Young MU hoops squad experiencing growing pains
Hawks have lost three straight; record stands at 2-6
BY DOUG McKENZIE Correspondent
The Monmouth University men's basketball team was labeled a work in progress coming into this season, and thus far, eight games into the slate, that is exactly what the Hawks appear to be.

"It's been interesting," said head coach Dave Calloway. "It's kind of been what I anticipated."

With a lineup filled with underclassmen, including a starting five with just two returners from last year's 12-18 squad, the Hawks were expected to struggle a bit out of the blocks as they looked to develop team chemistry and cohesiveness against a challenging out-of-conference schedule.

On Saturday night, the host Hawks looked the part of the young, inexperienced team, playing well for most of the game against the University of Pennsylvania, before surrendering a lead late in the game and falling 69-61. The Quakers won the game on the free throw line, hitting 10 free throws over the game's final two minutes, while the Hawks struggled down the stretch, hitting just nine field goals in the second half.

"We've had our ups and downs so far," Calloway said. "On Saturday in particular, I was more disappointed in our group of players who had experience coming into the year. We made some poor decisions down the stretch, more from our experienced guys and not so much from the freshmen."

With the loss, MU fell to 2-6 on the young season, while Penn improved to 3-7.

"At times we've looked pretty good," Calloway said. "We had two very good wins down in the Virgin Islands against Wichita State and Charlotte, both of whom haven't lost since we beat them. Wichita State is a tough Missouri Valley Conference team, and Charlotte plays in the Atlantic 10 and has beaten Davidson and Wake Forest this year. We also took Seton Hall to overtime. So, we've played very well at times.

"It's just the inconsistency that's hurt us so far. At times we've been better than I anticipated, while at other times we've been worse. But that's par for the course."

On Saturday against Penn, Jhamar Youngblood, who scored 13 of his team-high 15 points in the first half, added four steals and three rebounds to lead the Hawks' effort, while three Quakers scored in double figures, led by Brian Grandieri's 21 points.

In falling to Penn, the Hawks showed all the characteristics of the young team Calloway describes. At times they looked ready to distance themselves from the Quakers, only to allow the visiting team to hang around and keep the game close. It came back to haunt them in the second half, when the Hawks' shooting went cold, allowing Penn to take control of the contest.

However, Monmouth's inconsistencies early on were somewhat expected. After all, this is a very different Hawk team from last year.

Monmouth graduated three starters and four other key players from last year's team. Gone are 1,000-point scorers Deki Delic and Marques Alston, along with starting center Corey Hallett and massive 7-foot-2 backup center John Bunch, among others.

They leave behind a Hawk roster void of any seniors, with guards Whitney Coleman and Alex Nunner the only juniors on the squad.

Calloway, now in his 11th year, has handed the keys of the team over to his backcourt, and for good reason. Youngblood, a former St. Patrick's standout, quickly emerged as one of the Northeast Conference's budding stars last year, winning NEC Rookie of the Year honors. A lightning-quick ball-handler with an attacking style of play, Youngblood ranked second on the team with 12.3 points per game, shot 44.2 percent from three-point range, and sat among league leaders in steals (1.7 steals per game, fifth) and field goal percentage (.525, sixth).

With a style reminiscent of former Hawk standout Rashaan Johnson, Youngblood

has become a team leader in many ways and, along with Coleman,

represents the strength of

the young Hawk squad.

The 6-foot-3 Coleman is another

team leader on and off the

court, and his ability to play either

guard position makes him

an indispensable part of the Hawks' growing process. Last season, the Salem, Conn., native led the

Hawks in minutes and finished second on the club with 41 three-pointers.

Coleman (9.1 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game) is among the NEC's best athletes who are particularly strong at finishing off the fast break. His play-making skills will be key early on this year, while many of the Hawks' newer players adjust to scoring at the next level. Freshman guard James Hett, of Staten Island, N.Y., has emerged as the starting point guard, joining Youngblood and Coleman in the backcourt, where his early play has impressed his coach.

Nunner, a 6-3 native of Leibnitz, Austria, showed promise off the bench last year and can stretch defenses with his longrange shooting ability (16 three-pointers). Sophomore Yaniv Simpson, a 6-foot-4, 210- pound guard from Kfar Saba, Israel, is another player Calloway hopes to see blossom this year, after suffering through an injuryplagued freshman season.

Also seeing time in the backcourt is Baldwin, Long Island's 6-foot-4 swingman R.J. Rutledge, son of longtime St. John's assistant coach Ron Rutledge, who looks to be another asset in Monmouth's patented motion system with his ability to shoot it from downtown and slice his way to the hoop.

With Hett, Youngblood and Coleman leading the way, the Hawk backcourt should be able to minimize turnovers and set the table for some of the big guys under the basket. However, it's in the frontcourt where the questions marks are.

Sophomore Ricky Crews, a 6-7 sophomore from Westville, saw limited action last season, and is playing a much larger role this year. His athleticism and ball-handling ability make him a smooth offensive player, while on the other end of the floor, he has shown a knack for altering shots.

Six-foot-11 center Shawn Barlow, of Marlton (St. Augustine Prep) is also back, and playing well at the center position, with 6- foot-10 Canadian import Adam Dobriansky and 6-foot-9 Dutch Gaitley, both of whom sat out last season, also coming on strong.

Newcomers George Barbour, a 6-foot-7 freshman from Torrance, Calif., and 6-foot-8 freshman Nick Del Tufo, of Mendham, are also in the frontcourt mix, and have been taking turns starting at the forward position.

With so many new faces, Monmouth is struggling early on to regain some of the championship-caliber play people have come to expect from Calloway-coached teams. With three conference titles to their credit since 2001, the Hawks are coming off their first losing season since 1999-2000.

Last year also marked the first time in eight years that the Hawks missed out on the postseason tournament.

However, while the Hawks are young and inexperienced, Calloway's teams always seem to hit their stride late in the season, and with a talented group to mix and match this year, the veteran coach expects his squad to be among the NEC's better teams by season's end.

"We had a young team like this when I first took over, but I think the program has a little more stability to it now," he said. "So while we're rebuilding a bit, I expect this team to keep getting better and more consistent. For now, we're just getting ready for league play."

Among the squads most people are picking to lead the NEC charge are Sacred Heart, last year's NEC Tournament runner-up, as well as Robert Morris and Wagner. Sacred Heart is quite simply the best-shooting team in the NEC. With a bevy of dangerous shooters, the Pioneers were 17th in the nation in scoring a year ago (78.5 ppg), and should be equally prolific this season. Mike Rice's squad has sharpshooters throughout his lineup, making Sacred Heart one of the conference's toughest teams to defend.

Robert Morris returns three accomplished scorers in seniors Tony Lee, A.J. Jackson (both second-team All-NEC picks a year ago) and junior Jeremy Chapell (the conference Rookie of the Year in 2005-06). Under Rice, the Colonials are deep and talented, and look like an emerging power in the conference, with Rice already making noise with some outstanding recruits on their way.

Wagner is once again led by All-NEC forward Durell Vinson (15.2 ppg), but it will be his supporting cast that will determine if the Seahawks can challenge for the NEC title. He should get some scoring help from Mark Porter (13.8 ppg) and James Ulrich (13.2 ppg), but it will be Wagner's ability to spread the scoring around on a nightly basis that will determine how successful the Seahawks can be.

As for Monmouth, the Hawks returned to action on Tuesday, when they traveled to the University of Hartford for a non-conference game, and will resume their nonconference schedule on Saturday when Rider (6-4) comes to visit Boylan Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. affair.