April 10, 2009

Center Valley, Pa. - The American Eagles claimed the Patriot League Men's Basketball Championship for the second straight season in 2009, and played very well in their NCAA Tournament appearance against eventual Final Four participant Villanova. The Eagles were the highlight of a memorable 2008-09 Patriot League Men's Basketball season, which included team and individual accomplishments throughout the League.

Patriot League Men's Basketball FINAL Release - 4.10.09

Patriot League Notebook

American Goes Back to the Big Dance

After not making the NCAA Tournament in their first 41 seasons as a Division I program, American went to the event for the second straight year. The Eagles knocked off Holy Cross, 73-57, to win their second straight Patriot League title in the Championship game on March 13. The Eagles also earned the regular-season title in the Patriot League for the second straight year, with a 13-1 League mark. They fell in the NCAA Tournament first round to Villanova, an eventual Final Four participant.

Repeat Is No Unusual Feat

American became the seventh repeat champion in Patriot League history, and the seventh different program to pull off the feat. The Eagles were also the sixth Patriot League program to play in the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years.

Eagles Rolled Into NCAA Tournament

American posted its 13th consecutive win in the Patriot League Championship game, giving them the second-longest win streak in the country heading into the NCAA Tournament. The streak trailed only Memphis. The Eagles won 19 of their last 20 games before the NCAA Tournament, with just one loss since Christmas.

American Played Well on Road and at Home

American achieved its 24-8 record and Patriot League title by playing well at home and on the road. The Eagles tied for the best mark in the nation with 11 road wins. American was 11-6 on the road this season, with wins in its last five road contests. The Eagles were 13-1 in home contests, and ended the season with a 12-game winning streak at Bender Arena.

Patriot League Championship Notes

American tied Bucknell, Colgate, Lafayette and Fordham for third all-time with two Championships...The last Patriot League champion to repeat was Bucknell in 2005 and 2006. American is the fourth consecutive No. 1 seed to win the Patriot League title, and 15th in the 19 Patriot League Tournaments. The No. 1 seed has advanced to the title game every time..No. 1 seeds are 13-3 on their home court in the League title game...The home team is 14-2 in the last 16 Patriot League Championship games, and 14-4 overall in the title game...The Eagles were playing in their fifth Patriot League Championship in their eight seasons in the League, and improved to 2-3 in the title matchup. The Eagles and Crusaders have faced off for the Championship three times, the second-most played matchup in the title game. American got its first victory in the Championship against Holy Cross after losing to the Crusaders in 2002 and 2003...American improved to 7-1 in the Patriot League Tournament at Bender Arena, with seven consecutive wins at the venue. The only loss came to Holy Cross in the 2002 title game...American won its 13th consecutive game, trailing only Memphis for the longest win streak in the country...The Eagles have won 12 straight home games, and 17 in a row at Bender Arena against Patriot League competition...American Head Coach Jeff Jones improved to 15-6 in the Patriot League Tournament, trailing only Holy Cross Head Coach Ralph Willard (17-6) for the best winning percentage in the event. Bucknell's Charles Lee (2005 and 2006) was the only other player to capture two Patriot League Tournament MVPs.

Final Patriot League Trends

The 28 series that were completed in Patriot League action featured an almost equal number of sweeps (15) and splits (13)...Home teams were 35-21 in Patriot League games...No team averaged more than 70 points in League contests, and no player averaged more than 17 per game in League action...The highest single-game mark for any player is 28 points, achieved by Navy's Chris Harris, American's Garrison Carr and Brian Gilmore, and Army's Cleveland Richard...Carr hit the mark twice.

Army Captures Rare Home Quarterfinal Game

Army entered rare air in its Patriot League history by claiming the No. 4 seed in the Tournament and earning a spot as a host in the quarterfinals, where they beat Lehigh, 53-50. The No. 4 seed was Army's best-ever mark, and the Black Knights played as the higher seed in the League Tournament for the first time.

American Enters Exclusive Company in League Annals

By clinching the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, American became the first team since Lafayette in 1998-00 to earn the top seed in consecutive seasons. The Leopards are the only program to earn three straight No. 1 seeds, with Colgate (1995-96) and Fordham (1990-91) the others to do it in consecutive years. American is also the first team in League annals to earn sole possession of the regular-season title for two straight seasons.

Three Patriot Leaguers Named NABC All-District

The Patriot League recorded its best-ever showing on the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division I All-District teams, with three players named to the lists for the second time in League annals and a pair of first-team selections for the first time. American senior guard Garrison Carr and Navy senior guard Kaleo Kina each garnered first-team accolades after receiving First-Team All-League honors, while Lehigh junior forward Zahir Carrington was recognized on the second-team after picking up Second-Team All-League honors. All three players were honored in District 13, giving the Patriot League three honorees in one season for the first time since 1995.

