Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Wildcats Back Down To Earth

Jan 9, 2011 - UNH at BU
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (4-9)	18	14	32
Boston University (8-6)	17	30	47

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Matagrano	22	3-7	0-1	0-0	4	0	0	0	1	6
T. Conley	7	2-4	1-2	1-1	0	2	1	0	1	6
F. Myrick	24	2-4	1-1	0-2	3	0	0	4	4	5

Boston University
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
H. Gaskins	26	8-16	6-12	0-0	4	2	1	0	5	22
J. Pelage	19	4-8	0-1	0-0	2	0	0	1	0	8
T. Robinson	25	2-4	2-2	0-0	1	2	0	0	1	6

The three game winning streak had to come to an end eventually. When UNH traveled to BU, the offensive skills must have stayed on the bus as the Wildcats were only able to muster up 32 total points of offense. After allowing BU's bench to score 35 of the team's 47 points, including 22 from freshman point guard Henry Gaskins, Coach Rizzo will be looking to shake up the rotation.

"If playing the end of our bench means we're going to lose games, maybe they won't play. When our starters outplay their starters, I expect to win or at least be in a tight game. But to lose by 15 because we're letting their 9th man go off on us, that is just unacceptable to me."

Look for some of the bench players to lose some minutes as AJ Rizzo tightens up his bench rotation.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Another Loss, Another Injury for UNH

Jan 12, 2011 - UNH at UV
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (4-10)	16	17	33
Vermont (9-7)	35	23	58

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Matagrano	23	4-7	0-1	0-2	4	0	1	0	0	8
R. Herrion	23	2-8	1-7	1-2	1	3	1	0	3	6
S. Morris	11	2-5	0-2	1-2	1	0	0	0	2	5

Vermont
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Glass	19	7-13	2-5	0-1	4	0	0	0	2	16
C. Rugg	26	5-10	2-4	0-0	6	0	1	1	1	12
S. Marsails	29	3-9	1-2	3-3	0	6	1	0	2	10

UNH loses yet another game on the road, this time by a whopping 25 points to the Vermont Catamounts. The Wildcats gave up 58 points tonight and have combined to score only 65 in the past two games combined. Add to the embarrassing loss the fact that the team lost freshman shooting guard Scott Morris for one to two months with a broken wrist and it was a tough day for Rizzo's club. The depth of this team has taken major hits this season and the stamina of the starters is starting to wane. What can Coach Rizzo do to keep his team afloat in the AEC?

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Durham, NH

January 13, 2011 - Finally, some good news for the New Hampshire Wildcats. After losing Scott Morris for the next six weeks with a broken wrist, both DeAndray Buckley and Alvin Abreu return to practice today to help bolster the back court. You hate to lose anyone to injury, but losing one player to get two back is something that Coach Rizzo will take right about now.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11



America East Conference insider Ryan Gregg reporting on a campus visit for the UNH Wildcats:

UNH's #1 target Moises Butch visited campus in Durham on Sunday. When asked my text, Butch responded "loved the campus and coach". #UNH #AEC

With UNH the only team offering a scholarship so far, look for the Wildcats to pull away in the Moises Butch sweepstakes. They could use a point guard like him. #UNH #AEC

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Wildcats Thrash Dartmouth In Rare
Non-Conference January Game

Jan 14, 2011 - UD at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Dartmouth (5-9)	19	20	39
New Hampshire (5-10)	38	31	69

Dartmouth
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Griffin	23	4-11	0-4	2-4	2	0	1	1	2	10
R. Dixon	19	2-4	0-0	1-1	1	0	3	0	2	5
M. Ghogomu	19	2-8	0-2	0-0	4	1	0	0	0	4

New Hampshire
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
C. Rhoads	22	2-2	0-0	1-2	3	6	1	0	5	5
D. Buckley	23	3-8	1-3	4-4	4	1	0	0	1	11
F. Myrick	24	4-6	0-0	2-4	4	1	2	0	1	10
J. Valladares	19	4-5	0-0	3-4	7	0	0	0	2	11
C. Matagrano	22	4-6	3-3	3-3	7	1	0	0	2	14

With the welcomed return of both DeAndray Buckley and Alvin Abreu, the Wildcats get back on track with a rare out of conference game in January by thumping Dartmouth in Durham. The entire starting lineup played great with the bench chipping in some great production in an efficient manner. If only winning was this easy every game.....

