JJ, MJ, and nuggets galore

Howdy y’all. Finally some sunshine here in Boston and while it’s quite muggy, it’s quite nice to finally see blue sky for the first time in what seems like weeks. As previously mentioned, my co-op is coming to a close which means Life Being Husky will be picking back up gradually over the next few weeks. For those wondering how I’ve been spending my third and final co-op experience, I have been working in the Sports Information Department within Northeastern Athletics. We handle the GoNU website, stats, media, press, and basic communications that range from running press conferences to posting game recaps to press releases and media guides. As an avid sports fan and non/communications-journalism major, it’s been an eye-opening but also educational experience. I rediscovered my talents with photoshop and also took on the responsibility of being the media contact for men’s and women’s rowing. I learned how to use InDesign as well as maintain the athletics website. The most terrifying aspect of the job had to be stats. The process by which we learn, calculate, record, and enter how many points have been scored, rebounds, shots, saves, etc. would surely surprise you as it did me. All in all, it’s been a great co-op and should go along well with my encompassing athletics experience here at Northeastern.

Tim Fouche, DogHouse Class of 2011

In other business, a few names to note. A big thank you, bravo, Husky salute to Tim Fouche who (finally) graduated from Northeastern. The DogHouse leader owns an IronMan streak that would make Cal Ripken blush with what I recall was a 68 game in attendance streak. In simple English, Tim attended 68 straight Northeastern hockey games. That’s home AND AWAY. That includes trips to Alaska, Grand Rapids, Colorado, etc. Hats off to Tim not only for this impressive feat, but for also leading the DogHouse to the promised land of student section glory. He will be greatly missed but he is the epitome of what the DogHouse is and should continue to be. Again congrats. Also a thank you and congratulations to PJ Maio. PJ, along with NU grads Malaika Turner and Linda Rodgers were the backbone of the Northeastern basketball student section before the N Zone was born. They are the original diehards who were around when only a handful of students traveled to Richmond. Their passion and commitment to Husky hoops is duly noted.

On to the good stuff. So what have you missed? We’ll tackle that bullet-by-bullet in a brief synopsis/update list shmorgishboard.

• J.J. Barea, former Northeastern guard and current boyfriend of Miss Universe, has been turning heads in the NBA Playoffs. Barea
  

  Former Northeastern star JJ Barea led the Mavs past the Lakers in the NBA Playoffs

  has emerged as the Dallas Mavericks’ number one guy off the bench. His play throughout the playoffs will surely land him a multi-million dollar deal. For more on JJ and his run through the NBA Playoffs click here.

• While we’re on professional basketball players from Northeastern, Huskies star Matt Janning played in the NBA D-League Finals with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Janning averaged 13.6ppg, 5.6rpg, and 2.6pg.
• Continuing with this trend, another Husky Hoops star, Nkem “Ink” Ojougboh, tore up the NBA D-League playoffs. Ink was a force underneath for the Utah Flash averaging a double-double in the playoffs (12ppg, 12.3rpg).
• Men’s hockey defenseman Jamie Oleksiak is preparing for the NHL Draft. The 6’7 upcoming sophomore had a much improved 2nd half and is the highest ranked college prospect entering the draft. Mock drafts have Oleksiak going in the general range of mid-first round.

Those are just a few of the nuggets that have been happening in the world of Northeastern athletics. Later this week we’ll hit you with the new men’s basketball league schedule. Who’s on it. What it means. We’ll have more on Jamie Oleksiak, the 2011 hockey and hoops season in review and much more.

Thanks for reading and sticking around. As always, stay classy Northeastern and LET’S GO HUSKIES

Where we pick things up and put them down

Oh herro. Again, it’s been a while, too long indeed. Co-op is wrapping up, spring is wrapping up, and with the men’s and women’s rowing season (ask about it later) coming to a conclusion, it’s time to bring Life Being Husky back up from the depths…again. Due to unforeseen “circumstances” I’ve had to take a bit of a break from the commentary you all (let’s be realistic, only a small handful of you) have come to enjoy. Well that veil will be lifted soon and granted there’s a bit I want to talk about, comment on, and find out exactly where you lie on these topics. So stay tuned. There should be some good discussion and other things to report on in the coming weeks and months until hockey and hoops starts back up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgPePk3kGZk

Thanks for continuing to stick around.

Stay classy Northeastern and as always Let’s Go Huskies

My 2010-11 CAA Awards

Haven’t posted in quite a while. With work and other things going on it’s been quite a busy spring semester. The radio show has been a great success and I’ve finally found a co-op job (third time’s the charm) where I wake up excited to spend another day in the office. . As big of a fan I am, sometimes you just need to step back, shut down twitter, turn off ESPN, and spend some time doing something else. Because when you eat, sleep, breathe, and work sports, sometimes a few hours destroying noobs on Call of Duty: Black Ops can be good for the soul. We’re just a few days away now from what is becoming my favorite weekend of the year, the annual CAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in Richmond, VA. Just like last year, I will be spending the full 5 days in Richmond so it should be fun. On to my “ballot” for this year’s CAA Awards

Player of the Year: Charles Jenkins, Hofstra – If this isn’t unanimous…Dude averaged 23ppg! 23! Should end up as a late first-round/early second NBA draft pick

Rookie of the Year: Devon Saddler, Delaware – 13.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 0.7 spg. Just crazy good numbers for a freshman. Oh and how about Saddler has been dropping double digits in 16 of his last 17 games. He’s playing full starter minutes and is THE reason why Delaware is a 7 seed this year. This kid is going to be dangerous.

