Pictured Above: Sophomore guard Blake Francis (Credit: Dave Saffran)
Dayton, OH - The Wagner men's basketball team closes out its non-conference slate on Saturday afternoon when the Seahawks take on the University of Dayton Flyers of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Seahawk Three-Pointers:
- Dayton is the only member of the Atlantic 10 on the Seahawks' 2017-18 schedule. The same is to be said of Dayton, who didn't schedule another Northeast Conference (NEC) member this season.
- Wagner and Dayton are squaring off for the first time since December 6, 2003, when the Seahawks and Flyers played at UD Arena in front of 12,662 fans with UD squeaking out a 67-65 win.
- For the Seahawks, this marks the first game in the state of Ohio since they traveled to Cincinnati, coincidentally enough, back on December 23, 2014
Last Time Out: vs. #23|#22 Seton Hall University Pirates (December 20, 2017):
- The Wagner men's basketball team put forth a valiant effort against No. 23/22 Seton Hall on Wednesday night before the Pirates pulled away for an 89-68 win at the Prudential Center.
- Senior guard JoJo Cooper, the reigning Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Week, paced Wagner with 15 points, 13 of which came in the first half, while freshman forward Nigel Jackson added 12.
- Four different Seahawks wound up scoring seven points apiece in redshirt junior forward AJ Sumbry, redshirt junior guard Romone Saunders, sophomore guard Blake Francis and freshman guard Tyler Plummer.
- It was a particularly frustrating night for Francis, who was saddled with early foul trouble. After scoring 17 or more points in Wagner's first nine games and coming off a 25-point outing at Rider on Saturday, the Seahawks' leading scorer finished the night 2-of-8 from the floor.
- Khadeen Carrington led five Pirates in double figures with 26 points while Myles Powell and Angel Delgado added 16 and 15 points, respectively. Delgado collected ten caroms in recording a double-double and also kicked the ball out for five assists on the evening. Desi Rodriguez finished with 11 points for the Pirates while Michael Nzei added 10.
All-Time Series Against Dayton:
- Saturday afternoon's contests is just the second all-time meeting between the Seahawks and the Flyers, with Dayton earning a 67-65 victory at UD Arena back on December 6, 2003 in front of 12,662 fans.
- In that contest, Kevin Martin scored a team-best 13 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field while pulling down four rebounds and rejecting three shots in just 12 minutes off the bench. Starters Sean Munson and Doug Viegas combined on 6-of-19 shooting from the floor and 2-of-5 from the outside as both men finished with ten points apiece. Munson corralled a team-best 11 caroms in the setback.
- The Flyers had three score in double-digits, led by Sean Finn's game-high 16 points. Keith Waleskowski notched a double-double with 11 points and team-high ten caroms while Ramod Marshall added 12 points and dished out a game-high 11 assists.
- The 2003-04 Dayton squad, led by then first-year head coach Brian Gregory, finished the season 24-9 and 12-4 in Atlantic 10 play. They were defeated by the Xavier in the A-10 title game but still received an at-large bid, in which they lost to DePaul in the first round.
All-Time Vs. The Atlantic 10 Conference:
- Against the current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference, Wagner is 10-30 all-time.
- In five of the previous six seasons, head coach Bashir Mason and his Seahawks squad have faced at least one member of the Atlantic 10 conference.
- Last season, the Green & White traveled up to Amherst, MA to tangle with then head coach and current LIU Brooklyn bench boss, Derek Kellogg, and his UMass squad.
- The last win the Seahawks earned over an Atlantic 10 member came back on March 16, 2016, as the Seahawks upset the No. 1-seeded St. Bonaventure Bonnies, 79-75, in Olean, NY in the first round of the 2016 National Invitational Tournament.
Wagner All-Time Record vs.
The Atlantic 10 Conference
| SCHOOL |
RECORD |
LAST MEETING |
W/L |
| Davidson |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| DAYTON |
0-1 |
12/6/2003 |
Lost, 67-65 |
| Duquesne |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| Fordham |
3-21 |
1/22/1979 |
Won, 94-78 |
| George Mason |
0-2 |
12/22/2015 |
Lost, 71-60 |
| George Washington |
1-0 |
1/8/1982 |
Won, 67-65 |
| La Salle |
0-1 |
12/19/2013 |
Lost, 80-54 |
| Massachusetts |
0-1 |
11/30/2016 |
Lost, 62-55 |
| Rhode Island |
1-0 |
12/17/2005 |
Won, 63-61 |
| Richmond |
0-1 |
3/13/2002 |
Lost, 74-67 |
| Saint Joseph's |
0-1 |
11/27/1993 |
Lost, 87-56 |
| Saint Louis |
--- |
--- |
--- |
| St. Bonaventure |
3-2 |
3/16/2016 |
Won, 79-75 |
| VCU |
2-0 |
11/30/2002 |
Won, 80-72 |
| TOTALS |
10-30 |
|
|
Scouting The University of Dayton:
- Dayton, under first-year head coach Anthony Grant, enters play with a 5-6 overall record, while posting a 4-2 mark at home this season.
