Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

[rangerrick012]

Just want to say I appreciate you and all the other guys who do these write ups. I've always wanted to do something similar...just not enough time w/ school, school, and more school. Playing the games is time consuming enough. But much respect, good luck, and keep up the good work!

[R1zzo23]

Quote: Originally Posted by hockeyplaya2724

Very realistic, I love it! Sad to hear that your off to such a slow start, but once you find that winning touch it will be so much sweeter.

Thanks and it is a slow start, but we are in games at least. Losing some of these recruiting targets really hurts, so we'll see what we can bring in to build the program.

[R1zzo23]

Quote: Originally Posted by rangerrick012

Just want to say I appreciate you and all the other guys who do these write ups. I've always wanted to do something similar...just not enough time w/ school, school, and more school. Playing the games is time consuming enough. But much respect, good luck, and keep up the good work!

My St. John's (now SMU) dynasty is one that I play every game and that is very time consuming. With this one, I'm just simming every game and giving a write up on what's going on with the team. It allows me to get through about three games in about an hour when I could only get one game and write up done in the same time if I were to actually play the game. Plus, I had gotten too good at the game to keep it as challenging as I would like.

[R1zzo23]

Struggles Continue Against Northeastern At Home

Dec 3, 2010 - NE at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Northeastern (4-3)	32	38	70
New Hampshire (1-5)	24	36	60

Northeastern
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Allen	32	6-17	4-8	3-4	5	6	1	0	5	19
K. Black	27	7-13	2-2	2-3	7	1	1	2	3	18
A. Bates	36	3-10	0-2	3-5	5	2	1	1	3	9

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Morris	31	5-10	1-1	1-2	2	0	2	0	1	12
A. Abreu	18	3-4	1-2	4-6	2	0	1	1	5	11
C. Matagrano	25	4-12	0-4	0-0	7	2	0	0	2	8

The difference in the game was the play of the big men for both teams. While Chris Matagrano did put up eight points and seven rebounds, his efficiency was poor. He shot an abysmal 4-12 from floor while missing all four attempts from three. Coach Rizzo has repeatedly told him to stop shooting so many threes and this is why. James Valladares only took (and missed) one three-point shot, but his three for ten shooting on the night helped to sink the Wildcats.

Northeastern's big men seemed to dominate the paint as they combined for 27 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks while getting UNH into foul trouble early and often. If you control the paint, you control the game and that's exactly what Northeastern did tonight.

Recruit Moises Butch was not in attendance, but Coach Rizzo happens to be on his way to Hartford, CT to visit him tomorrow night. They know he is high on Northeastern's list and hope that this loss won't persuade him to head to Boston rather than Durham.

[R1zzo23]

Wildcats Downed By Brown

Dec 6, 2010 - UNH at BRWN
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (1-6)	40	39	79
Brown (3-5)	46	38	84

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Matagrano	29	6-10	1-2	5-6	6	0	2	0	2	18
D. Buckley	23	6-8	2-4	1-1	3	0	1	1	1	15
J. Valladares	24	4-6	1-2	3-3	5	0	1	1	5	12

Brown
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Sullivan	16	10-14	1-3	3-3	5	0	0	0	0	24
S. McGonigil	28	4-9	2-3	6-8	7	4	3	0	0	16
D. Walker	25	4-8	1-3	0-1	3	2	0	1	3	9

Defense wins championships. Before you can win championships, you need to win games. At this rate, the Wildcats won't be doing much of that any time soon. Defensively, New Hampshire struggles to stop the other team from scoring, especially the opposing bench. The Wildcats have a formidable starting five to go up against the teams from small conferences, but when the bench comes in, that's when the struggles begin. Sure, the loss of Ryan Herrion off the bench doesn't help the situation, but the rest of the team needs to step up while the sophomore sharp-shooter is out.

[R1zzo23]

Recruiting Woes Continue for UNH

December 9, 2010

Durham, NH - The Wildcats are losing a lot lately, and it is not sitting well with the fan base. Not only is it frustrating to watch them constantly lose close games to teams they are very capable of beating, but the coaching staff is mourning the losses of local talent that would certainly help out the program. The final day of the early signing period was cruel to the Wildcats.

First one to sign else where was three-star junior college sophomore Jesse Cummings of Bristol, CT. Coach Rizzo went to visit the power forward at home just days before and it clearly wasn't enough to convince him from signing with Marist. New Hampshire got in the race for Cummings later than they would have liked it likely cost them a chance at the defensive big man. Jesse would have been a great anchor in the paint for two seasons.