Coach of the Year: Mo Cassara, Hofstra – Mo has got my pick. Not only do I love his passion, attitude, and twitter presence but to bring Hofstra and the situation they were in to 14-4 is incredible.. I think the voters will still elect Mason’s Jim Larranaga. Frankly I can see Larranaga, Cassara, and Buzz Peterson at UNCW getting votes. Buzz has done an incredible job with a team that many (myself included) predicted to finish dead last. To bring the Seahawks to a #8 seed is quite a feat. To make basketball matter again is even more impressive of a feat. But I am more impressed with what Cassara has done with the Hofstra program. Granted he came into a program that features one of the best players in the country in Charles Jenkins, but he has been able maximize production from really a bunch of nobodys. Mike Litos and the BT over at CAAHoops offers why their vote goes to Mo and I completely agree…http://www.caahoops.com/2011/02/our-all-conference-teams/

First Team

Charles Jenkins, Hofstra             23.2 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.4 rpg, 1.8 spg – POY. ‘Nuff said.
Denzel Bowles, James Madison  18.2 ppg, 9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.6 bpg – An offensive and post monster.
Cam Long, George Mason            15.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3 apg, 1.5 spg – Does it all for #25 Mason
Frank Hassell, Old Dominion     14.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 1.2 apg – One of the most fun players to watch in the CAA
Chaisson Allen, Northeastern     16.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.1 spg – Leads Northeastern in nearly every category

Second Team

Chad Tomko, UNCW                    7.6 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.9 spg – One of the most underrated players in the CAA
Jamie Skeen, VCU                       14.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.3 bpg – The Rams will miss his post presence
Ryan Pearson, George Mason    14.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1 spg – Somehow doesn’t make the first team
Samme Givens, Drexel                 11.8 ppg, 10 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.9 bpg – Only player to average a double-double? Check
Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion   12.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.4 spg – Could very well be ODU’s most important guy

Third Team

Mike Moore, Hofstra                 15.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.0 spg – One of my favorite players in the league
Jawan Carter, Delaware           15.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.9 spg – Finished the year with 4 straight 20pt games.
Isaiah Philmore, Towson          15.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.9 spg – Great player on a bad team. Only a sophomore.
Devon Saddler, Delaware        13.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 0.7 spg – Rookie of the Year. Freshman phenom.
Quinn McDowell, W&M           15.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.5 spg – Deceivingly good player

Also receiving consideration: Chris Fouch, Bradford Burgess, Luke Hancock, Ben Finney, Keith Rendleman

All-Freshman

Devon Saddler, Delaware    13.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 0.7 spg – He’ll be a force in the CAA soon enough
Dartaye Ruffin, Drexel          8.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.4 bpg – Hidden gem. Interesting to see how he’ll improve.
Brandon Britt, W&M            11.0 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.2 rpg, 0.5 spg – Keep a close eye on him
Ryan Pierson, Northeastern  7.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.7 apg, 0.5 bpg – Improvement from beginning to end remarkable
Frantz Massenat, Drexel        5.3 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1.9 rpg, 0.7 spg – PG is hard to play. Especially as a freshman. Props

Also receiving consideration: Shemiye McLendon, Julian Boatner, Tanner Milson, Donte Morales

Wishing I was somewhere warm

In order to prevent my fingers from being amputated, and to entertain you, I have decided to share with you my predictions for tonight’s slate of CAA action. This requires typing which should, in theory, warm my hands. Monday’s CAA action featured a little bit of everything. The Huskies, missing 3 starters, one of which being 2009-2010 runner up Player of the Year Chaisson Allen, nearly took down 10-3 James Madison. Hofstra upset Drexel at the DAC. W&M’s woes continued falling to UNCW. ODU barely escaped at Towson. And Georgia State improved to 2-0 in CAA play with a win over VCU. That’s last years #2, 3, 5, and 6 seeds losing with the #1 almost taking the L. We’ve all heard any team can win on any given night and Monday proved it. So how about Wednesday?

Game of the Night – George Mason at Hofstra

Charles Jenkins is 23.5 points per game good

Both teams atop the CAA standings at 2-0. Mason has home wins over UNCW and Delaware. Hofstra has wins at Drexel and at home vs Towson. The Pride are coming fresh off a 75-69 victory in Philly. They seem to have the momentum in this one and it’s hard to pick against a team that has Charles Jenkins (even though I find myself picking against them all the time). Both teams are talented are both have pretty good role players. But Mason ranks first in CAA scoring and scoring defense. The Pride have a chance though if they can get to the line. Mason ranks last in free throw percentage while The Fighting Mo’s sit on top. Both teams sit in the middle of every other category. Jenkins needs to be selfish this game, but not high school selfish, smart selfish. Litos has Hofstra 66-65. Give me Mason 77-73 in OT, only on the basis that Hofstra has yet to play a high powered offense.