American's Jones Earns District Coach of the Year Honor

After receiving the Patriot League Coach of the Year honor and leading his team to a second straight League title, American Head Coach Jeff Jones was named the NABC District 13 Coach of the Year. Jones led American to an overall record of 24-8 this season, matching the program's all-time record for wins in a season.

Carr Finishes As Top Three-Point Shooter in League Annals

American senior guard Garrison Carr nailed six three-point shots in the Eagles' first-round loss to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament, and in the process ended his career as the Patriot League all-time leader with 302 career three-pointers. Carr also holds the single-season record of 135 treys, which he set in the 2007-08 campaign. Carr won his second consecutive Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player, becoming the second student-athlete to pull off that feat. He tied a League record with 13 three-pointers in the Tournament and set a mark with 28 three-point attempts. He finished the year seventh in the country with 3.5 three-pointers per game this season. Carr was a First-Team All-League pick for the second straight year.

Mercer In Elite Company

American senior guard Derrick Mercer ended his career with some of the top accolades in League history. Mercer was named Patriot League Player of the Year in 2009, becoming just the fifth student-athlete in League history to earn both Rookie and Player of the Year recognition. He was honored as Rookie of the Year in 2006. Mercer is the first player in League history with 1,200 career points and 500 career assists, and placed third in League annals with 524 assists. Mercer was named as a First-Team All-League selection and an All-Tournament Team pick, and last week was an honorable mention pick to the Associated Press All-America Team.

Navy's Kina Closes With Spectacular Numbers

Navy's Kaleo Kina finished his time in Annapolis with a stat sheet full of numbers in the Patriot League record book. Kina joins Lafayette's Brian Ehlers (1996-00) as the only players in Patriot League history with 1,500 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 150 steals. Kina's 1,528 points were the most among the Patriot League class of 2009. He was a First-Team All-League selection in 2008-09.

Holy Cross' Evans Named Mid-Major Freshman All-American

Holy Cross freshman guard R.J. Evans was named to the 2009 College Insider Men's Basketball Mid-Major Freshman All-America team. Evans was one of 21 players from across the nation selected to the squad, which was chosen by Division I head coaches, NBA scouts and the College Insider staff. Evans was previously named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, in addition to earning a spot on the League's All-Rookie team and All-Tournament team.

Team Notebooks

American The Eagles had their season come to an end with a competitive 80-67 loss to eventual Final Four participant Villanova in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on March 19 in Philadelphia...No. 14 seed American held a 41-31 lead at halftime, and scored the first four points of the second half before No. 3 Villanova rallied...The Eagles were in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row after winning the Patriot League title for the second straight season...American defeated Holy Cross, 73-57, in the League title game on March 13 after knocking off Lafayette and Army in the first two rounds of the Patriot League Tournament...American became the seventh repeat champion in Patriot League annals, and seventh different program to pull off the feat...American finished with a 24-8 overall record, and went 13-1 in Patriot League play to claim the regular-season title for the second straight year...Senior guard Derrick Mercer was named Patriot League Player of the Year and also received an honorable mention selection on the Associated Press All-America team...Mercer became the fifth player in League history to receive Player and Rookie of the Year honors in his career, and is the first Patriot Leaguer to combine for more than 1,200 points and 500 assists in his career....Senior guard Garrison Carr had an outstanding season, receiving First-Team All-League honors for the second year in a row and also earning a First-Team spot on the NABC All-District team...Carr became the second player in League history to win consecutive Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player honors...He joins Bucknell's Charles Lee (2005 and 2006) as the only two-time winner of Tournament MVP honors...Carr finished his career with a Patriot League and school record 302 three-pointers...Carr was second in the Patriot League with 17.9 points per game, and led all players while finishing seventh in the country with 3.6 three-pointers per game...Mercer and Brian Gilmore received Patriot League All-Tournament team honors, while Gilmore was also a Second-Team All-League pick...Jeff Jones earned his first Patriot League Coach of the Year award...American entered the NCAA Tournament on a 13-game winning streak, which trailed only Memphis for the longest stretch in the nation...The Eagles finished 11th in the nation in scoring defense (59.1).

Army The Black Knights advanced to the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament for the third year in a row, where they dropped a 61-60 heartbreaker to Patriot League champion American...Army held a 60-55 lead in the contest with just ove two minutes to go...Army had advanced to the semifinals by defeating Lehigh, 53-50, in the quarterfinal round...The Black Knights earned the No. 4 seed in the Patriot League Tournament by going 6-8 in the League in the regular season...It was their highest seed in League annals, and the contest against Lehigh was the first time in League history that Army played as the higher seed in a Tournament game...Junior guard Marcus Nelson was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, becoming Army's first student-athlete to claim a major award since Alex Morris took Rookie of the Year honors in 1993...Cleveland Richard made the Patriot League All-Tournament team, and was also a Second-Team All-League selection...Julian Simmons made the Patriot League All-Rookie team...Army placed 29th in the nation in scoring defense at 60.8 points per game...It finished 11-19 overall.