- In its most recent homestand, the Flyers took two of three games, which included an 88-83 overtime victory over Georgia State back on December 16.
- In its last outing, UD flew out to the West Coast to take on Saint Mary's on December 19 in Moraga, CA, with the Flyers dropping a 69-54 decision. Xeyrius Williams and Jordan Davis were the lone players that tallied double-figures as Williams paced the team with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field in 20 minutes off the bench. Davis added 11 points in 33 minutes of action.
- On the year, Darrell Davis, who was held scoreless in the contest against Saint Mary's (0-of-11 FG; 0-of-3 3PT), is the team's leading scorer at 16.5 points per game, which is good for tenth in the Atlantic 10.
- Teammate Josh Cunningham ranks among the top-15 in scoring, netting 16.1 a contest, while leading the Flyers on the boards, pulling down 10.4 a contest, which is tied for the league lead with Duquesne's Eric Williams, Jr.
- As a team, the Flyers are averaging 70.5 points per game while shooting a collective 46.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond-the-arc.
Coach Mason Approaching The Century Mark For Career Wins:
- Coach Mason, who is currently the sixth-youngest head coach in Division I, is 94-72 during his tenure on Grymes Hill.
- He is just the fifth Wagner head coach to post 90 or more career victories and the third in the Division I Era of the program (began in 1976-77).
| Wagner Coach |
Career Record |
Years Coached |
| Herb Sutter |
352-252 |
1937-1965 |
| Tim Capstraw |
117-164 |
1989-1999 |
| Chester Sellitto |
97-89 |
1965-1972 |
| Mike Deane |
95-113 |
2003-2010 |
| BASHIR MASON |
94-72 |
2012-present |
| Neil Kennett |
81-115 |
1982-1989 |
| Dereck Whittenburg |
67-50 |
1999-2003 |
| P.J. Carlesimo |
65-93 |
1976-1982 |
| Dan Hurley |
38-23 |
2010-2012 |
| Bill Keegan |
29-25 |
1934-1937 |
| John C. Goodwin |
26-73 |
1972-1976 |
| Elmer Ripley |
23-22 |
1922-1925 |
| Ray Kirschmeyer |
16-36 |
1929-1934 |
| Joseph Flotten |
10-4 |
1925-1926 |
| John Futchs |
8-10 |
1926-1927 |
| John Morris |
7-19 |
1927-1929 |
| Erastus LaRue Ely |
1-4 |
1920-1921 |
| Walter B. Peterson |
1-6 |
1921-1922 |
Fast Start To The Season:
- Facing their final non-league opponent of the season in the University of Dayton, the Seahawks will look to close out its non-conference slate with the most under sixth-year head coach Bashir Mason.
- With a win over the Flyers, the Green & White will wrap up its non-conference season with a record of 8-3, the most out-of-conference victories since the 2011-2012 team racked up victories under former head coach, Dan Hurley.
- Coach Mason was an assistant on the 2011-12 team that went on to set the program mark for victories in a single-season with 25.
Coach Mason Year-By-Record Against Non-Conference Opponents
| Year |
OOC Record |
Final Overall Record |
Final NEC Record |
| 2012-13 |
6-5 |
19-12 |
12-6 |
| 2013-14 |
6-7 |
19-12 |
12-4 |
| 2014-15 |
2-9 |
10-20 |
8-10 |
| 2015-16 |
7-4 |
23-11 |
13-5 |
| 2016-17 |
4-6 |
16-14 |
11-7 |
| 2017-18 |
7-3 |
??? |
??? |
Wagner's Non-Conference Slate In Perspective:
- Despite dropping a 89-68 decision to #23 ranked Seton Hall at the Prudential Center on Wednesday evening, Wagner has a chance to earn a spot on the top-10 list of best NEC Non-Conference record by percentage list.