Georgia State at UNC-Wilmington

Georgia State's team is finally more scary than their mascot

Easily the most deceiving game on the schedule. In what has recently been a bottom-feeder special, GSU enters this game 2-0 in CAA play with wins over James Madison and VCU. No typo there. Wilmington enters this one playing better than expected and comes in with a big loss to Mason and a slight victory over William & Mary. They are in all sorts of bad across the board in national categories while Georgia State comes with decent numbers across the board. Tonight’s difference maker? The Panthers’ Erick Buckner. As Litos a CAAhoops pointed out, Buckner is 33 for 39 from the field in his last couple games. Combined with Eric Buckner who dropped 28 on VCU, UNCW might be a bit worried here. Georgia State also leads the CAA in steals. As long as Wilmington has more turnovers than Georgia State, Rod Barnes might actually be able to start this year 3-0. When was the last time that happened? Litos has the Panthers by 2, 57-55. I’ll agree. Just give me more points for both. Georgia State 69 Wilmington 61.

Battle of the Recently Upset Fan Bases – Drexel at VCU

VCU needs Bradford Burgess to have a big night

You can be damn sure that neither team wants to lose this game. Granted no team wants to lose any game, but there aren’t two fan-bases who would do more to get back on the W train. On Monday, both those trains derailed, crashed, burned, leaked fuel, spilled chemicals, and then some. Think about every bad movie involving a train and then add the depression that comes with watching an episode of Intervention. VCU loses by 10 to Georgia State. Drexel falls from first place after a nut-punching loss to the Long Island Boys. Come to think of it, this actually might be the game of the night. Good thing this one’s on TV. Tune in if you can. The difference in this game? VCU doesn’t lose at home (except to Northeastern). Rams get back to their winning ways, Drexel fans get back to criticizing Bruiser. Litos has got his Rams 69 Drexel 65. Exactly what I was going to pick so give me VCU 68 Drexel 64.

Huskies at Old Dominion

How will Ryan Pierson handle ODU's inside presence?

We all saw/listened to what Northeastern nearly pulled off in Harrisonburg. But JMU doesn’t play defense. ODU does. ODU also rebounds very well. Very well as in one of the best in the country. The Huskies need to be efficient on the scoring end. Anything less than 50% shooting from the field probably equates to a Huskies loss. Northeastern also cannot get dominated in offensive rebounds. Lots of second chances for the Monarchs also probably equates to an L. Being real, no one really had Northeastern beating JMU or ODU. But we saw that even without Chase Allen, Alwayne Bigby, and Vinny Lima, the Huskies can still ball. And if there ever was a time to take down ODU, it’s this, right after the Monarchs were nearly bested by Towson. They’re vulnerable and the dogs are underdogs once again. Litos has ODU 18, Monarchs 76 Huskies 58.

William & Mary at Delaware

Root for the bird

William & Mary is bad. 0-2 to start CAA play and while they may eek out a win here and there, things do not look good in Williamsburg. Delaware enters playing good basketball, but they were just outplayed by a better team in Mason. William & Mary is not a better team. I can’t find one good reason to maybe take the Tribe. CAAhoops= UD 72 W&M 60. Like the double-figure victory. Delaware 71 W&M 58.

Towson at James Madison

The Dukes barely escaped Northeastern and their only CAA loss to Georgia State isn’t looking that bad given GSU’s latest performance. Towson gave ODU one hell of a scare but we’re just not sure that the Tigers have anything left in the tank. Just like Northeastern, the sooner they can get out of Virginia the better. Kennedy doesn’t have anyone that can defend Julius Wells from 3, never mind the Dukes’ 3 other double-digit scorers. Bet on JMU to win big. Litos has JMU 80 Towson 65. Makes sense to me. Give me Madison 81 Towson 63.

So that wraps up tonight’s games. You can listen to the ODU-Northeastern game live at wrbbsports.com. Rumor is you might be able to find the game on channelsurfing.net if you’d rather watch the game. In any case, keep the laptop rolling and put VCU-Drexel on the TV. 7pm, Comcast SportsNet. Hands still freezing. Anyone need a beverage chilled?

Links:

Brian Mull gets you ready for Wilmington-Georgia State

Hofstra’s Defiantly Dutch expresses his “dislike” for George Mason

The best in the biz, Mike Litos rounds out tonight’s games

Until next time, stay classy Northeastern and LET’S GO HUSKIES

Young Money

Bigby out for season

Allen, hamstring

So last time we talked things were good in Husky land. Problem is, the last time we talked hoops was after Christmas Eve. 1 tournament, 1 CAA game, and lots of miles later, the landscape has changed a bit. The Huskies stopped in Orlando on the 29th and 30th for the UCF Holiday Classic. Northeastern drew Princeton in the first round. The result? Another heartbreaking loss, 63-65. Consolation game versus Furman. Who the heck is Furman? Exactly, but they came into the game 8-3 and out-rebounded the Huskies. Another tough game. So the Huskies headed home after their holiday road trip which netted three losses and a pair of wins. After a short stay in Boston, the Huskies hit the air and road again, kicking off their first Virginia

Lima, foot

trip of the year.But this time, Northeastern would be visiting James Madison and Old Dominion without three starters. Alwayne Bigby was lost at the start of the Cancun trip, out for the year with a stress fracture. Late Monday afternoon, Huskies fans were greeted with more bad news when it was learned that CAA First-Teamer Chaisson Allen would not be making the trip to Virginia along with fellow senior Vinny Lima. Allen did not travel with the team as he is recovering from and treating a nagging hamstring injury. Lima, also injured over the holiday break, was scheduled for an MRI on his right foot and is wearing a boot. Three starters down as the Huskies reenter CAA play with tough road matchups in Harrisonburg and Norfolk.

