With a win on Wednesday night the Quinnipiac University men’s basketball team will make their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, a feat that has come much faster than expected to this Bobcat fan. I knew three years ago when Tom Moore took over the reins that it would only be a matter of time before the program would rise to the top of the Northeast Conference, but in three years?
Coach Moore has done a great job recruiting the right kids and getting people to buy into what he is coaching. The team is 13-0 at home this season and has racked up a school record 23 wins, turning the TD Bank Sports Center into one of the toughest places in the NEC to play.
This year’s version of the Bobcats includes two first-team all conference players in James Feldeine and Justin Rutty; the NEC Coach of the Year, Tom Moore; and NEC Player of the Year Justin Rutty, but the talent pool doesn’t end there. John Cruz has come on in the second half of the season, since February 4th Cruz has averaged 8.2 ppg and 4.9 rpg compared to his season average of 5.3 and 4.4 respectively. Deontay Twyman has come off the bench all season to provide a spark and consistently knocked down shots from the perimeter, including a big boost in Sunday’s semi-final win over Long Island University (16 points). Starting point guard James Johnson has been rock solid all season averaging 12.1 PPG including 28 in a big win at Robert Morris late in the season, and 22 in Thursday’s quarter-final match up with Monmouth. In my opinion Johnson was a snub from this year’s all conference teams. .
Regardless of what happens on Wednesday night this team has a lot to be proud of, they’ve changed the face of Quinnipiac Basketball forever and for the first time in my four years at Quinnipiac the arena is close to full on a regular basis. If you’re in the Hamden, Connecticut area this Wednesday night come out to the game and support this team as they try and clinch their first ever NEC title and make a trip to the big dance.
