Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By: Dylan Fearon
Coach
Tom Moore (10th season; 152-119; .561)
Last year
Frustrating. Disappointing. Aggravating. The 2015-16 season for Tom Moore’s Quinnipiac Bobcats could not have gone much worse. Two years removed from a 20-win season, the men in blue and gold could only muster a 9-21 (6-14 MAAC) record, which included a first round conference tournament exit. Do-it-all guard Giovanni McLean was finally eligible, and big men Chaise Daniels, Donovan Smith and Abdulai Bundu were primed to continue Quinnipiac’s national dominance on the boards. But the biggest problem the Bobcats had all season long was creating shots and getting guys open. After a five-game losing streak in the middle of the season, the Bobcats rattled off three straight conference victories to bring their record to 8-13, and things were looking bright. However, Quinnipiac would only win one more game the rest of the year, losing eight of its last nine. Offense was clearly the struggle, as it finished last in the MAAC in field goal percentage and free throw percentage, and was just eighth in three-point shooting percentage. The Bobcats did lose four key pieces from the 2014-15 team, including Zaid Hearst and Ousmane Drame, but there was still the expectation that Quinnipiac would have double-digit wins and win at least a game in the MAAC Tournament.
Departures
G Giovanni McLean (12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.3 apg, 78% FT)- transferred to Texas Tech
G James Ford, Jr. (6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.6 apg)- Graduated
G Ayron Hutton (5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg 36% 3FG)- transferred to Indiana U of PA
G Dimitri Floras (3.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.7 apg)- transferred to Southern New Hampshire
C Will Simonton (2.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg)- Graduated
F Samuel Dingba (1.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg)- transferred to Vermont
New Faces
F Ja’Kwan Jones (Newburgh, NY) – transferred from Wabash Valley College
G Reggie Oliver (Lake Oswego, OR)- transferred from Howard College
G Phillip Winston (Lakewood, WA)- transferred from Utah State Eastern
G/F Cameron Young (Los Angeles, CA)- transferred from Arizona Western
G Mikey Dixon (New Castle, DE)- freshman from Sanford HS
G Peter Kiss (New York, NY)- freshman from Notre Dame Prep HS
Three Games to watch
No. 14 Gonzaga (Nov. 24, 6:30 p.m., ESPN2)
After starting the season with two home games against Vermont (Nov. 12) and Columbia (Nov. 21), the Bobcats head down to Orlando, FL to play in the ESPN Advocare Invitational. Their first opponent features Gonzaga, a team that won 28 games a year ago en route to a Sweet Sixteen appearance. The Bulldogs have eight juniors and seniors from last season’s squad, and added guard Nigel Williams-Goss, a transfer from Washington. Quinnipiac will be battle-tested for 40 minutes on Thanksgiving Day, but the national exposure will be great for the program. It’s a must-watch game.
Monmouth (Dec. 21, 7 p.m.)
Monmouth was one of college basketball’s biggest stories last year. A small school from West Long Branch, NJ, which was only in its third year in the MAAC, defeated UCLA, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Rutgers, USC and had a hilarious bench mob that was a big hit on Twitter. Monmouth finished the year 28-8 and a MAAC regular season championship, which included defeating Quinnipiac twice by double digits. I’m sure Tom Moore has this game marked on the calendar; it’s the first conference game, and these two have been going at for years. Get your Christmas shopping out of the way so you can sit back and enjoy this one.
Siena (Jan. 30, 7 p.m., SNY)
Some regional television exposure for the Bobcats when the Saints comes to town. They bring back their core from a year ago led by Brett Bisping and were picked to finish second, behind Monmouth, in the MAAC preseason poll. There are a lot of expectations for the Saints this year, and with students back from winter recess, the TD Bank Sports Center should be rocking. Plus, Jimmy Patsos never disappoints.
Which door will QU open?
Door 1 (18-12, 12-8 MAAC and a 4th place finish)
The only way this can happen for Quinnipiac this year is if Moore has nine or ten guys who buy into the system and create open shots for each other. The defense is there, the rebounding is there, but the offense has to produce if the Bobcats open this door. Phil Winston and Mikey Dixon will exceed expectations at the point guard position, taking care of the basketball while also locking down the likes of rivals Justin Robinson, Marquis Wright and Shadrac Casimir. Daniel Harris will be a fantastic leader on and off the court, shooting over 40 percent from long distance. And let’s not forget about the returning big men. Chaise Daniels, Donovan Smith and Abdulai Bundu will be forces inside every night, giving Moore more options than he needs. This is definitely possible, but a lot of things have to go right in order to improve by nine wins after losing six players.
Door 2 (14-16, 8-12 MAAC and a 6th place finish)
This is, most likely, the door the Bobcats will open. Coming off just a nine-win season and losing its best player, a five-win improvement should be viewed as a success. The MAAC is very deep this season, and with Quinnipiac participating in the Advocare Invitational in Orlando, wins will be harder to come by than they were last year. A 6th place finish will mean being a heavy favorite in the 1st round of the MAAC tournament, something the Bobcats haven’t been in a couple of years.
Door 3 (10-20, 6-14 MAAC and a 9th place finish)
In order for this happen, the inexperience will have to be a factor for the six new faces Moore brought in. Quinnipiac will need to get plagued by the injury bug, and open shots will not come easy. The MAAC is strong this year and the best teams have great point guards. The Bobcats will open this door wide open if Phil Winston, Mikey Dixon and Reggie Oliver let the conferences best guards ball out on Lender Court.
