Bucknell Men's Basketball 2016 NIT Tournament Capsule

Bucknell Bison
Patriot (17-13, 14-4)
 
After a rough nonconference slate where Bucknell suffered through seven straight losses, the Bison pulled things together for Patriot League play. It took some time for Coach Nathan Davis to get his team rolling, but the offense is clicking right now and this can be a tough offense to stop.
 
Big Wins: 1/2 at Army (84-76), 1/11 at Lehigh (82-76), 1/23 at Boston U (74-71)
Bad Losses: 12/8 at Mt. St. Mary’s (73-81), 1/16 Colgate (73-84), 3/3 Holy Cross (72-77)
Coach: Nathan Davis
 
Why They Can Surprise:
The offense revolves around guard Chris Hass and center Nana Foulland. Hass is a big time scorer from everywhere on the floor. He can knock down three-pointers, but most of his 17.2 points per game comes from the 6-5 senior comes from attacking the basket. He gets to the free-throw line quite a bit and is very good once he gets there. Foulland, a 6-9 sophomore, gets to the line a lot too, but he is lucky when he makes half of his attempts. But closer to the basket, Foulland is much more efficient and averages 11.8 points and a team high 6.9 rebounds per game. The Bison often get a third dangerous scorer and the opposition may not know where it is coming from. Zach Thomas is a promising sophomore forward who can stretch the defense with his outside shooting. Stephen Brown is the point guard who can attack the basket and Ryan Frazier can be a dangerous shooter on occasion. When Hass and Foulland are getting help offensively from at least one of those players, Bucknell can score in bunches.
 
Why They Can Disappoint:
The offense is often its own worst enemy though as turnovers have been an issue. And the defense is not good enough to make up for a shaky offense. That makes it extremely important that Brown takes care of the ball and Ryan Frazier and Hass provide senior leadership in the backcourt. As the season has gone on, the defense has improved, but the offense still has those off nights. The defense has those off nights too. When either facet of the game fails Bucknell, they can quickly fall behind and may not have the ability to get back in the game.
 
Probable Starters:
Stephen Brown, Sophomore, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 5.3 apg
Ryan Frazier, Senior, Guard, 8.2 ppg, 1.7 apg
Chris Hass, Senior, Guard, 17.2 ppg, 1.7 apg, 3.9 rpg
Dom Hoffman, Senior, Forward, 6.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg
Nana Foulland, Sophomore, Center, 11.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg
 
Key Roleplayers:
Nate Jones, Freshman, Guard, 2.9 ppg
Kimbal Mackenzie, Freshman, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 1.6 apg
D.J. MacLeay, Junior, Forward, 5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Zach Thomas, Sophomore, Forward, 10.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg
 
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 78.9 (46th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 73.3 (212, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.6 (55, 1)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.5 (117, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.4 (133, 5)   
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.7 (76, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.5 (111, 3)
Rebound Margin:  2.5 (100, 3)
Assists Per Game:  15.8 (38, 1)
Turnovers Per Game:  13.8 (274, 9)
 
Recent Postseason Appearances:
 
2015    NIT                  First Round loss to Temple
2013    NCAA Second Round loss to Butler
2012    NIT                  First Round win over Arizona
2012    NIT                  Second Round loss to Nevada
2011    NCAA Round of 64 loss to Connecticut
2006    NCAA Round of 64 win over Arkansas
2006    NCAA Round of 32 loss to Memphis
2005    NCAA Round of 64 win over Kansas
2005    NCAA Round of 32 loss to Wisconsin
 
*all team stats through 3/6