting, defense, 3-point shooting, and inside-out play.
$192,696.oo (with a $43k fringe stake in C.C.C.St. itself, whatever that means)

Peep Marshall was born on May 18, 1973, in Reading, Pennsylvania. He stared for and graduated from Reading High School.

He attended the University of Connecticut and was a player in the university’s basketball program. Marshall was a unanimous pick as Big East Player of the Year in 1993–94. (accordingly, he does enjoy the built-in backyard and backdoor neighborly and regional entry recruiting points, here). At U.Conn he only broke about every single single-season mark there was in 1994. And he was only named to the school’s all-Century Team 1st-string for his colligate troubles.

After his Husky success, baller Marshall did enjoy a most pocketbook lucrative Association 15 year and eight teams N.b.a. professional career. Averaging 11.6 ppg and 6.7 boards for his professional career and living the life.

On October 26, 2009, after retiring from the NBA, Marshall joined Comcast SportsNet as a 76ers’ post-game live analyst. Marshall left broadcasting on July 1, 2010, to become an assistant men’s basketball coach of the George Washington Colonials under fellow Univ. of Connecticut alumnus Karl Hobbs. On November 3, 2011, Marshall was announced as an assistant coach of the D-League’s Maine Red Claws. In September 2013, Marshall became an assistant coach of the Rider University men’s basketball team. Marshall was largely responsible for the effective play of senior transfer center Matt Lopez and a second place regular season finish in the M.A.A.C. in 2014–15.

Following a 21–12 season at Rider which earned a College Basketball Invitational appearance, Marshall was named as an assistant on Nate Oats’s staff at the University at Buffalo on April 16, 2015.

On April 6, 2016, he was named head men’s basketball coach at Central Connecticut State. Marshall won his first game as head coach of Central Connecticut on November 11, 2016 a 75-60 win over Hartford. At U.C.C.St. under Marshall’s leadership, the Blues have moved up the Rating Percentage Index (RPI) rankings by almost 100 spots. And made the less than all-inclusive Northeastern post-season Conference tourney for the first time since 2011. Which includes a not better than 5-win span, per year, for three consecutive years, just three years ago. And that’s a long come-up-ns from their former pedigree of: New England Teachers College Conference. (no joke).

Nephew Marshall’s great uncle is Hall of Famer B’more Colt 7-time all-pro’ Hb, Lenny Moore.

Daddy Marshall is married to Leea and has two daughters, Taylor and Devynn
and four sons, Terrance, Marquis, Paryss and Donyell, Jr.

Blues Returning Starters=2

Cent.Conn.St. Strengths:

  • One, #1, 6′5″, 222 lb. final year ‘tweener G/F combo’ player Tyler Kohl is hands down the best Central Connecticut baller here. (although Delon Bute -down below- might want a word with that). The statistics would seem to agree as nobody for the Blues is really all that close. At least not in scoring where Mister Kohl fields nearly a 1.5:1 scoring advantage over nearly everyone else. At a team pacing 24.1 ppg. Mr. Kohl was also only named Lindy’s Most Versatile baller for the whole entire Northeastern Conference this pre-season and he has been 1st-string all-Northeastern for two years running. Additionally, Lindy’s went so far as to call Kohl “one of the most versatile players in America.” Never mind just in the Northeastern Athletic Conference. As Ty’ leads U.C.C.St. in: rebounding (8 rpg)), assisting (5.4 apg), swiping (1.4 spg) and FT-shooting (88%). Now mix in a reasonable 36% from beyond the arc and unless you have him pop popcorn and valet cars? I’ma not really sure what more you could ask this pretty taxed senior to do? Ty’ finished 9th in America in scoring at Mineral Area College (NJCAA) two years ago and he was 16th in America in prep-school scoring (Bethelem) the year before that. He is also the ½ brother of current CCSU assistant coach, Anthony Ross. Nepotism is no bad, thang… And all told, Tyler is prolly an overseas pro’ and great on him for that. He will have earned every (¢) cent on every (€) Euro exchange rate he gets.