Freshman Alex Harris played a vital role off the bench for the Huskies

We said earlier that the Huskies would surprise some teams this year. They surprised the heck out of James Madison and certainly surprised every Huskies fan. With only nine players dressed and only one guard in reserve (Avenant), Northeastern looked to be in big trouble. Sophomore guard Jon Lee got the start at the point, sophomore Joel Smith started at the 2 spot, sophomore Kauri Black shifted down from the 4 to play small forward, freshman center Ryan Pierson started at power forward, and sophomore center (and Bulgarian hero) Dinko Marshavelski got the start at center. That left only freshmen Alex Harris and Alex Bates, junior Ben Felix, and redshirt freshman Chris Avenant at Bill Coen’s disposal. The Huskies went up against NBA caliber forward Denzel Bowles (18ppg) and three other Dukes averaging at least 10 points per game. JMU  had won ten of their thirteen games and four straight. Once the news that Allen and Lima were not playing went public, the line for the game jumped three points immediately. Most thought it wouldn’t even be close. Weren’t we proved wrong.

You can read the game recap here but here’s the short version. The Huskies took the lead early and entered the second half up 38-34. The Dukes, carried by Julius Wells would retake the lead and hold onto it, depsite furious attempts by Northeastern to even the score. Down nine and a point where the Huskies could have easily given up, the Allen-less Huskies thundered back to within one point but last ditch efforts by JMU kept the game out of reach. James Madison took home their second CAA win of the year while the Huskies fell to 0-2 in conference play. Despite the result, I couldn’t be any happier with the loss. Northeastern out-rebounded JMU 27-24 which included 12 offensive boards which led to 13 second chance points. The Huskies also shot over 50% from the field, totaled 18 assists, blocked 4 shots, and recorded 8 steals. Overall, Northeastern played a hell of a game despite being down two starters and their captain (and best player). The difference? Madison’s Julius Wells shot 9-11 from 3 point land. That’s 27 points just from 3 pointers. Simple fact is, if Wells has a normal night, Huskies win.

But what blew everyone away was the poise, composure, and production from such a young team. Sophomore Dinko Marshavelski,

A career high 23 points from Dinko. 23! From Dinko!

who played all of 25 minutes TOTAL last year and is averaging just 3 minutes a game this year, dropped 23 points. 23 points from the Bulgarian beast. Again, 23 points from Dinko. Not only that but 3 blocks! He wasn’t the only Huskies big man to impress. Freshman Ryan Pierson also posted a big game, scoring 17 and pulling down 7 rebounds. Sophomore guard Jon Lee contributed 12 points and 4 assists in a team high 37 minutes played. Sophomore Joel Smith recorded a pair of 6′s (points and rebounds). Freshman Alex Harris, who came off the bench in 22 minutes, added 8 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Fact of the day? Only 4 minutes were played by anyone older than a sophomore (Ben Felix). 68% of Northeastern minutes were played by sophomores. 30% of minutes were played by freshmen. 2% played by juniors. 0% played by seniors. Folks, we saw the future last night and boy did it look bright. While we all would have loved to beaten JMU, the fact that we nearly we did with such a young and unproven roster, is astonishing. So while the rest of this is still much of a question mark, what we can assume is this. Next year, and the two years to follow that, are going to be one hell of a ride. Huskies fans are salivating at the thought of this year’s squad, next year’s recruiting class, and a run at a CAA championship and NCAA tourney berth. Because guess what, those last two parts, that’s a reality.

Will we see a repeat performance on Wednesday versus Old Dominion? Who knows. One has to figure that ODU will be prepared for these Allen/Lima-less Huskies. But then again, the Monarchs barely beat lowly Towson Monday night. Until next time, stay classy Northeastern and LET’S GO HUSKIES.

Keeping up with the linkage:

Litos over at CAAHoops has your post-Monday recap http://www.caahoops.com/2011/01/youth-yuck-and-yoga/

As we near Barone Bowl IV, Defiantly Dutch recaps Hofstra’s win over CAA leader Drexel http://defiantlydutch.blogspot.com/2011/01/hofstra-75-drexel-69-or-some-things.html

The improbable UNC-Wilmington train keeps rolling. Brian Mull has everything you need http://hawkshoops.blogs.starnewsonline.com/13421/uncw-hangs-on-to-nip-tribe-61-59-in-williamsburg/

P.S. – Be sure to check out all the new features at the top of the page. RPI, Strength of Schedule, updated standings, and weekly CAA Power Rankings.

2010′s Best and Worst in Huskies sports

Happy New Year y’all. After a week off for some well earned vacation, New Years, and getting things organized for another 6 months of co-op, we’re back in full action. Today, we’ll go over some of the best and worst moments in Huskies sports from 2010. We bid thee farewell 2010. May 2011 bring the Huskies more wins and even a trophy or two.

Here are your best and worst moments from 2010…

Best

• December through January: Let’s Go Streaking. From Dec 25th to Jan 23rd, the men’s basketball won 11 consecutive games. Impressive. Even more impressive? The winning streak was the 2nd longest in the country at the time. During that streak fans were treated to a raucous win over CAA favorite VCU at Matthews and a 71-46 drubbing of George Mason. That streak put Northeastern on the map in 2010 garnering national media attention.
  

