Colgate Raiders
Patriot League (24-10, 13-5)
After six seasons of losing records under Coach Matt Langel, Colgate has really turned things around recently. Last year they finished second in the Patriot League and went to the CBI. This year they took the next step and won a share of the conference title and reached their first NCAA Tournament since 1996.
Big Wins: 11/11 at Cornell (73-57), 2/4 at Lehigh (84-62), 3/13 Bucknell (94-80)
Bad Losses: 1/16 at Army (81-91), 1/26 at Loyola MD (72-79), 2/2 Boston U (68-76)
Coach: Matt Langel
Why They Can Surprise:
This is a pretty solid team top to bottom, but what they do best is in the frontcourt. Rapolas Ivanauskas and Will Rayman are both big men who can step outside and stretch the defense with their outside shooting ability. Ivanauskas leads the way with 16.4 points and 7.9 rebounds. The 6-10 junior also hits 43.4 percent of his three-point attempts. Rayman, a 6-8 junior, spends even more time shooting the ball and has hit 43.2 percent of his 148 attempts from beyond the arc. That is a pretty big frontcourt for a Patriot League team and one that can compete with more talented squads on the glass. But Colgate will also start 6-9 center Dana Batt. He is the more traditional big man and Colgate’s top shot blocking threat.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Jordan Burns is the star of the backcourt. The sophomore averages 15.8 points and 5.8 assists. Freshman Tucker Richardson adds 8.0 points and 3.8 assists. Those two have done quite well this season, but they also lack experience. Turnovers can be an issue at times and it will be interesting to see how Burns and Richardson can perform against the bigger and more athletic defenders they will see in the NCAA Tournament. The talented frontcourt can keep Colgate in the game, but the backcourt will need to take care of the ball and knock down some shots if the Raiders are going to pull off an upset.
Probable Starters:
Jordan Burns, Sophomore, Guard, 15.8 ppg, 5.8 apg
Tucker Richardson, Freshman, Guard, 8.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.8 apg
Rapolas Ivanauskas, Junior, Forward, 16.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg
Will Rayman, Junior, Forward, 13.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg
Dana Batt, Senior, Center, 7.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Key Role Players:
Jack Ferguson, Sophomore, Guard, 7.2 ppg
Malcolm Regisford, Senior, Forward, 6.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Francisco Amiel, Senior, Guard, 3.1 ppg, 1.8 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 75.3 (109th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 69.7 (136, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.7 (32, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.4 (159, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.9 (64, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 38.3 (23, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.1 (60, 4)
Rebound Margin: 3.8 (66, 1)
Assists Per Game: 15.5 (40, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.0 (180, 6)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2018 | CBI | First Round loss to San Francisco |
*all team stats through 3/10