- The Seahawks already occupy two of the top-10 spots with a 9-2 record in 2011-12 and 7-2 mark in 2005-06
Ten Best NEC Non-Conference Record By Percentage*
| Rank |
School |
Record |
Percentage |
Season |
| 1 |
Robert Morris |
8-1 |
.889 |
2006-07 |
| 2 |
Marist |
7-1 |
.875 |
1995-96 |
| 3 |
WAGNER |
9-2 |
.818 |
2011-12 |
| 4 |
WAGNER ^ |
7-2 |
.778 |
2005-06 |
| 5 |
Monmouth |
9-3 |
.750 |
1991-92 |
| 6 |
LIU Brooklyn |
8-3 |
.727 |
2010-11 |
|
Quinnipiac |
8-3 |
.727 |
2010-11 |
|
WAGNER |
8-3 |
.727 |
2008-09 |
|
LIU Brooklyn |
8-3 |
.727 |
2007-08 |
|
Monmouth |
8-3 |
.727 |
1990-91 |
|
LIU Brooklyn ! |
8-3 |
.727 |
1986-87 |
|
WAGNER |
7-3 |
.700 |
2017-18 |
^ Includes one non-DI win | ! Includes two non-DI wins | * Does not include postseasons wins/losses
Cooper Tabbed NEC Player Of The Week:
- Senior guard JoJo Cooper was named Northeast Conference (NEC) Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday afternoon. For Cooper, it marks his first-ever Player of the Week citation while he has now been recognized by the conference for the second time in his career after earning Rookie of the Week accolades for the week of December 1, 2014.
- Cooper filled up the stat sheet on Saturday afternoon at Rider, finishing with his second double-double of the season and fifth of his career after netting 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field to go along with hitting eight attempts at the free-throw line.
- The Wilmington, DE native dished out a game-best 11 helpers, marking the second time over the last three games that he dished out double-digit assists while adding seven rebounds and three steals despite the Seahawks seeing its six-game win streak end in overtime, 90-84.
Cooper In Elite Company:
- One of the top all-around performances in recent NEC memory put JoJo Cooper in rare company on a national scale.
- The NEC Player of the Week finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and three steals in Saturday's OT setback at Rider.
- Cooper is just the ninth player in the nation over the last five years to achieve those statistical milestones in the same game. That list includes current NBA players Dennis Smith Jr. (Mavericks), Kris Dunn (Bulls) and Elfrid Payton (Magic).
Players With At Least 19p, 7r, 11a and 3s In A Game (2013-18)
- JoJo Cooper (Wagner): 19p, 7r, 11a, 3s vs. Rider (12/16/17)
- Jon Elmore (Marshall): 32p, 9r, 12a, 3s vs. William & Mary (11/29/17)
- Isaiah Reese (Canisius): 23p, 11r, 11a, 3s vs. Youngstown (11/18/17)
- Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State): 27p, 11r, 11a, 3s vs. Virginia Tech (1/4/17)
- Joseph Chartouny (Fordham): 24p, 7r, 13a, 3s vs. Davidson (2/27/16)
- Corey Sanders (Rutgers): 39p, 8r, 12a, 3s vs. Illinois (2/3/16)
- Kris Dunn (Providence): 27p, 13r, 11a, 3s vs. DePaul (1/29/15)
- Kenny Chery (Baylor): 20p, 10r, 12a, 3s vs. Kansas State (2/15/14)
- Elfrid Payton (Louisiana Lafayette): 34p, 11r, 11a, 5s vs. Louisiana-Monroe (1/4/14)
Francis Heads Up Most Improved Scorers:
- When the NEC hands out its Most Improved Player Award at year's end, there will be no shortage of deserving student-athletes from which to choose.
- Glancing at scoring alone, there are a number players who have stepped up their game from last year, none more so than Wagner sophomore guard Blake Francis
- The Virginia native has filled the scoring void in the backcourt with the loss of Corey Henson, lifting his point production from 7.2 ppg as a freshman to a team-high 18.9 ppg this season, a 11.7 ppg and 162.5 percent bump.
- Francis ranks second in the NEC in scoring and comes off a 25-point outing at Rider on Saturday.
Top-15 NEC Most Improved Scorers
| Name |
2016-17 |
2017-18 |
PPG Increase |
| Raiquan Clark, LIU Brooklyn |
6.2 ppg |
18.4 ppg |
12.2ppg |
| Blake Francis, Wagner |
7.2 ppg |
18.9 ppg |
11.7 ppg |
| Dachon Burke, Robert Morris |
7.6 ppg |
16.9 ppg |
9.3 ppg |
| Junior Robinson, Mount St. Mary's |
14.1 ppg |
22.3 ppg |
8.2 ppg |
| Ikenna Ndugba, Bryant |
6.0 ppg |
13.8 ppg |
7.8 ppg |
| Deivydas Kuzavas, Saint Francis U |
1.2 ppg |
9.0 ppg |
7.8 ppg |
| Andre Wolford, Saint Francis U |
4.7 ppg |
11.9 ppg |
7.8 ppg |
| Joel Hernandez, LIU Brooklyn * |
12.2 ppg |
18.9 ppg |
6.7 ppg |
| Elijah Davis, Wagner |
2.7 ppg |
8.5 ppg |
5.8 ppg |
| Sabastian Townes, Bryant |
6.2 ppg |
11.8 ppg |
5.6 ppg |
| JoJo Cooper, Wagner |
8.2 ppg |
13.4 ppg |
5.2 ppg |
| Mario Matasovic, Sacred Heart |
5.9 ppg |
10.8 ppg |
4.9 ppg |
| Ryan Gomes, Mount St. Mary's |
2.2 ppg |
7.1 ppg |
4.9 ppg |
| Darelle Porter, St. Francis Brooklyn |
2.8 ppg |
7.5 ppg |
4.7 ppg |
| Greg Alexander, Mount St. Mary's |
7.7 ppg |
11.5 ppg |
3.8 ppg |
* 2015-16 stats (sat out 2016-17)
Wagner's Six-Game Win Streak In Perspective:
- After falling to Southeastern Conference (SEC) members, Missouri, the Seahawks kicked off the win streak with a 71-70 home victory over American of the Patriot League.