  One of few bright spots of the 09-10 season

• February 19: Power of the DogHouse. Despite struggling throughout the season, Northeastern hockey did again what it does best. Take down national powerhouses at Matthews Arena. That Friday night was no different. #8 Boston College was in the house and in front of a capacity 4,666 raucous Husky fans. All night the house rocked, ensuring its place in college hockey lore once more.

• February 20: Da-na-na, Da-na-na. BracketBuster day. ESPN2 visited Matthews Arena for the first time since 1995 for the matchup between your Huskies and Louisiana Tech. Students lined up outside Matthews 3 hours prior tipoff to get the best seats. Individuals were outside the arena scalping tickets. A season high 4,414 were in attendance including a school record 1,709 students. The atmosphere that day was like no other. Despite the loss, the game will be one that both fans and players remember for a long time.
• March 6: Heart Attack Kids. CAA Quarterfinals. Richmond, Virginia. The Huskies have the 2nd seed in the tournament. High expectations. And boy did Hofstra take them to the brink. This do-or-die game went into double-overtime with the Huskies coming out on top 74-71, advancing Northeastern to the semi-finals. Matt Janning scored a season high 26 points. Then freshman Kauri Black tied the game up with seconds remaining, sending it to OT. Janning hit a huge 3 in 2OT to put NU up 5 and eventually take the game. Epic doesn’t even
  

  Matt Janning made headlines throughout 2010

  begin to describe it. The  couple hundred Northeastern fans who made the 11 hour journey went absolutely berserk. The toll the game took on my heart without a doubt took 5 years from me.

• August 4:The League. On Wednesday, August 4th, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns announced that they had signed Northeastern star Matt Janning to a professional contract. It was a great moment for Matt, his family, friends, and all Northeastern fans. Janning had an impressive summer and eventually made the Suns opening roster. Janning did not get to play in a regular season game and was waived in early November. But Janning soon found a gig with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Developmental League. He joins fellow Huskies Eugene Spates (Maine Red Claws) and Ink Ojougboh (Utah Flash) in the NBA DL.
• November 12: Friday Night Hoops. Basketball season 2010-2011. Your Huskies kick off the season in a highly anticipated matchup with boston university. Traditionally, the bu-NU games are held over Thanksgiving break. But head coaches Bill Coen and Pat Chambers met and decided to hold each matchup at the beginning of the season instead. After a remarkable 2009-2010 campaign, a Friday night home opener vs bu was the best any Huskies fan could have asked for. Neither the fans or players disappointed. Students set a new attendance record at 1,715 strong. Northeastern won the game 66-64, their first victory over bu in 3 years. Freshman Alex Harris took home CAA Rookie of the Week for his 12 point, 4 rebound, 3 assist performance in the contest. Harris slammed posterized one terrier and hit a pair of critical free throws to seal the win with 5 seconds left.
  

  Friday Night Hoops home opener set a bball student attendance record at 1,715

• November 16: He just pulled a Chris Webber! Four days after bu, the Huskies took home their second win of the year. Northeastern traveled out to Carbondale, IL to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis, live on ESPN, as part of ESPN’s 24 Hour College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon. Down 10 in the second half, the Huskies ripped off a 15-2 run to take back the lead. Both teams slugged it out to the final minute, forcing the game into overtime. Chase Allen hit the game winning free throw in OT after a Saluki player called for a timeout when SIU had no timeouts remaining. Any win on ESPN is a good thing. Especially in overtime. The failed timeout by Southern Illinois even made SportsNation. Also making SportsNation was a dunk by freshman Alex Harris. Posterized count continues…

Worst

• January 9-10: State school weekend TV weekend.  2 games on TV, 2 losses. A 5-6 OT loss to Lowell on NESN and a 1-4 loss to UMass Amherst on ESPNU. Not. A. Good. Weekend. For. Huskies. Hockey.
• 2010: No hockey playoffs, 5 game winless streak at end of season. Nuff said.
• February 13:Live Stat Tracker FAIL. See the following http://lifebeinghusky.com/2010/02/14/the-greatest-letdown-of-my-life/
• February 20:He never called bank. The only day on here twice. Depsite a huge crowd, and a historic day for Husky hoops, Northeastern actually lost this game on a lucky bounce off the backboard. Kid never called bank. In prison rules, shot would be no good.
• March 7: No CAA Finals appearance this time. 47-45 loss to William & Mary in the CAA Semi-Finals. After being down big at halftime, the Huskies made a huge comeback to get the game within reach. Nearly every Husky attempted a shot in the last seconds. No shot went in. Ugh. Still hurts.
• March 16:NIT. While we did get to hang up a banner for making the NIT, we had a great shot to take down UConn. See above. Change opponent to UConn. Change score to 59-57. Final game for 5 seniors.
• October 29-November 5: Atlantic Hockey Massacre. Not really a massacre but no way the Huskies should have lost to Holy Cross (in OT), Bentley, and Niagara all in one week. If there was ever a low point in Huskies hockey this was it.

No poll for the worst moment, as, well, they were  all  terrible and we’d rather cherish the good. On another note, one of my favorite, all-time moments was this http://lifebeinghusky.com/2010/03/09/4-days-in-richmond/. I is left out of the running because I think it belongs on a level of its own.