Bucknell The Bison saw their eight-game quarterfinal winning streak come to an end with a 75-56 loss at Holy Cross on March 4...Bucknell lost in the quarterfinal round for just the fourth time in the 19 years of the Patriot League Tournament, and first since 2000...Patrick Behan received Second-Team All-League honors, while Bryan Cohen was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team...The Bison led the Patriot League and finished 31st in the nation in three-point field goal percentage defense...Bucknell finished with marks of 7-23 overall and 4-10 in the Patriot League.

Colgate The Raiders pulled an upset at Navy in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament before falling in the semfinals at Holy Cross on March 8... The Raiders knocked off Navy, 64-59, in overtime to get to the semifinals for the second year in a row...Colgate freshman Yaw Gyawu was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team...Senior Alex Woodhouse led the Patriot League and finished 16th in the nation with 2.6 blocked shots per game...Woodhouse concludes his career seventh in League annals with 166 blocks...The Raiders ended their season with a 10-20 record, and went 5-9 in the Patriot League.

Holy Cross The Crusaders had their season come to an end with a 73-57 loss at American in the Patriot League Championship on March 13...Holy Cross was in its record 10th title game, and dropped to 5-5 in the final contest...They were in the Championship for the fourth time in the last five years and seventh time in nine seasons...The Crusaders advanced to the title game by defeating Bucknell and Colgate in the first two rounds of the Patriot League Tournament...Holy Cross freshman R.J. Evans was named the League's Rookie of the Year, and also received a spot on the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Freshman All-America team...Evans was one of two Crusaders on the Patriot League All-Tournament team, with junior forward Eric Meister also making the squad...Sophomore forward Andrew Keister was a First-Team All-Patriot League pick...Holy Cross placed 13th in the country with a +6.7 rebounding margin, and was also in the NCAA top 50 in scoring defense and steals per game...The Crusaders finished the season with an 18-14 record that included second place in the Patriot League with an 11-3 mark in regular-season games.

Lafayette The Leopards were eliminated in the Patriot League quarterfinals, falling 78-56 at No. 1 seed American on March 4...The Leopards ended their season with an 8-22 mark, and finished 4-10 in the Patriot League...Lafayette was eliminated in the quarterfinal round for the sixth year in a row...Freshman Ryan Willen was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team...Andrew Brown finishes among the all-time leaders in League annals in points (1,438), assists (354) and three-pointers (282), where he was fourth...Brown finished 28th in the nation in free throw shooting at 86.1 percent, and helped Lafayette place 21st in the NCAA as a team by hitting 74.9 percent of their foul shots.

Lehigh The Mountain Hawks fell to Army in the quarterfinal round for the third year in a row, dropping a 53-50 decision at West Point on March 4...Lehigh's season has ended in the quarterfinal round in three straight years for the first time since 1996-98...All three of Lehigh's quarterfinal losses to Army have come by three points or less...Junior Marquis Hall was a First-Team All-Patriot League selection, and also became Lehigh's first-ever winner of the Patriot League Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award....Hall enters his senior season 49th in scoring (1,151 points) and 11th in assists (379) in Patriot League history...Zahir Carrington was named an NABC All-District Second-Team selection. and also received Second-Team All-Patriot League honors....The Mountain Hawks finished 13th in the country in field goal percentage defense...Lehigh lost its final four games of the year, and finished 15-14 overall and 5-9 in the Patriot League.

Navy The Mids had their season end in heartbreaking fashion for the second year in a row, falling in overtime at home to Colgate, 64-59, in the Patriot League quarterfinals on March 4...Navy ended its year in overtime at home for the second straight season, and has fallen in the extra session five times during its nine-game Patriot League Tournament losing streak...The Mids lost in the quarterfinal round for the eighth year in a row..Kaleo Kina was named an NABC All-District First-Team selection as well as a First-Team All-Patriot League pick...Kina was the highest scorer in the Patriot League class of 2009, finishing his career in 17th place in League annals with 1,528 points...He became just the second Patriot Leaguer of all time with at least 1,500 points, 400 rebounds, 300 assists and 150 steals...He finishes 10th in League annals with 392 assists and 12th with 183 steals...Junior guard Chris Harris received Second-Team All-Patriot League recognition...He enters his senior season with 1,003 career points...The Mids ended their season at 19-11 overall, and finished 8-6 in the Patriot League...The 19 wins are the most for the program in Head Coach Billy Lange's tenure, and equaled the most overall since 2000.