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11



Back to Ryan Gregg, our AEC recruiting insider, for a look at where Coach Rizzo headed after the Dartmouth game:

As soon as the Dartmouth game was over, Coach AJ Rizzo was on a flight to Elizabeth, NJ to visit power forward Jerrod Finley, who has scholly offer in hand. #UNH

Finley, a 6'5" 3* JuCo sophomore would be great 2-year player for the Wildcats. UNH is not tops on his list, but they're moving up and only school to offer him. #UNH

[..GameOver..]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Enjoying this. Great read.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Coach Rizzo Beats Maine, Loves Decision to Choose UNH

Jan 19, 2011 - UNH at MAIN
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (6-10)	36	19	55
Maine (7-9)	25	25	50

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Herrion	17	3-6	2-5	3-3	1	4	2	0	1	11
A. Abreu	15	4-6	2-3	0-0	1	0	1	0	2	10
C. Rhoads	23	5-6	0-0	0-0	2	6	0	0	3	10

Maine
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Singleton	28	3-9	1-2	3-7	0	3	2	0	2	10
A. Fraser	27	3-6	3-6	0-1	4	0	2	0	1	9
A. Rogers	23	4-6	0-1	0-1	3	1	0	0	2	8

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Abysmal Offensive Output Leads to Home Loss

Jan 24, 2011 - BING at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Binghamton (9-10)	21	21	42
New Hampshire (6-11)	14	19	33

Binghamton
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
G. Wright	25	8-18	3-5	1-2	5	1	2	3	2	20
K. Brown	20	0-2	0-2	4-4	4	2	1	0	3	4
P. Pena	28	1-5	0-1	2-4	0	1	3	0	4	4

New Hampshire
TOP PERFORMERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Herrion	19	3-6	2-4	2-2	2	2	2	0	5	10
D. Buckley	22	2-8	0-3	3-4	2	0	2	0	5	7
C. Matagrano	22	1-5	0-2	0-2	7	0	1	1	4	2

Ryan Herrion and DeAndray Buckley were the only two Wildcats that showed up to play tonight as they get embarrassed by the Binghamton Bearcats on their home floor as senior power forward Greer Wright lights them up for 20 points. With ten regular season games left, UNH is currently tied for 5th in the AEC with a 3-3 record.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

America East Conference Conference Standings - Updated: Jan 25, 2011
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STRK
Boston University	11-8	.578	5-2
Vermont	10-9	.526	4-3
UMBC	8-12	.400	4-3
Stony Brook	5-14	.263	4-3
Binghamton	9-10	.473	4-3
Hartford	13-8	.619	3-3
New Hampshire	6-11	.352	3-3
Albany	5-14	.263	2-5
Maine	7-11	.388	1-5

NCAA Hoops Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Jan 25, 2011
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	RECORD
1	1	Pittsburgh	17-1
2	3	Georgetown	15-2
3	4	West Virginia	16-2
4	5	Ohio State	14-4
5	2	Kansas	14-3
6	7	Texas	13-4
7	6	Tennessee	13-4
8	16	Indiana	13-4
9	13	Michigan State	10-6
10	8	North Carolina	13-7
11	11	Washington State	16-2
12	9	Memphis	12-6
13	17	Notre Dame	12-5
14	24	VCU	14-4
15	--	Purdue	13-6
16	--	Kansas State	12-3
17	15	Florida State	14-6
18	14	BYU	15-5
19	--	Rhode Island	17-3
20	10	Duke	11-5
21	25	Syracuse	11-7
22	19	Xavier	13-7
23	--	UCLA	11-7
24	--	Villanova	9-7
25	22	Marquette	12-5

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Jan 27, 2011 - HART at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Hartford (14-8)	32	32	64
New Hampshire (6-12)	37	26	63

A chance to knock off one of the conference's best teams, UNH suffers a brutal 1-point loss to Hartford in Durham, NH. After leading 37-32 at the half, Hartford's freshman point guard Mustafa Jones came off the bench and lit it up to the tune of 19 points on 7-11 shooting, including 5-8 from three. He also chipped in two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The Wildcats played a good game and got scoring from all over as they put up one of their highest point totals of the season, but their lack of defense, especially off the bench, has been their Achilles' heel all season long.

Jan 30, 2011 - UNH at SBU
TEAM	1ST	2ND	OT	SCORE
New Hampshire (6-13)	40	21	11	72
Stony Brook (6-14)	28	33	12	63

A devastating 1-point overtime loss on the road runs the Wildcats' losing streak to three games. This game, the UNH starters dominated this game, but the bench struggled mightily, allowing Stony Brook to cut into the 12-point lead the starters gave them. A last-second shot by DeAndray Buckley went begging and Coach Rizzo scratching his head as to what he can do to fix this defense.