Be sure to vote in the poll as we say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011. Later tonight/early tomorrow I’ll be putting out my first 2011 CAA game preview as your Huskies take on James Madison. Until next time, stay classy Northeastern and LET’S GO HUSKIES.

101 Things: Part I

So yesterday’s post was the 100th  published post of this blog. I hope that so far you’ve learned a few things along the way, thought differently about an issue, or at the very least been mildly entertained. Life Being Husky started out as a blog where I could touch on school spirit issues around campus and comment 0n the sports scene at Northeastern. It has since evolved into something so much more and hopefully better. LBH continues to grow and I hope to continue to cover and comment on everything Northeastern Huskies.

But without you the readers there’s not much sense in continuing what I do. So with that I want to thank all of you for the support and continued visits to Life Being Husky. I never imagined that this blog would turn into what it has. The 34,000 visits to Life Being Husky since its founding in November of 2009 is a testament to that. So 13 months and 100 posts later, I hope that you will continue to make Life Being Husky your destination for everything Northeastern Huskies basketball and hockey. Your comments, participation, thoughts, are always more than welcome. Please leave suggestions or let me know what I can do to make your reading/viewing  experience more pleasurable.

On to business. Here’s a list of 101 things (in honor of today’s 101st post) that may or may not have to do with Northeastern sports. 1-50 will make up Part I for today. 51-101 to come tomorrow. For #s 1-12 we start you off with  a brief version this week’s CAA Power Rankings.

1. Drexel – Their upset over #21 Louisville still rings true. Can they rebound from a 28 point loss to Cuse?

2. Old Dominion -  A win over #10 Missouri on Thursday would be huge for them and the CAA

3. George Mason – 9 wins is 9 wins

4. James Madison – See above

5. VCU – Talented but without Joey Rodriguez playing his best, UAB proved the Rams are still beatable

6. Hofstra – Charles Jenkins. Next.

7. Delaware – Can’t blame them for the loss to Nova. Can blame them for the loss to Penn.

8. Northeastern – 2 wins in a row. 6 game losing streak over. Huskies score 77 and 86.

9. UNCW – 5 wins, all against okay teams. But 2 losses in a row drag “Fear the Teel” down.

10. Georgia State – 4 not so impressive wins. 3 OT losses. Still hanging on to their 1 CAA victory.

11. William & Mary – Wins few against less than good teams. Tough non-con schedule (UVA, UNC, Cuse, Richmond)

12. Towson – Wins few against less than good teams. Things will get worse with Troy Franklin transferring out.

13. Assists per game. Good for 199th in the nation and 7th in the CAA

14. Points scored by Huskies hockey forward Wade MacLeod. 6 goals, 8 assists leads the team in both categories.

15. Alex Harris’ jersey number. Indications are his # will be one to fear for his next few years at NU.

16. 16.8 to be exact. Points per game from senior captain Chaisson Allen

17.# of offensive rebounds from freshman center Ryan Pierson. Leads the team in this category.

18. Age of 6’7″ defenseman Jamie Oleksiak of the hockey team. 18 years and 6 days to be exact.

19. Career high in points scored by freshman center Ryan Pierson of the basketball team against ETSU on Thursday.

20. Team leading 3 pointers made by senior captain Chaisson Allen.

21. Team leading steals by senior captain Chaisson Allen

22. Jersey number of guard/forward Alwayne Bigby who we learned this week is out for the year. WRBB Sports reporting that he should be able to qualify for a medical redshirt (giving him another 3 years to play at NU)

23. Matt Janning

24. Jersey # of former Huskies forward Eugene Spates who is now playing in the NBA D-League with the Maine Red Claws along with teammate Matt Janning

25. Jersey # of former Huskies guard Baptiste Bataille. Now playing for Brest in France. Averaging 6.4ppg and 2apg

26. Total blocked shots this year. Good for 10th in the CAA at 2.6 per game.

27. Total # of rebounds for guard Joel Smith. 5th on the team.

28. Total goals scored by Huskies in Hockey East play

29. Season high field goals made in in 72-77 loss to Providence on 12/1

30. Jersey number for freshman center Ryan Pierson. Has scored 19 and 17 points in last 2 games.

31. Penalty minutes served by defenseman Randy Guizor. Leads team in that category

32. Total career points for Randy Guizor (18 goals, 14 assists)

33. Minutes played by backup freshman goaltender Clay Witt

34. Paul Pierce http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OLy3dNl2QA

35. Total goals scored by the Huskies. 12 in 1st period, 1o in 2nd, 13 in 3rd

36. Team leading minutes per game from senior guard Chaisson Allen

37. Jersey # of current Huskies goaltender Chris Rawlings. To the NHL/AHL at the end of this year?

38. Season high in rebounds reached on 12/4 at Boston Tip-Off Classic vs Drexel at TD Garden

39. Brad Thiessen

40. Shooting percentage from guard Joel Smith. 35 for 87

41. Goals scored against Northeastern (36 on Rawlings, 3 on Witt, 2 open net)

42. 42.5 to be exact. Northeastern’s shooting percentage. Good for 231st in the country, 10th in the CAA

43. The code for direct dial international phone calls to Austria

44. SCAL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rmH5_JOibg

45. Career goals by Huskies forward Wade MacLeod. Leads team in that categoy

46. Career games played by goaltender Chris Rawlings. Save %.917. GAA 2.71

47. Northeastern shots blocked (basketball)

48. Total defensive rebounds by guard Chaisson Allen. Leads team in that category. Also Northeastern’s leading rebounder at 5.8 per game.