Another junior college sophomore got away and once again, it was to Dartmouth. After losing out on Martell Lyons on the first day of the signing period, the last day they lost power forward Carson Buggs. Buggs looks to be an athletic freak 6'10" with great speed, power and vertical leap. He finishes strong around the rim which is something the Wildcats desperately lack. Maybe Coach Rizzo should have considered the Dartmouth job a bit harder...

America East's Best Signing

There wasn't much action for America East teams in terms of recruits signing on to play in the conference, but the Vermont Catamounts landed the best recruit in the early signing period. Jave Rost, a 6'0" three-star point guard from Portland, ME joined UVM after a season at junior college.

Nation's Best Recruiting Class.... So Far

As if it wasn't going to be tough enough to recruit in the northeast, the nation's best recruiting class of the year so far isn't too far away from the UNH campus. Coach Rizzo's home town BC Eagles have signed three top-tier recruits already. Before this season, the Eagles have never signed a McDonald's All-American. That dramatically changed this week.

All three recruits the Eagles signed are All-Americans ranked in the top-25 by most recruiting services. The three are Alfred Fuller (PF from Jersey City, NJ), Francis Wrenn (PF from Queens, NY) and Kory Massie (C from Newark, NJ). They are nationally ranked 11th, 14th and 23rd, respectively. All three may be a tad undersized for their positions, but their athleticism is all off the charts and should lead to an up-and-down offensive onslaught by Boston College.

[R1zzo23]

Cats Drop Another One; Dropping Like Flies

Dec 10, 2010 - LIU at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Long Island (4-6)	27	19	46
New Hampshire (1-7)	17	20	37

Long Island
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
J. Wisseh	24	4-15	2-7	3-4	0	5	2	0	3	13
K. Johnson	15	3-6	2-3	2-2	0	0	1	0	2	10
K. Onyechi	26	4-4	0-0	0-0	1	3	2	0	0	8

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Morris	23	6-9	4-6	0-0	5	0	2	2	5	16
C. Rhoads	18	3-6	0-0	0-0	3	4	0	0	3	6
T. Conley	7	1-4	0-1	2-2	1	1	0	0	1	4

Three losses in one game. Unheard of, right? Well that's how tough a season it has been for New Hampshire thus far. As for the game, an abysmal 14-37 shooting along with 17 turnovers doomed the Wildcats from the start as they trailed by ten at halftime. But more bad news was brought to Coach Rizzo and the team in the locker room.

Just two week ago, the Wildcats lost their best shooter in Ryan Herrion with a lower back strain. He's expected back within the the next week. At halftime of the Long Island game, two more players were diagnosed with much more serious injuries. Freshman shooting guard DeAndray Buckley, now the 6th man of the team with Herrion out, broke his hand after landing awkwardly on it when he fell to the floor on a layup attempt that rolled in and out.

With Buckley now out, senior shooting guard Alvin Abreu was called on to replace him. He hit his first shot on the floor, a three from the corner, but he also had the unenviable task of guarding Jaytornah Wisseh of LIU. Wisseh went off for 13 straight points against Abreu, who then decided that punching a nearby wall would help get out his frustration. Like Buckley, he also has a broken hand. Both players will miss the next month of action.

With the guard depth taking a terrible hit, the coaching staff has the tough decision of whether or not to burn the red-shirt given to freshman point guard Jordan Bronner. If not, the Wildcats will run with just nine healthy bodies until Herrion comes back. While walking off the court at the end of the game, Coach Rizzo was spotted asking one of his assistants "is there a light at the end of the tunnel?"

[R1zzo23]

Iona Wears Down UNH, Wins 65-49

Dec 15, 2010 - IONA at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Iona (6-4)	34	31	65
New Hampshire (1-8)	23	26	49

Iona
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
S. Marchado	24	10-15	5-6	0-0	3	1	0	0	2	25
M. McFadden	23	6-10	2-2	1-1	2	1	0	0	3	15
K. Smyth	23	3-3	2-2	0-0	3	4	1	0	1	8

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Conley	12	4-6	3-4	3-4	0	1	1	0	3	14
S. Morris	25	2-5	1-3	5-6	5	0	1	0	3	10
C. Matagrano	23	4-8	0-2	2-2	4	0	0	0	1	10
C. Rhoads	23	4-6	0-0	0-0	0	8	0	0	1	8

The lack of depth really hurt the Wildcats against Iona today as UNH allowed to Gaels to combine for 40 points. With fatigue a huge factor, Iona got a ton of open looks, allowing them to shoot over 50% for the game, including 10-13 from three-point range. It was a valiant effort, but the Wildcats need good health before they can seriously compete for more wins this season. Ferg Myrick's broken finger really hindered his performance as he missed all five of his shots and turned the ball over three times. He'll be leaned on heavily with Buckley and Abreu out for the next few games.