City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
--

Competition is fierce to get into the CoBL Division III power poll, with even a mediocre two weeks proving to be enough to knock strong teams out of the bottom half of the top 10.

On the flip side, what that means is that there’s plenty of high-quality Division III hoops to be seen in Southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

Here is this week's rankings:

~~~

Others to Watch: Cabrini (9-8, 7-4 CSAC), Centenary (10-8, 6-5 CSAC), Gettysburg (14-5, 9-3 Centennial), Lebanon Valley (12-7, 6-4 MAC Commonwealth), Neumann (12-6, 8-3 CSAC), Penn State-Harrisburg (10-8, 5-6 CAC), Rosemont (9-9, 7-4 CSAC)

~~~

10. Alvernia Crusaders (OW)
Record: 12-8 (8-3 MAC Commonwealth)
Last Two Weeks: @ Albright (W, 75-65), vs. Widener (W, 78-74), vs. Lycoming (W, 83-79), vs. Messiah (W, 72-64)
Star Watch: Marquis Marshall (Jr./F)--18.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg

Update: Alvernia makes its first appearance of the season thanks to a five-game win streak and victories in seven of its last eight. The highlight of the last two weeks was the win over Lycoming, which gives the Crusaders a half-game lead in the Commonwealth standings over the Warriors (7-3), with Arcadia (6-3) two back in the win column. Mike Miller has started three sophomores all year long, which hurt them during a 2-7 stretch earlier in the year, but now they’re rolling. It’s certainly helped them adding Marshall, a 6-foot-6 forward and East Stroudsburg transfer, to the roster midway through the season; the son of former NBA forward Donyell Marshall--who began his college career at Towson before going to ESU--has been clicking lately, with a monster 31-point, 18-rebound effort in the win over Lycoming following 27 and 12 against Widener.

Next Two Weeks: vs. Hood (Feb. 3, 8 PM), @ Lebanon Valley (Feb. 6, 1 PM), @ Arcadia (Feb. 10, 8 PM)

~~~

9. Swarthmore Garnet (9)
Record: 15-4 (9-3 Centennial)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Muhlenberg (W, 76-62), vs. Gettysburg (W, 76-69), vs. Haverford (W, 66-52), @ Johns Hopkins (L, 62-53)
Star Watch: Matt Brennan (Soph./G)--12.4 ppg, 2.8 apg

Update: Swat’s five-game winning streak ended at the hands of the Blue Jays, but that’s what the Garnet deserve for making fewer than one-quarter (16-of-67, 23.9 percent) of their shots, including 7-of-33 (21.2 percent) from 3-point range. Brennan, a 6-0 guard from Connecticut, was 1-of-14 in that one but had a solid two weeks otherwise, scoring 21 against Gettysburg and 14 each against Haverford and Muhlenberg, leading his team in scoring in all three. A very tough two weeks ahead, playing No. 19 Franklin & Marshall on Saturday plus games against two under-.500 but very dangerous squads in Ursinus and Dickinson, both 5-6 but more than capable of pulling an upset.

Next Two Weeks: vs. Ursinus (Feb. 2, 8 PM), vs. Franklin @ Marshall (Feb. 6, 3 PM), @ Washington (Feb. 10, 7 PM), @ Dickinson (Feb. 13, 4 PM)

~~~

8. Arcadia Knights (5)
Record: 13-5 (6-3 MAC Commonwealth)
Last Two Weeks: @ Widener (L, 74-69), @ Hood (ppd.), vs. Stevenson (W, 82-74)
Star Watch: John Landro (Sr./G)--17.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg

Update: Losing to a Widener team that’s 9-11 (4-7) drops Arcadia a few more spots, and it’s now losses in three of six after a 10-2 start to to the season for the Knights; Landro had a strong two games, with 52 points to lead his team with 22 against Widener and 30 against Stevenson. The postponed game against Hood is taking place today, starting a stretch of five games over two weeks that will play a big role in determining Arcadia’s spot in the MAC Commonwealth standings; the third-place Knights play the teams in first (Alvernia), second (Lycoming) and fourth (Lebanon Valley) as well as at a Hood squad that, at 10-9 (4-6), is no sure win.