49. Season low in points scored. Came against St. Louis on 12/23 in opening game of Cancun Governors Cup

50. Eddie House http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la2xhbrY9wI

So that’s part 1 of 101 things. 51-101 to come tomorrow or Wednesday. Until next time, stay classy Northeastern and LET’S GO HUSKIES

A Christmas Eve Miracle

Tiny Tim did not get a new leg. Buddy the Elf was never accepted with opens by his father, as much as James Caan would like to make you think otherwise. Charlie Brown never got to kick a field goal. Scrooge did not get laid. No we’re talking a different kind of Christmas Miracle. Where this miracle happened there was no snow, only sandy beaches and palm trees. There were no reindeer, but instead a pack of Huskies, clawing, fighting their way through a field of Bilikens, Buccaneers, and Bobcats. And on a chilly 80 degree Friday afternoon on Christmas Eve, those Huskies played out a Christmas miracle for the ages.

Rewind to Wednesday. The 71-49 loss to St. Louis marked the Huskies’ 6th loss in a row. We knew this young team would struggle but the Bilikens were a beatable team. Enter Thursday. Your Huskies, then 2-6, face an ETSU team in the wake of a good ole beatdown. Things could either go two ways. One, they could repeat their performance of a day earlier and fall to 2-7. Or they could come out and play with a sense of pride. Your Huskies chose option two and came out guns blazing, scoring 47 first half points, eventually cruising to a 77-67 win. Freshman center Ryan Pierson led Northeastern with a career high 19 points. Senior captain Chase Allen added 18 of his own. Sophomore Jon Lee scored another 14, freshman guard Alex Harris added 12. The Huskies shot a blistering 11-18 from 3pt land. The losing streak was over and all of a sudden Northeastern was right back in the win column. Could this be the turning point of the year?

Enter Friday afternoon, Christmas Eve. Huskies vs. Texas State. Both teams fighting for a 5th place finish in the Cancun Governor’s Cup. Things did not start off well. Tied at 12, the Bobcats went on a 19-3 run and all of a sudden the first half was over, with Northeastern down 48-34. That 14 point defecit was extended to 17 and even with 15 minutes left, it seemed the Huskies were doomed. Then something turned on for the Huskies. A late surge of energy, a sense of urgency, or just the will to win kicked in and put Northeastern in gear. They began chipping away at the lead, bringing the defecit to single digits. Sophomore guard Jon Lee then put the team on his shoulders going on a personal 9-0 run. Another Lee layup put Northeastern up 1 with 4 minutes remaining and that 17 point defecit was suddenly erased. The Ferocious defense and silly turnovers by Texas State continued to keep Northeastern in the game. Huskies guards continued to slash to the hoop as layups from freshman Alex Harris and sophomore Joel Smith put the Huskies in front by five with just over a minute remaining. At this point I’m fist pumping the crap out of the air, listening to the game on my laptop, watching stat tracker alone at the kitchen counter (this is how you know you’re a diehard fan of a mid-major basketball program). Solid defense, more Texas State turnovers, and ice cold free throw shooting sealed the game for Northeastern. Within a matter of ten minutes, your Huskies turned a 17 point deficit into a 5 point lead and an 86-78 victory. Safe to say my hands were red from clapping, tired from typing away furiously on Twitter, trying to contain my excitement. From there I went to the family Christmas party as happy as, well a kid on Christmas, but with adrenaline still pumping throughout me.

The cell blew up with text messages. Twitter and facebook were overwhelmed with celebratory statuses. The turnaround we witnessed in a matter of two days was incredible. Friday’s epic comeback blew our minds. Teams this young aren’t supposed to win those games. But yet they did exactly that. With a bunch of kids, most of whom can’t even drink legally. But what Friday showed us is that while there will still be struggles this season, this team played with a giant set of balls. To come back from being down 17 points on the road, having played a game each of the last two days is incredible. It was a hell of an effort, one that required a ton of heart and boy did we see it from this team.

And credit sophomore guard Jon Lee for a gutsy performance. In place of Alwayne Bigby who is done for the year, the 6’2 Flint, Michigan native carried the team on his back with that personal 9-0 run, posted a career high 22 points, dished out 4 assists, and pulled down 5 rebounds. Chase Allen posted his second straight 18pt performance while freshman center Ryan Pierson kept things rolling with another 17pts. Sophomore guard Joel Smith, who sat out most of Thursday’s game with a bum ankle, scored a big 16 points coming off the bench. Crazy stat line of the day, Chaisson Allen recorded 6 of the Huskies 8 steals. All in all, Northeastern shot 58% from the field, including 65% in the second half. After committing 9 first half turnovers, the Huskies turned the ball over just twice in the second half. That and a 25-34 FT shooting performance wrapped Friday’s game in a pretty bow, delivering the W to all Huskies fans.

