Previewing Marist

Scouting Report / Game Plan
Season Stats
Schedule
Roster

Marist Offense 06-07

Four Factors	Percent	Nat'l Rank
eFG%	53.5	43
Turnover Rate	18.6	43
Off Reb Rate	33.7	157
FTM/FGA	23.4	229

Although not as good overall as Drexel, I think Marist is much scarier on paper. The Red Foxes run an offense that is heavily perimeter-oriented: 44.4% of their field goal attempts are threes, the 15th-highest proportion in the nation. And they can definitely hit 'em. Considering that our perimeter D has been average at best and lackadaisical at worst, I am more than a little concerned. Marist doesn't commit many turnovers (and, if I may hit the broken record with a mallet one more time: we don't force any), so they're going to get their looks.

They lean on Will Whittington and Jared Jordan, the team's top two scorers--both average 37+ minutes per game. There's only one other guy on the team getting 30 minutes a night.

Probable Starters:

Jared Jordan (6-2, 187) -- If you want to know why Marist does such a good job taking care of the ball, look no further. Jordan has a turnover rate under 20%, which is fantastic for a full time point guard. He leads the nation in assist rate and has 282 assists on the season. He has a 2.7:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, averages 8.8 Ast/G and 9.3 Ast/40 min (fn. 1). Jordan is also the team's primary scoring option, which makes his huge assist total all the more impressive; he takes a lot of shots himself. And this is not a fast-paced team.

Will Whittington (6-3, 174) -- Seventy-five percent of his field goal attempts are threes and he's hitting 40% from beyond the arc. He averages 10 three-point attempts per game; gotta know where he is at all times.

Ben Farmer (6-5, 193) -- So uninvolved offensively, it's like he's not even there. He'd be a serious Soroye Award candidate were he in the ACC.

Ryan Stilphen (6-8, 222) -- Shooting 60.1% on the season, he's been an efficient scorer in the post. Not much of a rebounder, nor is he a shot blocker. He's the lone starter who won't be firing away from three-point range.

James Smith (7-0, 250) -- Ah, yes, Marist's seven-foot, 250 pound...third-leading three-pointer attempterer? Smith scores with frightening efficiency inside (58% on twos) and outside (40% on threes). He is well behind Jordan and Whittington in scoring, but this is largely due to him getting just 23.3 minutes a game. When he's on the court, he's the number two option behind Jordan. Great defensive rebounder, good shot blocker.

Bench:

Three guys (for some reason it feels wrong to refer to them as Foxes) get double-digit minutes off the pine: Wilfred "Spongy" Benjamin (6-7, 228), Shae McNamara (6-8, 209), and Gerald Carter (6-4, 185).

Rearrange the letters in "Shae McNamara" and you get He's Maraca Man. Maybe he'll give us a little salsa shake every time he makes a basket.

Marist Defense 06-07

Four Factors	Percent	Nat'l Rank
eFG%	49.3	132
Turnover Rate	19.1	273
Off Reb Rate	29.0	16
FTM/FGA	34.0	113

They don't force turnovers and their interior defense looks suspect: opponents are hitting 50% of their twos.

Predict-O-Meter says Wolfpack 78, Red Foxes 69. Don't know about that.

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Footnotes:

1.) Quentin Thomas scoffs at your measly 9.3 asts/40, Jared. QT averages 11.4-per-40-minutes.