Next Two Weeks: @ Hood (Feb. 1, 8 PM), @ Albright (Feb. 3, 8 PM), vs. Lycoming (Feb. 6, 3 PM), vs. Alvernia (Feb. 10, 8 PM), @ Lebanon Valley (Feb. 13, 4 PM)

~~~

7. DeSales Bulldogs (4)
Record: 14-5 (6-2 MAC Freedom)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Wilkes (W, 73-72), @ Del-Val (L, 75-47), vs. Eastern (W, 81-75), @ King’s (W, 88-81)
Star Watch: Cody Deal (Sr./F)--13.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg

Update: The Bulldogs’ only loss in their last eight games was certainly a doozy--no shame whatsoever in losing to a very talented Aggies squad, but how bad it was is a bit shocking; DeSales shot 35.6 percent overall and just 1-of-14 from 3-point range while Del-Val was at 45.8 percent overall and knocked down 12-of-27 (44.4 percent) from beyond the arc. Scott Coval’s bunch bounced back nicely with two wins last week, but you can’t lose by 28 and expect to move up in these rankings, not with all the other teams who keep stocking up wins. Aside from the Del-Val loss, Deal had a nice two weeks, with 19 points against Wilkes, 25 and 10 against Eastern plus 14 more against King’s.

Next Two Weeks: vs. Misericordia (Feb. 3, 8 PM), vs. Delaware Valley (Feb. 6, 3 PM), @ Wilkes (Feb. 10, 8 PM), vs. FDU-Florham (Feb. 13, 3 PM)

~~~

6. Stockton Ospreys (10)
Record: 14-5 (9-3 NJAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Rowan (W, 68-65), @ Rutgers-Newark (ppd.), @ TCNJ (W, 77-68), vs. William Paterson (W, 82-60)
Star Watch: Armin Cane (Sr./G)--16.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Update: After a three-game losing streak nearly knocked them out of our last poll, the Ospreys have bounced back nicely with wins in five straight. LIke many teams in this poll, a rescheduled game--in this case, the trip to Rutgers-Newark--has given Stockton a busy two weeks ahead, starting with a trip to the team it’s currently tied with for second place in the NJAC; fourth-place Ramapo (13-7, 9-4) and first-place New Jersey City (12-6, 10-2) also await in a 14 days that will have a lot of say where the Ospreys finish in the league’s final standings. Cane, a 6-2 guard out of Pleasantville (N.J.) and the team’s leading scorer, put up 22 points and six rebounds in the win over William Paterson and had 31 points combined in the other two wins.

Next Two Weeks: @ Rutgers-Newark (Feb. 1, 8 PM), @ Rutgers-Camden (Feb. 3, 8 PM), vs. Ramapo (Feb. 6, 1 PM), @ New Jersey City (Feb. 10, 8 PM), vs. Kean (Feb. 13, 3 PM)

~~~

5. Delaware Valley Aggies (8)
Record: 16-3 (7-1 MAC Freedom)
Last Two Weeks: @ FDU-Florham (W, 72-60, vs. DeSales (W, 75-47), @ Misericordia (W, 74-70), vs. Eastern (W, 72-70)
Star Watch: Chris Moran (Sr./F)--18.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg

Update: It’s looking like a two-team race in the MAC Freedom, with Del-Val and DeSales the only two teams above .500 in league play; Manhattanville, Misericordia and Wilkes are all 4-4, with Eastern (3-5), King’s (2-6) and FDU-Florham (2-6) bringing up the rear. So that big win over the Bulldogs last week has the Aggies currently sitting in the driver’s seat with six games remaining, including all three of those 4-4 teams plus DeSales in the next two weeks. If the Aggies can make it through this stretch undefeated, it’ll be impossible for anybody to catch them over the last two games of the season. Continuing a trend of the best players stepping up as the games get bigger, Moran--Del-Val’s leading scorer and rebounder--alternated scoring 19 and 21 points in all four games with between six and nine rebounds.

Next Two Weeks: @ Manhattanville (Feb. 3, 8 PM), @ DeSales (Feb. 6, 3 PM), vs. Misericordia (Feb. 10, 8 PM), vs. Wilkes (Feb. 13, 3 PM)

~~~

4. Susquehanna Crusaders (2)
Record: 16-2 (7-2 Landmark)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Goucher (W, 98-67), vs. Elizabethtown (ppd.), @ Catholic (L, 101-80)
Star Watch: Josh Miller (Sr./SF)--17.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg

Update: There was no tougher team to rank this week than Susquehanna, which is having a tremendous season and was undefeated until two weeks ago but has now lost two of its last three games. We can’t drop them too much further than this after losing two road games to teams that are a combined 14-7 in league play and are currently in second and third place behind the Crusaders, but that 15-0 start is quickly fading in the rearview mirror. Miller is continuing a breakout senior season after averaging only 4.9 ppg through his first three years at Susquehanna; the 6-4 wing from Strasburg, Pa. had 20 points and 14 rebounds against Goucher and then 23 and eight against Catholic.