So here we are now at 4-6. Just a few days ago we were sitting at 2-6. While we hate do it, we’re going to have to. Last year’s NIT and 20 win squad also started off the year 2-7. Then on the third day of their holiday trip, a win over SMU sent them on to an 11 game winning streak, good for second best in the country at that time. While a winning streak like that is unlikely for this year’s squad, Friday proved that anything is possible, even if unlikely. Moral of this Christmas Eve Miracle story is that these Huskies are not down and they are certainly not out. Do not give up on this team. It’s still hard to say what the rest of the season will look like. But if Friday’s dramatic comeback is any indicator, points will be scored, #s 3, 20, and 14 will make it rain, and Alex Harris will continue to dunk on kids. We have a feeling there will be a few more heart attacks in order. But for now enjoy the back-to-back wins, the snow, and hope that we keep on streaking. There has never been a more wilder time to be a Northeastern basketball fan.

Until next time, stay classy Northeastern and LET’S GO HUSKIES

Dreadful to Dangerous, your ’10-’11 Huskies?

Yesterday was a train wreck. And as an NU alum fittingly so pointed out, today we tossed the proverbial monkey right off our back and into the Gulf of Mexico. Now while Life Being Husky frowns upon drowning animals in oil, we hope that the losing streak monkey is gasping for air as we speak.

Yesterday, the Huskies were dealt a crushing 71-49 defeat at the hands of St. Louis University. Both teams struggled in the first half as Northeastern was held to just 17 points, SLU to 22 points. Freshman Alex Harris was the only Husky to break double figures (11 points) as Northeastern was limited to 36% from the field. The Huskies defense disappeared as the Bilikens were allowed to shoot a whopping 65.5% from the field in the 2nd half. It was a bad day all around with the Huskies committing 17 turnovers. The entire team seemed as if it just stepped off the plane and was sleepwalking throughout the entire game. Lack of energy, lack of determination, lack of fight. Whatever it was, it was U-G-L-Y.

Enter today’s game. Huskies vs. East Tennessee State University. Fun fact: Chaisson Allen’s grandmother was the first African-American woman admitted to then East Tennessee State Teachers College. Would Northeastern repeat their lackluster performance from the day before, or would they rebound in a big way? Well that question was answered very quickly. The Huskies came out of the gates running as freshman Alex Harris and Chase Allen knocked down two big 3′s. Strong guard play continued as Harris, Allen, and sophomore Jon Lee led the Huskies on an 11-0 run. The points continued to flow for Northeastern. The half ended at 47-29. The Huskies’ 47 points nearly matched the 49 total points they scored the day before. In the entire game. Northeastern shot a blistering 54.5% from the field including over 70% from downtown. The lead got up to 21 before ETSU began chipping away. The tables turned defensively as the Huskies allowed ETSU to shoot over 50% while being held to under 40% shooting themselves.  Towards the final stretch the Bucs brought the game to single digits but key baskets from freshmen Alex Harris and Ryan Pierson, along with senior captain Chase Allen kept the game at a distance. Despite a few bumps along the way to the final, Northeastern closed out the Bucs 77-67.

Story of the game? Has to be the Huskies scoring efficiency. While the 2nd half wasn’t pretty, the 1st half was an education on ball movement and shooting. In a game that featured 19 assists, Northeastern showed that when it’s playing well, they can be quite dangerous. Allen, Harris, and Lee shot a combined 9-12 from 3 point land with Lee going 4-4 from downtown. Dirk-like Vinny Lima can also hit the 3 while Chris Avenant knocked down a trey of his own. Remember that all this production comes without Joel Smith who played a total of 3 minutes. Northeastern came ready to play and showed that energy can translate into points. Strong guard play also opened up the floor for big man and freshman center Ryan Pierson. The St. Louis native continued to show improvement posting a career high 19 points. Pierson also contributed a 5-5 shooting performance from the charity stripe to go along with 7 rebounds (3 offensive). Fellow freshman Alex Harris continues to impress, posting 14 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. With Allen’s 18 pts, sophomore Jon Lee’s 12 pts (4-4 3PT) and Vinny Lima’s 9 points, the Huskies scored a season high 77 on the day.

Just like that the 6 game losing streak is over. Now 3-6 on the year, your Huskies sit in a very interesting position. Last year’s squad started off the year 2-7 before ripping off 11 straight wins, good for second-best in the nation at the time. That turn-around happened on the road at a holiday tournament. Sound familiar? While no one is predicting another 20 win season and NIT appearance for this season’s Huskies, it’s hard to ignore the similarity. What we do know is that when 3′s fall for the Huskies and they limit turnovers, these are some dangerous dawgs.

We look forward to bringing you more good news tomorrow as your Huskies take on Texas State at 3:30pmET. You can listen live at wrbbsports.com or follow live game updates on twitter from @TheRealNZone.

Until next time, stay classy Northeastern and LET’S GO HUSKIES

Breaking News from Cancun: Bigby out for year

Breaking news from Cancun, Mexico. WRBB Sports sideline reporter Andy Towne reporting that sophomore guard/forward Alwayne Bigby out for the year. The Toronto native, according to WRBB, will qualify for a medical redshirt.

The 6’5″ Toronto native was sporting crutches and a cast yesterday. After speaking with athletic trainer Art Horne, Towne and WRBB confirmed that Bigby is done for the year.  Bigby, who is believed to have been fighting a stress fracture all season, played in all 7 games for the Huskies before coming to Cancun. The defensive specialist and starter for most of last year, was averaging 4.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 assists per game this year.

LBH will continue to keep you updated on this breaking news.