    Easily the alpha Blue here.
  • Jr., 6′9″, 222 lb., true-C, and St.Marteen imported native Deion Bute is also all-conference 1st-string (pre-season). And he sure looks the enforcing part. As this guy is prolly 6′12″ or more with his (now) blonde twist-top ‘fro. “neon” Deion -by way of Tallahassee Community College- nets you 10.3 ppg on a sizzling 77% shooting and blocks a shot-n-change per contest. And his numbers are actually, down so far this year, nearly across the board. As Bute is a defender who does all the hard things relentlessly right. And he -same as Kevin McHale- is a black-hole down low, the ball goes in and the ball does not come back out as he’s on pace for 1 assist this campaign.
  • Ian Krishnan has been a very pleasant surprise with a silver medal in scoring at 15.9 ppg and a sniping good (and team leading) 45% from downtown.  In point of fact, Ian Krishnan is such a surprise that he does not even have a U.C.C.St. bio’ page! That’s J.Bond “shocking” surprise territory folks. Nevertheless… Google, however, says that he is 6′2″, 222 lb., combo-G and that he was the 17th ranked high school baller last year in New Hampshire. Can you say Beamerball emerald in the tall grass found here? As Ian was more of a football ATH recruit last season who choose college basketball -and subsequently- U.C.C.St. at the proverbial last minute.
  • (the whispers say this is U.C.C.St.’s best recruiting class in years, if not decades, if not… ever)

C-C-St. Weaknesses:

  • Well, not a lotta experience when 60% of your starters are gonzo, is there?
  • all-everything Texas prep-star Mike Underwood and his 0.0 ppg have to be considered south of appointing, if not outright disappointing. Though he does average .5 blocks per game, so there is that. As most of my preseason magazines -same as C.Dickens- had Great Expectations here.
  • U.C.C.St. only fields 2 ballers >6′7″. So match-up height does not live here. (although they do team rebound and block shots way better than you’d expect).

Blues Bench: (depth=3 to 4 deep)

6′7″, 215 lb. third-year, Three, Joe Hugley (the Blues best pure shooter, one of the best in the Northeastern Conference) and his 44% 3-ball all live here. So do his 11 ppg with 4.3 caroms and 87% at the charity stripe. (though he has been a little less temprate if not chilling-out a bit of late).

Karrington Wallace was/is the biggest U.C.C.St. signing in many a year(s)… as the Pennsylvania Player of the Year last season. The 6′7″, 200 lb. rookie or nugget year player is giving you 4.8 ppg on 48% from the floor, so patience may be needed in addition to acclimation. Although Lindy’s is pretty much sky-high like the International Space Station on K.Dub; as a very athletically intriguing S/F. And if anyone not named Ben Wallace ever looked like Ben Wallace, this kid is surely the one.

Thai Segwai -grate name as well- is a  6′2″, 162 lb. back-up Pt.G from London. The Captial of the Country. That, London and Eye do not see that one too often. And he and his 1.7 ppg play for… well, I’m not really sure what reason(s); although I am sure they play a lot off the pine-squad.

Donyell Marshall, Jr. (yes they are related, Fred/Lamont) balls here and so do his 6′6″, beanpole 175 lb. S/G frame. And that’s about all that balls here as “personal matters”, eye injuries (May St.Helen bless) and a lack of ankle health all at least rent and/or lease here in addition to 4 ppg.

Rebounding after a rather upsetting L up in Pennsylvania is all about... what???

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Illationconclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Blues who could start @Tech=2.
Might be a real coach… time=tell here.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… Cent.Conn.State is on a N.b.a. looking road trip as we are their 2nd game in less than 48 hours and that’s a big ask for 18-22 non-professional bodies to court.


That and the fact that none of my pre-season magazines have Cent.Conn.St. picked any higher than 7th means we prolly do win something on Saturday afternoon Revenue Sports wise. Even if it is only on the hardwood as Marshall could (very well) give us a hard time out on the gridiron. Anywho…

 ***

As for what I could see, I found it squirrelly indeed for any team to comprise 40% of their conference’s pre-season all-conference 1st-string and yet be picked sub middle of the pack?

As either those two stars are not quite full-blown astronomy majors or the rest of the guys are mostly cloudy indeed.

So, you have to hope that Buzzketball is not too Penn.State hungover and goes out there and hangs one on Cent.Conn.State. As there really is only two guys to stop here and even if the Blues manage to hang around a bit you have to think that our rotation rotates through the third through ninth guys here efficaciously enough.

Or Jordan Rules as coach Daly once so adroitly put it… let Kohl and Bute get theirs, shut the rest of the lesser guys off an get on with what looks like a pretty easy looking O.O.C. (out of conference) docket from here on out.

Vah.Tech wins -as this has the look-n-feel (and mutual style(s) of play) that avers, connotes and posits a viewer-friendly game- and VeeTee really should win a shootout going away here.

(9o% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech
=9o, Central Connecticut State=66

LETS GO!

Hokies!

 bourbonstreet**

1 Responses You are logged in as Test

Comments are closed.