- From that point, the Green & White rattled off five-straight with wins over Staten Island, at Hartford, Fairfield, UMass Lowell and Mercy College.
- Over the six games, Wagner outscored its opponents by exactly 20.0 points per game (82.2 to 62.2) while shooting 45.2 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from long range and hitting on 76.1 percent from the charity stripe.
- The Seahawks were a 10.8 on the boards, outmuscling their opposition 258-to-193 (43.0 rpg to 32.2 rpg).
- The Green & White limited their opposition to just 34.4 percent shooting from the field, 28.2 percent from three-point range.
- Wagner netted 100 points on fast break opportunities while yielding just 30 total over the six games.
- Four Seahawks averaged double-figures during the six-game win streak, led by sophomore guard Blake Francis, who netted 19.7 ppg while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from beyond-the-arc and went a perfect 23-of-23 from the free-throw line.
- JoJo Cooper added 13.8 points per game while dishing out 6.0 assists per game in 32.3 minutes of action.
- Junior combo guard Elijah Davis contributed 11.0 points while pulling down 6.3 caroms over the six games, three of which he started.
- Lastly, freshman forward Nigel Jackson tallied 10.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor and 88.2 percent from the charity stripe.
Over The Last Five Games:
- The Seahawks are 3-2 in its last five games.
- The team is averaging 79.0 points per game while yielding 73.6 points
- On the boards, Wagner is a 5.6 over the last five games, outmuscling their opposition, 43.0-37.4. (215-187).
- Blake Francis, JoJo Cooper and Nigel Jackson are averaging double-figures over the last five games, led by Francis, who is pouring in 18.0 ppg while Cooper is contributing 15.6 ppg and first-year forward Jackson is pouring in 10.5 ppg.
- Redshirt junior forward AJ Sumbry has seen his production increase over the last five games as well, leading the team over the last five in rebounding at 7.6 caroms a contest while recording 2.0 blocks a contest.
First Line Of Defense:
- Three times this season, Wagner's tenacious defense has held its opponents to 50 points or less, which includes their most recent victory, a 75-41 performance over Division II members, Mercy College, back on December 10.
- Four times this year, the Seahawks have held opponents to under 35.0 percent shooting from the floor, while holding both Hartford (27.5%) and Mercy (24.1%) to under 30.0 percent shooting.
- Through ten games, the Seahawks are first in several statistical categories, including scoring defense (70.0 ppg), scoring margin ( 6.0), field-goal percentage defense (.396), and blocked shots (4.9).
Ready & Break:
- Through ten games this season, the Seahawks have displayed a more up-tempo offense and has shown in their ability to run up and down the court as Wagner is averaging 10.7 points a game via fast break while limiting their opponents to just 3.8 points (107-38).
- Last season, in 30 games, Wagner logged 133 total points off fast break chances, averaging out to 4.4. a contest.
Final (Five) Countdown:
- Through ten games this season, Wagner has thrived in the final five minutes of their contests.
- The team is averaging 14.6 points while yielding just 10.9 a contest.
- Wagner is shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from beyond-the-arc in the final five minutes of games.
- The Seahawks defense is usually on full display during this time, limiting their counterparts to just 32.4 percent from the field and 26.7 percent from the outside.
#OperationPackSpiro:
- With the men's team off to its best start in its Division I history, we need our fans to continue making the Spiro Sports Center the raucous venue in all of the Northeast Conference (NEC).
- See for yourself on Friday, December 29 as the Green & White hosts the defending league champions, Mount St. Mary's.
- Come one, tell a friend, bring all as we are in full-out #OperationPackSpiro mode!
Next Up:
- Northeast Conference (NEC) play kicks off as the Seahawks return home following its three-game road voyage as they welcome the defending league champions, the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers.
- Tipoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed live on NECFrontRow.com, the online digital network of the Northeast Conference and Wagner College Athletics with Joey Wahler on the call courtside.
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