Next Two Weeks: @ Juniata (Feb. 3, 7 PM), @ Moravian (Feb. 6, 4 PM), vs. Scranton (Feb. 10, 7 PM), vs. Drew (Feb. 13, 2 PM)
~~~

3. Gwynedd Mercy Griffins (7)
Record: 13-5 (11-0 CSAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Cairn (W, 80-57), @ Immaculata (ppd.), vs. Cabrini (W, 101-88), @ Keystone (W, 93-79)
Star Watch: Julian Hyden (Sr./G)--16.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg

Update: Playing for perhaps more reasons than any other program around--our feature story on head coach John Baron sheds a lot of light on why--the Griffins are on an absolute tear, winning their last eight games overall as they’ve built a three-game lead on the rest of the CSAC. Gwynedd is deep and talented, with each of its five regular starters averaging double figures while Baron goes five bench into a deep that has plenty of capable contributors, like senior guard Brian Hennessey and sophomore Rip Engel, who each dropped nine points in the Cabrini win. Hyden, a 6-7 guard from Bensalem HS, has scored in double figures in each of those eight wins, breaking the 20-point mark three times including most recently with a 23-point effort against Keystone.

Next Two Weeks: @ Immaculata (Feb. 1, 8 PM), vs. Neumann (Feb. 3, 7 PM), vs. Rosemont (Feb. 6, 2 PM), @ Summit (Feb. 10, 7 PM), vs. Immaculata (Feb. 13, 2 PM)

~~~

2. Franklin & Marshall Diplomats (3)
Record: 16-3 (11-1 Centennial)
Last Two Weeks: @ Gettysburg (L, 73-57), vs. McDaniel (W, 68-48), @ Dickinson (W, 64-62), vs. Haverford (W, 88-64)
Star Watch: Cedric Moune (Sr./F)--15.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg

Update: Yes, F&M actually moves up a spot despite its only loss in a 10-game span thanks to Susquehanna’s loss and Gwynedd Mercy needing to make up too much ground to jump all the way to No. 2, but now the gap between the Diplomats and the teams below them has shrunk to almost nothing. Franklin & Marshall still has a two-game lead on the rest of the Centennial, with Swarthmore and Gettysburg closest behind them and then Johns Hopkins (6-5) 2.5 games behind that pair. Moune, a 6-7 forward from Cameroon, is leading the conference in rebounding for the second year in a row, and he’s also third in field-goal percentage (58.2 percent) and and fourth in scoring. He had 17 points and 12 rebounds against Haverford for his tenth double-double of the season.

Next Two Weeks: vs. Muhlenberg (Feb. 2, 8 PM), @ Swarthmore (Feb. 6, 3 PM), @ Ursinus (Feb. 10, 6 PM), @ Johns Hopkins (Feb. 13, 1 PM)

~~~

1. Lancaster Bible Chargers (1)
Record: 17-0 (10-0 NEAC)
Last Two Weeks: vs. Keuka (W, 100-80), vs. Wells (W, 86-59), @ Valley Forge (W, 100-75), vs. Wilson (W, 101-73), vs. Gallaudet (W, 91-73)
Star Watch: C.J. Duston (Sr./G)--17.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg

Update: Another perfect two weeks for the Chargers, who look headed towards the NEAC title as they've won each of their league games by double-figures and only one by fewer than 15 points. And if you're thinking that they're only taking advantage of a league that's not as strong as the Centennial, CSAC or MAC, keep in mind that they beat Franklin & Marshall by 28 back in November. Dunston, the defending league Player of the Year, was closing the gap on Bryce Williams (20.1 ppg) for the team lead with 25 against Wells and 23 against Keuka, until Williams dropped 33 on Gallaudet.

Next Two Weeks: @ PSU-Abington (Feb. 2, 6 PM), vs. PSU-Berks (Feb. 6, 1 PM), @ Bryn Athyn (Feb. 10, 6 PM), vs. SUNY-Polytechnic (Feb. 12, 5:30 PM), vs. SUNY-Cobleskill (Feb. 13, 1 PM)

~~~

Dropped out: Gettysburg (6)