HARTFORD
Record: 8-7
Last Game: W, 72-64, at Albany 1/3
Last 10: 5-5
Last Meeting: Stony Brook 66-54 on 2/15/17; wire-to-wire win, 11 for 26 from three
CM Unofficial Line: Hartford -5
KenPom RPI: Stony Brook 208, Hartford 281
KenPom Prediction: Stony Brook 72, Hartford 71
Listen/Watch:TV:
http://www.espn.com/watch/_/id/3244890/stony-brook-vs-hartford-m-basketballStony Brook radio:
http://www.943theshark.com/listenlive.aspxNotables:6-8/220 rjr F John Carroll 17.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg, .505 FG%
6-4/185 jr G Jason Dunne 15.6 ppg, .793 FT%, .369 3-pt FG%
5-10/170 jr G JR Lynch 12.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.9 apg, .379 3-pt FG%
6-2/215 jr G Travis Weatherington 9.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .395 3-pt FG%
6-10/270 sr C Hassan Attia 7.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg, .727 FG%
All of a sudden, this would be a gigantic win. After nine- and 10-win seasons, Hartford appears to have turned things around, and we're in desperate need of doing the same thing after two highly uninspiring performances.
Hartford has ripped off three in a row, and five of their last six. The last three have all come on the road against FIU, Rutgers and Albany – a real nice stretch by any standard. By holding serve at home, they will equal last year's win total by the first week of January.
It's been a one-sided series of late, with SBU winning the last 10 games dating back to 2013. This may be the group that ends the drought for Hartford – they're experienced, they have a solid inside presence, shooters and guys who can get to the goal.
However, they, like us, will often live and die with the three. Nearly 45 percent of their attempts come from three – even more than us. Can they sustain success with that kind of ratio, particularly shooting at just 33.5% as a team? With the peaks and valleys that come with the perimeter shot, that will be tough to do. They're 3-0 when they shoot fewer than 20 threes. You guessed it – the last three games, all wins.
Carroll, Dunne, Lynch and Attia are all holdovers from last year, but Weatherington has come over from Palm Beach CC and really made a difference, particularly of late. He's gone for double figures in five of the last six contests, including a season-high 22 in their win over Quinnipiac a few weeks back. Most of the damage has come from beyond the arc.