HARTFORD
Record: 17-13 (10-5 America East)
Last 10: 7-3
Last Game: Hartford 82, Albany 80 on 3/2/19
Last Game with SBU: Stony Brook 86, Hartford 77 on 3/2/19; Olaniyi game-high 28 (20 in first half); SBU led by 25 with 9 minutes left
Checkmate Unofficial Line: Stony Brook -3.5
Net Ranking: Stony Brook 150, Hartford 182
KenPom RPI: Stony Brook 163, Hartford 181
KenPom Prediction: Hartford 72, Stony Brook 70
Yeboah Point Watch: 1,273
Division I: Currently 6th. Next up: Mitchell Beauford (2003-08) 1,359
All-time: Currently 12th. Next up: Mitchell Beauford (2003-08) 1,359
Listen/Watch:TV:
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/hartford/portal.htm?eventId=499932&streamType=videoStony Brook radio:
http://bit.ly/WUSBSports_FMNotables:5-10/170 sr G JR Lynch 16.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.2 spg, .413 3-pt FG%, .831 FT%
6-8/220 rsr F John Carroll 14.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg
6-8/220 sr F George Blagojevic 14.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 spg, .544 FG%
6-4/185 sr G Jason Dunne 13.3 ppg, 3.1 apg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 spg, .377 3-pt FG%, .859 FT%
6-2/215 sr G Travis Weatherington 9.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.1 spg, .421 3-pt FG%, .816 FT%
Vermont is locked into the 1, and UMBC is in the clubhouse at 11-5 after an outrageous comeback win over UNH. The spotlight shines brightly on this game, which will determine seeds 2 through 4 in the conference tournament. Yes, we'll have a home game Saturday, but the paths are considerably different.
I think there's a big dropoff from Albany at 6 to Binghamton at 7. If we won and got the 2, I would truly be stunned if we lost at home to Bingo. Albany? Not as much. They have some bite, as we saw a couple weeks ago at the Fed. If we lose and get the 3, we welcome back UA, and then almost certainly an away game in the semis, if we even survive.
Hartford's playing for the same thing, having won four straight and six of their last seven since losing to us, allowing them to roar back into range of getting the 2 after a 4-4 start.
The five you see above has really come together in this their final season in red – that's right, they'll all be gone, as will sixth man Max Twyman. Leading the way has been Lynch, who hasn't left the floor at all in six conference games, including playing all 45 minutes in their come-from-behind win over Albany on Saturday. He's shot 54 percent from three (43 for 79) to lead a team that has shot 42 PERCENT from deep, well ahead of second-place Vermont in that category (.369) and miles ahead of last-place ... Stony Brook (.303).
In fact, I left Lynch off my first team AE vote last week, but he may have to go on it ahead of either Lutete or Sherburne.
How we defend it will go a long way in determining the outcome of this game. It was crucial to our victory the last time. Hartford shot just 27 percent against us (9 for 34), easily the worst make rate of their conference slate. That's right around our average defensively, so if we can close out on their shooters again, we have a good chance.
The loss to Vermont, while heartbreaking, I think has us all believing, including the players, that we can go there and win someday. And we defended at a high level in that second half in particular. I like that we can expect effort night in and night out. Can we go back on the road, fly around the court and come away with a different result?
I think I might we way off on the spread when it comes out, but I'm confident that we'll end up on the right side of this one. We have struggled against physical teams, when we can't control the boards or get inside, and Hartford isn't that kind of team. And when we have the breathing room to shoot, to get to the rim, we've fared well. I hope I'm right on this one.