Patriot League Men’s Basketball Notebook Presented By PenFed Credit Union (12.29.21)

PatriotMBB Notebook (.PDF)

THE NON-LEAGUE GAME ENDS THIS WEEK
The Mountain Hawks will close their non-League roster against Eastern University on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. clash on ESPN +. Bucknell’s non-championship final against Albany, slated for Wednesday at 7 p.m., has been postponed due to COVID protocols within the Great Danes program.

THE PATRIOT LEAGUE GAME STARTS ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
The Patriot League game kicks off Saturday, January 1 with five games on ESPN +. Boston University welcomes Bucknell to open a full day of games at 1 p.m. Live coverage of three League games will begin at 2 p.m. with Loyola Maryland at Army West Point, Colgate in Lafayette and Navy at Holy Cross. The American greets Lehigh at 4 p.m. at the Bender Arena. For more information, visit PatriotLeague.org/sports/mbball.

2020-21 Patriot League Men’s Basketball Rankings (as of 12.28.21)

Patriot League Composite Men’s Basketball Schedule

NAVY LEADS LEAGUE OF PATRIOTS IN NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL NET RANKING

Navy leads the Patriot League to No.97 in the most recent NCAA Men’s Basketball NET rankings. Patriot League preseason favorite Boston University is second among League teams, in 140th place, and defending champion Colgate is third in 184th. 2020-21 League finalist Loyola Maryland is ranked 240th, Army West Point (280th) rounding out the League’s top five in the NET rankings. The 2021-2022 season marks the fourth year of the NCAA Assessment Tool (NET) ranking, which replaced the RPI as the primary team assessment tool.

TERRIERS RANK 24TH IN MEDIUM-MAJOR SURVEYS

Boston University remained in this week’s CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll, placing No. 24. The preseason Patriot League favorites have won five of their last six games to go 9. -4, the best start for the program since start 11 -3 in the 2004-05 season. Head Coach Joe Jones’ Terriers dominate their opponents by an average margin of +5.0 and overtake their opponents by +6.5 while keeping their opponents at 64.2 points per game, the second lowest score of the League. Navy is receiving votes in this week’s poll, having won six of its last seven games. The Mids have the best scoring defense in the league and are ranked 19th in the NCAA allowing 58.9 points per game.

RAIDERS AMONG THE 3-POINT LEADERS IN THE NCAA

Colgate leads the Patriot League in 3-point field goal percentage and is 17th in the NCAA DI at 39.1%. Cummings is fifth in the nation (.500), while senior guard Oliver Lynch-Daniels (.486) is fourth in the league. Junior guard Ryan Moffatt (0.444) and graduate student guard Jack Ferguson (0.381) are in the top 15 of the Patriot League. Ferguson led the league in 3-point field goal percentage last season (0.507).

MARINE DEFENSE KEY HOT START

Navy leads the Patriot League and is 19th in the NCAA DI in defense (58.9) while limiting opposing infractions to a 0.395 field goal percentage. Head coach Ed DeChellis’ Mids held three opponents 40 points or less, including 33 points, the league’s lowest, to win a 47-33 decision over Radford (Nov. 20). Navy then held-No. 25 Virginia at 58 points in the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 1986. The Mids have won six of their last eight games to complete their non-League roster. Navy will travel to Worcester, Mass to open the January 1 League game against Holy Cross.

PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN’S BASKETBALL LEADS NCAA DIVISION I IN DEGREE RATE REPORTS

The Patriot League’s 10 men’s basketball programs finished with the nation’s highest graduation pass rate (GSR) with a perfect score of 100, a four-point improvement from the ‘last year. Eight League schools – Army West Point, Boston University, Bucknell, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Loyola Maryland and Navy posted perfect GSR scores. The League also had the highest Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) score (76), with Bucknell, Holy Cross and Lafayette tied for a score of 92 percent, the highest in the League. The Patriot League has been among the NCAA’s top three conferences in GSR every year since scoring was introduced in 2013. The League’s GRF overall score of 86 percent leads the country for the ninth consecutive year. .

BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK GEICO PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN
BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK GEICO PATRIOT LEAGUE MEN
Josh Caldwell, Army West Point, Sr., G, Columbia, SC / Heathwood Hall (USMAPS)

* Caldwell finished with 18 points, a team-high, in addition to recording three rebounds, three steals and two assists in the Black Knights loss to South Carolina last Wednesday.
* The top guard shot 53% (8 for 15) from the ground, including 1 in 2 beyond the arc to lead Army West Point.
* The reigning Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year has hit double digits in eight of the Black Knights’ 12 games, averaging 12.8 points per game, while placing third in the League at 1.8 interceptions per game.

PATRIOT LEAGUE BASKETBALL GEICO ROKIE MEN OF THE WEEK
CJ Fulton, Lafayette, Fr., G, Belfast, Northern Ireland / Saint Malachy’s

* Fulton scored a career-high 14 points on 5 of 6 shots from the floor, including 4 of 5 from beyond the arc against Gwynedd Mercy.
* The freshman guard also contributed three rebounds, two assists and one steal in the Leopards’ 87-66 against the Griffins.
* Fulton is averaging 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 11 games.

ABOUT THE LEAGUE OF PATRIOTS

The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic success, continuously demonstrating that the student-athlete can excel in both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The sporting success of the Patriot League is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and developing student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics in the institutions of the Patriot League is considered an important part of a well-rounded education.