Feb 2, 2011 - BU at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Boston University (12-9)	14	25	39
New Hampshire (7-13)	32	24	56

Finally, UNH's defense steps up and holds the AEC's best team to under 40 points while putting up 56 of their own. Ferg Myrick with a big game as he went for 14 points and seven rebounds. DeAndray Buckley poured in another 13 points while point guard Chandler Rhoads dished out nine assists.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11



Let's check in with Ryan Gregg, our AEC recruiting insider, with the prospects coming out of the state of New Hampshire. Be sure to follow Gregg on Twitter: @RGregg_AEC.

The state of New Hampshire, as large as it is, only hosts three players worthy of Division I scholarships for basketball. What's great for their friends and families is that they all seem to be staying close to home.

First to sign their Letter of Intent was the 6'2" shooting guard, Devon Garza, out of Nashua, NH. The star player at Nashua North High School, Garza struggled with attitude issues as a freshman and sophomore, but since then has grown up and become a leader. In his last two years at Nashua North, he lead the Titans to the state championship game in both seasons. Unfortunately, his team came up short. The two-star prospect has signed on to play at Northeastern and will almost certainly be scheduled against UNH at least once in his four-year career.

Garza's rival all throughout high school was Avi Weaver. The 6'4" four-star shooting guard prospect was the poster boy for New Hampshire basketball at Nashua South, leading the Wildcats to three straight state championships in his final three years, the last two being over Garza's Titans. Weaver averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, almost three steals and a half a block a game on the AAU circuit this year, garnering interest from plenty of elite basketball programs. Eventually, being close to home was a huge deciding factor for Weaver and he decided to play for Jim Calhoun at Connecticut. The #13 shooting guard in the class (#47 overall) will be on the national stage before you know it.

The third and final prospect out of the state of New Hampshire is Buster Mencio. A 6'4" small forward, Mencio has yet to receive a scholarship offer, but lists Maine as his #1 school followed by Quinnipiac and UNH. He'll be staying close by, but will he garner enough interest from anyone to snag a scholarship? Only time will tell.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Feb 6, 2011 - UNH at ALB
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (7-14)	27	25	52
Albany (7-15)	51	16	67

Holding a team to just 16 points in the second half usually means there's a good chance at pulling out a win. Unfortunately when you give up 51 points in the first half, that isn't the case. Albany lit up the UNH defense in the first half, needing only two points in the second half to outscore the Wildcats tonight. It was easily the worst half of basketball Rizzo's team has played all season as they were down 24 heading into halftime. It was encouraging to see them show some fight in the second half, but the game was never close.

Feb 9, 2011 - MAIN at UNH
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Maine (9-13)	24	22	46
New Hampshire (7-15)	18	24	42

The Maine Black Bears exact revenge on the Wildcats in Durham, NH as they escape with a 46-42 victory. Turnovers plagued New Hampshire as well as their pitiful 13-36 shooting from the floor. Nobody topped the 10-point plateau while they allowed yet another bench player to go for 20 points, this time junior point guard Raheem Singleton. Singleton connected on half of his 14 shots, including 5-7 from three.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11



Ryan Gregg, our AEC insider, has some information on UNH's #2 target...

JuCo soph PF Jerrod Finley visited UNH's campus today. When asked his thoughts, he said "I'm impressed, but still weighing my options."

Finley has currently cut his list down to 5. Order goes La Salle, Lafayette, UNH, Seton Hall and Quinippiac. UNH is only offer he currently holds.

[R1zzo23]

Re: Career Legacy of AJ Rizzo - CH2k11

Feb 14, 2011 - UNH at BING
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (7-16)	22	25	47
Binghamton (13-12)	31	26	57

Another tough loss to the Binghamton Bearcats, but the worst part of the game was the Wildcats' sharpshooter off the bench, Ryan Herrion, will be on the injured list for 2-3 weeks with a separated shoulder. Luckily, it was on his non-shooting arm and should allow him to slowly work his way back in to the lineup when it fully recovers.

With opponents continuing to shoot a high percentage from deep, Coach Rizzo has decided that he will force his team to play straight up man-to-man defense. This should help the three-point barrage, but do they have the skills to defend one on one?

Feb 17, 2011 - UNH at HART
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
New Hampshire (7-17)	28	17	45
Hartford (17-11)	36	19	55

A ten-point loss to one of the best teams in the conference can be productive to a point, especially when undermanned. The reason for the loss can be put squarely on the bench as they only produced two points on 1-9 shooting. The switch to man-to-man defense didn't help the 3-point threats as Hartford shot 11-21 from deep. Chandler Rhoads got exposed on defense as he allowed Hartford's senior point guard Zach Zeglinkski to score 33 points on 10-16 shooting. If we're going to win, we need everyone to be accountable on defense. Until then, we will struggle to string together wins.