Photo courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics
By Dylan Fearon
Friday night marks the sixth annual Connecticut 6 Classic, an event to showcase the six Division I mid-major basketball programs in Connecticut. Previous Classic’s had been held in Hartford and Bridgeport, but this year, Quinnipiac will host the event at the TD Bank Sports Center. This year’s matchups feature Fairfield-Central Connecticut State, Yale-Quinnipiac, and Sacred Heart-Hartford.
Fairfield vs. Central Connecticut State, Friday at 3:00 p.m.
Fairfield is coming off a 7-25 season, its worst year in the millennium. But they own the CT 6 Classic, posting a 5-0 record in the event. The Stags also lost just one senior to graduation, returning the rest of their squad for the 2014-15 campaign.
Picked to finish ninth in the MAAC preseason poll, the Stags are in a rebuilding stage, but don’t brush them off too easily. Forward Marcus Gilbert was Fairfield’s second-leading scorer last year, and the junior is a Preseason All-MAAC Third team selection this season. Sophomore K.J. Rose, who led the team in assists and was second in minutes, is also ready for a break out year. If those two, along with Gilbert’s older brother, 6-foot-11 Malcolm, can shoot better from the field and the free throw line, these Fairfield Stags might make more noise then you, and the MAAC might expect.
The Blue Devils of Central Connecticut State had a pretty average 2013-14 season. A No. 7-seed in the NEC tournament, losing to Wagner by 24 in the first round, CCSU is looking to start a season with a win for the first time since 2010.
The Blue Devils return their top three scorers from a year ago, including All-NEC guard Kyle Vinales, who averaged 17.4 points per game in his junior season. The Blue Devils have made it to 16 consecutive NEC tournaments, and are picked to finish second in the NEC Preseason Poll. Along with Vinales, CCSU returns forward Faronte Drakeford and guard Malcolm McMillan, who both averaged in double-figures last year. This team has the experience and ability to go dancing in March.
CCSU’s experience and Fairfield’s poor free throw shooting will keep it close, but the Gilbert brothers and Rose will be too much for Howie Dickenman’s Blue Devils. Fairfield takes this one 74-66 behind Marcus Gilbert’s 22-point afternoon, with Vinales dropping 24.
Yale vs. Quinnipiac, Friday at 5:30 p.m.
The last time these two teams met, Yale junior Justin Sears hit a three-point bank shot at the buzzer to give Yale the 69-68 win in the first round of the CIT. Both teams enter the Classic with loads of experience and talent.
Yale is paced by Sears, who was named NBCSports.com’s Preseason Player of the Year in the Ivy League. The Bulldogs are coming of a 19-win season, and were the only team in the Ivy League to defeat Harvard last year. They also return 87 percent of there scoring from a year ago. Aside from Sears, senior guards Javier Duren and Armani Cotton are set to have breakout years. Yale also brings in a talented freshman class, highlighted by 6-10 freshman Sem Kroon from California. Harvard are the clear favorites to win the Ivy, but don’t count out the Bulldogs, who are seeking their first NCAA tournament bid since 1962.
Quinnipiac is trying to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history. In its inaugural season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Bobcats finished with a 14-6 conference record, losing to the eventual champion Manhattan Jaspers in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
Tom Moore’s squad has six seniors on the roster, led by forward Ousmane Drame, guard Evan Conti and captain guard Zaid Hearst. Hearst was named to the All-MAAC Preseason Second Team, while Drame made the First Team. Injuries plagued the Bobcats last season, and stymied their chances of making the NCAA Tournament. If they can stay healthy, freshman forward Sam Dingba makes a big impact, and if guard Giovanni McLean is able to play in the second half of the season, you might just see this team dancing in four months.
Quinnipiac wants revenge from last year’s defeat, but it will take a great second half performance from the Bobcats to get the W. The boys from “New Hay-Hay “will give QU all they can handle, but Hearst’s 28-point night along with a strong showing from sophomore guard Kasim Chandler will propel Quinnipiac to victory, 69-63.
Sacred Heart vs. Hartford at 8:00 p.m.
The final game of the tripleheader in Hamden features the Pioneers of Sacred Heart and the Hartford Hawks. The two faced last year in December, with Hartford winning the matchup 84-72.
Sacred Heart, who is picked to finish last in the NEC, is coming off a 5-26 season, in which it only won two conference games. The Pioneers do return two of their top four scorers from last season, in senior captains Evan Kelley and Steve Glowiak, both of whom are Connecticut natives. Sacred Heart also returns senior guard Phil Gaetano, who was 10th in the nation in assists per game last year. The Pioneers freshman class is headlined by guard Cane Broome, who showcased his talents in SHU’s only scrimmage against Bridgeport. Broome scored 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, and added eight rebounds in the Pioneers victory.
The America East Conference selected Hartford to finish second in the conference, behind Stony Brook, which defeated the Hawks in the semifinals of the conference tournament. This season, the Hawks are going to make a lot of noise. Head coach John Gallagher brings back his top four scorers from last year, and has six seniors and four juniors on the team for this season. Look for senior forward Mark Nwakamma and guard Yolonzo Moore II to lead this team on Friday. If the Hawks can really improve this year by working on rebounding and limiting turnovers, they could be a potential NCAA tournament team.
Nwakamma and Moore II will destroy the Pioneers in the paint, each dropping 17 points or more. This game will be all Hawks, all the time. I’ve got Hartford, 81-65. If Glowiak can get hot from the field, the Pioneers will be in it, but I don’t see that happening Friday night.
Three of these six have solid chances at making the big dance. It is great mid major ball, with tons of intensity and hard-nosed basketball. And it all starts this Friday.
